I read a great quote from Picasso (yes, the famous painter) the other day, and it really resonated with my sales philosophy. Here it is: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” You’re probably wondering what that has to do with sales, and it’s simple: Most sales reps’ […]
If you’re in inside sales management, then you know all about metrics. In fact, whenever I consult with new clients the owners and managers automatically begin showing me their call monitoring reports. They show me metrics on how many calls a rep is making, how much average time each rep spends on the phone, what […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
“We are all salesmen every day of our lives.” Charles M. Schwab Whenever I’m at a used bookstore, I always browse the business section. There is gold in those isles. I found a short book called, The Salesman’s Book of Wisdom, by Dr. Chriswell Freeman, and the introduction on “The Joy of Selling” was so […]
I received this question from a reader of my blog last week: “Mike, I have a question for you. “Being that people are more accessible with iPhones, text, laptops, computers, email, messenger, FB, Instagram to name a few, why are business owners/decision makers so hard to reach? It’s almost like they are hiding. They don’t even […]
I was working with a sales manager last week—he manages a team of 20 inside sales reps with a direct report manager who helps manage half that team—and I asked him what kind of producer he was when he was selling. “I was number one!” he answered proudly. “And if you look at your team […]
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the new technology that seems to come out every month (almost every week)? If you’re like most companies, then you’ve probably got enough technology in place to measure just about everything: talk time, conversion rates, number of demos being given, lead flow and lead placement in the funnel—top end, […]
About Mike Mike recently won both the “2017 & 2018 Service Provider of the Year Awards” for training and development by the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals. His customized training programs not only provide immediate and sustained lift on production, his presentations have been called “a training experience” due to the motivation he brings […]
