The World's Best Sales Blogs

The Prospecting Dilemma

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:11:05 +0200

JF Guest Author Post Kendra Lee When you approach a new prospect, what do you have to offer? Whether you’re sending an email or cold calling, you need to grab the attention of your contact and make them want to talk with you. But too often sellers spew on about their product or lead off [...]

Déjà Vu and other Paranormal Sales Tools

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:54:41 +0200

A Guest Post By Trevor Stevens I love extreme sports, extreme travel and extreme radio. Late in the night, I listen to those coast-to-coast syndicated programs where everything is either a government conspiracy or a supernatural phenomenon. I love those freaks; they make me feel so normal and centered, and at times provide just the excuse [...]

I'm Making My Friends Jealous! Find Out Why ...

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:02:37 +0200

A few weeks ago I spoke about selling to crazy-busy prospects at the Entrepreneurs Association meeting in Atlanta. What a savvy group of businesspeople! At the of end of the session, Genevieve Bos (founder of Pink magazine), presented me with a couple of speaker's gifts made by member's companies. The beautiful assortment of candles from Paddywax were wonderful. They smelled...

Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #321

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:23:59 +0200

How to Rise to the Top of Your Game! This week once again proved my theory of how to you may rise to the top when you were originally at the bottom of the pyramid. Step One: Simply stated, when you are at ground level, learn as much as you can by asking appropriate questions. [...]

Insider’s Access to My Session at the National Speakers Association

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:27:43 +0200

This month, I had the privilege of speaking at the National Speakers Association’s annual conference on the power of testimonials. The conference was in Orlando which, in the middle of July, is very hot and very humid. Luckily, inside it was cool and we had a great response to the strategies we discussed for increasing [...]

I Don’t Have Time For Social Media!

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:00:50 +0200

The other day I was having dinner with a close friend. He’s the President of a division of a company. Eventually, the conversation got around to social media (is it something about me?). He said, “Dave, I just don’t get it, you keep talking about social media and how important it is, but I just [...]

Cold Calling Tips from the Queen of Cold Calling

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:00:31 +0200

Think of your cold call as the beginning of a sales relationship. Pick one tip to implement today. Take action now to change your prospecting results. Follow up. Follow up. Follow up. Do what you say you’re going to do. If you tell your prospect that you will call next Thursday at 3:00 p.m.–call your prospect next [...]

Accepting 100% Responsibility Creates Transformation

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:37:48 +0200

When was the last time you put your hand up and said “I screwed up” or “Why on earth did I take that decision?” Not just privately, but publicly? You see, every action we take creates a reaction that is based on the formula of cause and effect. Everything that happens is the effect of an [...]

Moving the Focus Away From the Leaders to the Followers

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:50:00 +0200

More than ever today, business executives have to operate as both leader and follower in the daily rounds of their job ....

Month End Do’s and Don’ts

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:53:31 +0200

It’s the end of another month. Sales managers and sales pros around the world are faced with the reality of ‘their numbers’ and efforts for the past 30 days. Some are happy, some are not. Because I am fortunate to work with many companies and sales professionals each month, I get to see a lot [...]

Do you talk politics with customers?

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:20:24 +0200

Sales people have to be aware of how macro-economic and regulatory changes are affecting their customers.

Growing Revenues for Businesses, Raising Funds for Nonprofits

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:25:15 +0200

Do you have a Mighty Cause you champion outside of your career? Perhaps your Mighty Cause is integrated into your work? For me, helping entrepreneurs and small business owners grow their revenues, and helping nonprofits grow funds IS my professional career and main cause. Whether you volunteer as a Big Sister or Big Brother, donate to [...]

Technology Can Bring Us Together. And Increase Sales

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:32:52 +0200

By Chris Voice COO Engage Selling Solutions All too often, businesses look at using technology as a way of putting barriers between customers and employees. In fact, terms like call avoidance are often used as justification to purchase information technology systems that up serve customer information to ensure a live, expensive call with a human doesn’t [...]

What Hollywood Blockbusters Taught Me About Selling

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:16:10 +0200

Great movies intrigue me and not just because they are entertaining to watch. The best movies can teach you a lot about selling and how to improve your sales results. Here are five sales lessons learned from Hollywood blockbusters.

They capture your attention—FAST.
The best movies manage to capture your attention right away. They don’t waste time identifying the key characters and the problem or situation. They get right into the plot. I’m constantly amazed how much information can be delivered in a few short scenes. In many cases, a tremendous amount of background is relayed during the opening credits. A variety of approaches are used including; newspaper clippings, images, flashbacks, etc. In other scenes, the character may receive a phone call, stare at a photograph or have a quick flashback. Regardless of the approach, the best movies grab your attention immediately.

