Legendary basketball player and coach John Wooden said something years ago that I have adopted as a life philosophy: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Living by this philosophy has enabled me to accomplish much in my life, and it was the spring board to transitioning to top […]
The Sales Presentation: Things to Keep in Mind
Here is another excerpt from a really good book on sales I’ve been reading—and quoting from—this summer: “The Salesman’s Book of Wisdom” by Chriswell Freeman “The Presentation” “In 1914, Thomas J. Watson, was named president of the company that would come to be known as IBM. Mr. Watson was not only a founding father of […]
Continuing Education: The Key to Immediate & Long-Term Success
“Selling is a skill, and like all skills, it must be learned through study and practice.” – Thomas J. Watson “A salesperson’s education is never completed: each day offers new opportunities to learn. Part of a salesperson’s training comes from nose-to-nose selling; in sales, there is no substitute for practical experience. But an integral part […]
How to Overcome the “I’m not interested” objection
Top sales reps—the ones making the most sales and commissions—know how to handle repeatable selling situations. Instead of ad-libbing, they have learned, internalized, and use best practice responses to the objections and stalls they get over and over again. [Special Offer: If you and your team would like to learn these techniques and save 15% […]
How to Overcome the “I’m not interested” objection
Top sales reps—the ones making the most sales and commissions—know how to handle repeatable selling situations. Instead of ad-libbing, they have learned, internalized, and use best practice responses to the objections and stalls they get over and over again. [Special Offer: If you and your team would like to learn these techniques and save 15% […]
How to Negotiate to Close More Deals
There is a disturbing trend I’ve heard with the companies I’m working with. And it starts when prospects begin asking for a lower price or a “deal,” or for a reference before committing, or for a free trial to demo services or products. The problem I’m hearing is that sales reps—both newer reps and even […]
The Power of Thinking BIG
“Ask yourself this question: ‘How big can I dream?’” Conrad Hilton “Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, ‘The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck.’ Emerson was a keenly gifted philosopher, but he spoke like a seasoned sales manager: He understood the power of big thoughts. “All of us are surrounded […]
The Power of Optimism in Sales
“It is never too late to be What you might have been.” George Eliot “Leo Tolstoy observed, ‘Faith is the force of life.’ Faith is also the force behind successful selling. The optimistic salesperson conveys an attitude of confidence to the buyer. The result? Lots of closings. But the pessimist talks himself—and the customer—out of […]
Rejection in Sales: What to Do About It
“Rejection is an inevitable consequence of selling. Ironically, this fact is good news for the disciplined salesperson. If personal rejection were not an integral component of the sales process, anyone could sell; superior sale people would be commonplace. But the reality is this: Superior sale people are quite uncommon and thus demand a high premium […]
The Harder You Work, The Luckier You’ll Get
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vidal Sassoon “The world remembers Thomas Edison as an inventor, but he was also a spectacular salesman. Edison understood that simply inventing a product, no matter how useful, was not enough. He knew that he also had to sell his product to the […]