Technology is transforming businesses and disrupting entire industries, including the world of selling, which has traditionally been categorized as primarily a “people business”. From prospecting to closing, today’s mobile, social, big data, and cloud technologies are revamping the sales process in ways that would have been inconceivable a few decades ago. As a result, top companies and their salespeople are embracing new technologies to drive productivity, profitability, and gain a competitive advantage in the market ..read more

There have always been two certainties in life – death and taxes. But I have now become convinced that there is a third certainty if you are a salesperson and that is the slow and painful death of decision making. Sure, prospects are still making decisions but there are some painful realities worth considering when it comes to how they make a decision ..read more

You don’t want to look, act, or sound like every other salesperson when asking your prospect questions. There is an art and a science to being masterful at asking your prospect better questions and building a strong, credible relationship with them. Read on to learn 5 tips for asking meaningful, exploratory, and courageous questions ..read more

Putting the best people in the right seats is the biggest problem identified by most business execs, especially as it applies to critical sales roles. In today’s high tech, fast-moving economy, finding the right people who can and will sell for your company is a keystone for success. What can your firm do differently to attain better results and attract top talent? After working with hundreds of companies over the last 30 years, here is what we have learned are the 5 most common problems companies struggle with when hiring quality salespeople ..read more

It's difficult to choose what the toughest part of any sales manager’s job is and it can vary by company, industry or geography. Undoubtedly, it will be about people – finding the right salespeople, hiring and onboarding, coaching them on important deals and for skill development. And don’t forget about holding them accountable to the goals established and their activity to achieve those ..read more

Sales objections typically arise in several key areas during the sales process. The first is when you’re trying to secure someone’s time during prospecting, attempting to schedule a meeting on their calendar and obtain a few minutes of their attention. The second occurs when you are delivering a presentation and seeking a commitment or decision ..read more

Most sales managers spend less than 10% of their time on coaching, and only one third of managers actually coach their people on a weekly basis. Yet, the Coaching Competency is the most critical part of a sales manager's responsibilities; it is also the most difficult skill set to learn and master. There are many reasons for this, but among them are: the managers themselves were not coached or they had a bad experience with coaching; they were elevated to a team lead or manager position based on their sales success and not their coaching performance; and they have not had any coaching traini ..read more

Running a company is very different than managing a sales team, so you need someone skilled in the specific strengths of coaching and motivating your sales team. Companies have choices and often it makes sense to hunt, interview, hire and pay for a full-time sales manager, but this is a position very difficult to fill. It will take time, money, lots of effort and then onboarding to your systems, people and culture. It might make sense to consider a seasoned Fractional Sales Manager who will work closely with your company to fully understand your growth objectives, industry nuances and compan ..read more

One of the most important skills that a salesperson needs to possess is the ability to engage in what I refer to as “appropriate and respectful confrontation” with a prospect…at least when the need arises. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just refer to that as the ability to push back ..read more

Most organizations and sales managers think of accountability or performance management as “micro-managing.”  Jim Collins has been quoted as saying “There is no such thing as 'micro-managing.' There is either managing or not managing.” There is a lot that a manager must bring to the table to be effective at setting standards and gaining accountability with their team. And it is a difficult job to gain that fine balance of supporting and guiding your team without crossing over the line, providing your recommended solution. This ultimately does not allow your salespeople to navi ..read more