Author Archive
Personal Leadership Makes Trust Possible
The probability that he will go to jail for what he did is almost zero. His lack of personal leadership resulted in thousands of people feeling violated, cheated and betrayed. If his patrons trusted him before, his impersonal approach to leadership shredded that trust in a matter of milliseconds. We won’t give our support to […]
The “Thanks for Your Time” Crime
It happened again, but I’m not surprised. As the insurance salesman was wrapping up our meeting, he shook my hand and said, “Thanks for your time.” I thought to myself, “What a crime.”
He was being polite, and I welcome that. He genuinely appreciated the time I devoted to our interaction. His thank-you was acknowledging […]
What Sales People Need in a Down Economy
It takes something special to sell in a down economy. Unless sales people are properly equipped, it’s easy for them to get discouraged and give up, perhaps before they even get started. When salespeople stop selling, falling revenues eventually cause pain for all employees and can threaten the very existence of the business. That’s why […]
This Country Walks With Crutches
After taking my order, the young man behind the register announced, “That’ll be $6.96.” I handed him seven dollars and a penny. The puzzled look on his face made it clear he had no idea what to do with that penny. After what seemed like a long time, I explained, “I’d like a nickel back.” […]
The 24-Day Leadership Lesson
Leadership is not logical. It’s deceiving to regard leadership as a straightforward skill with a set of sure-fire steps. Sure, you can find books extolling traits of a good leader and attend seminars that teach leadership principles and best practices. Merely learning and applying these practices will leave you flatfooted when it comes time to […]
The Top Five Traits of a Successful Salesperson
If you’re looking for a successful salesperson to hire — a salesperson who not only CAN sell but WILL sell — look for a salesperson with PRIDE.
PRIDE is an acronym for 5 characteristics that will help ensure that the salesperson you hire will get the job done for you and make the revenue results you […]
Customers Want More Than Your Best Price
Everyone likes a good deal. Unfortunately we salespeople may mistakenly accept that a good deal for the customer requires that we quote our best price.
That mistake is costly. It can rob us and our company of profits we need and deserve. It can shrink our close rate and cause buyers to act irrationally. When we […]
Marketing Lessons from the Business of Football
People don’t go to football games to watch football. Oh, a few people do, but not enough to come close to filling the stadium. To find out who the pure fans are, you’d have to do away with the video screens, the mascots, the cheerleaders, the halftime shows, any foods more exotic than hot dogs, […]
The PowerPoint Dozen Dare
I dare you to reduce your PowerPoint sales presentation to 12 slides or less. You will make your presentation (and you) more persuasive than ever.
I contend that I could sell anything with 12 slides or less. Computer software, a downtown development project, or a plan to put a man on Mars. The more complex, the […]
How to Sell Value Instead of Price
Sell value and not price. It seems like a simple concept, so easy to understand. Yet accomplishing it can be elusive especially if we overlook one thing.
Do you know the value of what you sell? It may not be what you think it is. There’s only one way to determine your product’s true value. Without […]
