This column is only for women. Really? Of course it’s not just for women! In fact, men might just be curious about what I think women need to do to be successful in sales. Stop looking to put people into categories. You have prospects and customers in sales. Do you really think a woman buyer will buy from you just because you are female? It’s like the old … [Read more...]
Political Savvy and Your Sales Career Success
Do you think politics only applies to elected officials? It also applies to sales and your sales career success. You may not realize how your political savvy in sales will determine whether or not you are successful in sales. 1. It’s better to treat everyone with dignity and respect. I went to university with a very nice student whose father was in politics. His father … [Read more...]
Different Ideas to Sell More in 2024
You probably know that doing the same things again and again while expecting different results is nuts. So why not this year try some different ideas to sell more? Here’s what I’m planning for 2024. What are you planning? Learn something new that’s interesting. I had a customer, a plant manager, who told me one day to be sure to stop in his office over lunch hour. I … [Read more...]
Stop Wasting Your Selling Time
Charlie Munger, the billionaire investor and Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, had some ideas on investing that apply to selling. He certainly was successful in investing. You can apply his ideas to selling and stop wasting your selling time. What’s in your too-hard pile? Munger knew what he didn’t know. He said, “Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than … [Read more...]
Talent versus Training: How do you stack up for sales?
Sales training is very much a part of sales. But where does talent for sales come in? How does your talent versus training stack up for sales? Why not consider this view of talent versus training for your sales success. Sales training is perfect for improving your skills One of the most important selling skills is listening. Most people are untrained listeners and that … [Read more...]
Lost Business! Why and How to Prevent It
There are lots of ways you can lose business once you have it. Imagine telling a customer he could afford a price increase as a way to raise your prices. Sounds dumb? Yup, lost business! What if you never get the chance to sell to a customer? That’s more lost business. There are some useful strategies you can use to prevent lost … [Read more...]
Starting a Sales Career? Where do I begin?
Have you ever said, “I would have liked to know that!” before you made a mistake? You’ve probably said that to yourself if you’re starting a sales career. It’s most important at the beginning of your sales journey to be aware of the ideas that will help you sell. Getting frustrated from failure is more likely if you don’t know where to start. Here’s where you can start selling … [Read more...]
How to Deal with Deception in Sales
A very important customer once deceived me. This customer was my most important distributor. I had worked with this gentleman for years and trusted him. You can imagine my shock and disappointment. Business that was promised to me went to a competitor. The lost deal cost my company over $1 Million. I did not handle the situation as best as I could … [Read more...]
Knowledge is Power in Sales
You might have heard someone say knowledge is power. Knowledge is most certainly power in sales. Here’s the knowledge you need to acquire to get your power in sales. What do you know about yourself and your work in sales? One of the questions I ask when I work with salespeople on their selling strategy is “Tell me about your competition.” It’s a big red flag when they … [Read more...]
Sports and Selling are Similar: Coco Gauff Can Help You Sell
Were you one of the 3.4 million viewers of the Coco Gauff/ Aryna Sabalenka US Open Tennis Finals? (That was 1 million more than the men’s finals.) It was an incredible match after Gauff lost the first set 6-2. It appeared that Sabalenka would make a quick finish of Gauff or “one way traffic” as Brad Gilbert would say. Instead the match became a thrilling match up of skill, … [Read more...]