For 12 years, I taught the subject of “Personal Selling” as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Maryland. A textbook was required in class by the academic-industrial complex, and once in awhile I actually used it–often to highlight the crazy ideas that PhD.s who write textbooks often have about the business world. In one textbook ... Read More

Would you like to have more customers, web visitors opting in, and more “Buy Now” button clicks? If so, do like Hollywood–use stories to sell products and services. You don’t have to think long about it for it to make sense. You’ve probably sat through more than one meeting featuring a chart-and-graph PowerPoint presentation…during which ... Read More

“They haven’t called me back.” If you’ve worked around sales much, you know this is probably the most common response to the question “Where are we at with prospect ABC?” This kind of response lands at my feet with a thud, like a bag of rocks, when given to me by a business owner or ... Read More

What exactly is a sales target? It is an objective set for a particular sales rep or sales department, usually reflecting units sold or revenue over a specific time period. A sales target keeps sales management and the sales team focused on goal achievement. But did you know that there are several different types of ... Read More

There isn’t a company on the planet that doesn’t want their customers to say yes more often: yes to higher prices, yes to more purchasing, yes to the greatness of your service and yes to the results of those services. This is certainly how you start growing customers. Here’s the reality. You have to earn ... Read More

Continuing our series on the comparison between the American War of Independence and today’s world of sales and commerce, let’s now take a look at a very unfortunate side of it all, using as an example the most famous traitor in American history. For over 200 years in the US, the name Benedict Arnold has ... Read More

There are many factors that contribute to sales success. But it all begins with one single decision: to become masterful, not average, in sales. There may be professions in which it serves to be average–but sales is really and truly not one of them. The average salesperson must experience the consistent agony of hitting a ... Read More

You might discover that instead of on LinkedIn, the business opportunity you are seeking might be right next door. My friend Sarah that told me she obtained a job as marketing head for a new startup company. Not only will she be paid a salary, she’ll also be receiving a percentage of the startup’s revenue. ... Read More

The request for quota predictions brings fear into the hearts of novice salespeople, particularly those new to the profession. It brings to mind the game of ‘Truth or Dare’ along with ideas for minimizing the damage that could potentially take place. Every new sales employee is shocked to learn that they are expected to precisely ... Read More

By clearly understanding your unique ‘why’, you will have the required confidence to overcome any doubts or fears associated with active executive access. When calling on c-suite executives, intent matters. If your intention is to sell them something, then you will probably be shut down. If your aim is to go over your current contact’s ... Read More

If you want to make an impression with prospects and deliver sales presentations with impact, you’re going to have to do A LOT more than repeat researched numbers! Today, it’s extremely important to make an emotional connection with the PEOPLE in the room. But the good news is that there is a science to this ... Read More

Continuing our series on the comparison between the American War of Independence and today’s world of sales and commerce, let’s now take a look at what it really takes to engage in battle and war–and win. Endurance To start with, no such conflict is won (or, for that matter, lost) overnight. The American Revolution lasted ... Read More