Sales application: When you meet with a prospect or customer, build immediate interest by describing their current situation and identifying the potential pain they might be experiencing.

They cast the right people.
Most movies have dozens of characters and actors are carefully considered for each role. Although some actors have the ability to deliver a wide range of roles, you don’t see many action heroes sporting a beer belly or someone like Gerard Butler playing a wimpy, needy character.

Sales application: If you sell a complex solution and rely on other people in your company to present and meet with your prospect, you should consider each person’s role. Although engineers are highly adept in their chosen area of expertise, very few possess the ability to effectively present the solution. If you need an engineer present, then you should invest time coaching that person to ensure they deliver the best presentation possible.

The characters are memorable.
While we love to root for the good guy or underdog, the main character in many blockbuster films is a villain or bad guy. However, there is usually something about them that makes us like that person or empathize with their situation. A few years ago, I studied fiction writing and discovered that the best characters have personal flaws. However, those flaws make the character easier to relate to, and as a result, we remember them.

Sales application: Look for ways to stand out from the crowd and become memorable (in a positive manner). I once attended a conference with several hundred executives. Dress code was stated as business casual so I wore dress pants and a shirt and tie. To my chagrin, I was the ONLY person NOT wearing a suit. I stood out, but not for the reason I intended.

The actors deliver a flawless performance.
You can argue that actors have the luxury of retakes but the fact remains that they still rehearse their lines and scenes BEFORE stepping on front of the camera. They know the importance of making sure that their performance is the best that it can be.

Sales application: Make the time to practise your presentations before meeting with a prospect or customer. It sounds like an elementary concept but too many sales people shoot from the hip or wing it and this mistake can be fatal.

The movie is carefully edited.
Countless hours of editing are completed before the movie released. The director makes sure that every sequence flows properly into the next. Unlike many sales presentations, they don’t wing it and hope for the best. They carefully review every single piece of film and determine what is absolutely necessary. They discard scenes that don’t add to the movies plot and story line.

Sales application: Carefully consider what is essential to cover in your presentation. Ask yourself; “What information MUST be included and what information would be nice to have?”

Sales professionals can learn a lot about selling from a Hollywood blockbuster. The next time you watch a great movie think about the sales lessons you can learn from it. Then go out and apply those lessons to your business.

Sales Motivation Sliding? Get Out of the Box

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:32:07 +0200

We all become victims of our own thinking and the thinking of the people we associate with. I don’t mean to be negative, but at times I need to as a way to spur your drive to move your level of sales motivation to the next level.

Edgy Conversations: When You (Finally) Get Tired of Being a Loser.

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:07:43 +0200

That's Where I'm At.

You come to a point in your life where you just decide that you have had enough of mediocrity. Your own. Not the world around you. Not the nonsense on the television channel. Not your work commitments, your colleagues, or your church group. You decide that you demand more of you. And it starts right now. Not tomorrow when you wake up. Not next week after you have time to think about it. Right this very second.

It's time to act.

There is this tremendous sense of urgency that you feel. For the first time, it feels like the world starts to slow down around you and you get the...

Larry Byrd Couldn’t Miss, Even on Purpose

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:28:47 +0200

Did you know that to perform at the highest level, you must practice mentally as well as physically? Larry Byrd was one of the greatest basketball players of all times. I once read a story where he was doing a television commercial in which he was supposed to miss a shot, but it took him 15 [...]

Book Review: The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:20:00 +0200

Authors Dudley and Goodson offer a well researched study of the issues that cause call reluctance and give solid, effective countermeasures to correct the issues.

Guest Post: Lose 9 Words, Improve Your Results

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:44:55 +0200

How aware are you of your language? Do you know that there are certain words that are used in everyday language that seriously affect your outcomes and in a negative way? Here are just nine of them, how many do you use regularly?

A Communication Paradox for Leaders

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:42:13 +0200

Ask most anyone to think of a great leader and on their short list you will find someone considered to be a great orator or powerful public speaker. Ask anyone to list the skills of a great leader and communication skills or public speaking skills will invariably make the list. The reasons are clear and [...]

You Are What You Eat: Healthy “Food” For Your Mind

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:45:23 +0200

Okay, we have all heard the old cliché, "You are what you eat!" There is some truth to this in that if you only eat junk food your body will most likely suffer for it. And the opposite is also true; if you only eat healthy, balanced food your body is more likely to be [...] Related posts:

Reinforce And Enhance Your Sales Training With Product Training

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:00:16 +0200

The other day, my friend Kelley Robertson wrote an outstanding article: Is Your Sales Training Putting Your Sales Team At Risk? The article prompted me to think about: Why is product and sales training separated? What would happen if we integrated our sales methodologies and training into our product training? Companies invest lots of time and [...]

The Art of Outrageous

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:14:43 +0200

A Guest Post By Daniel Waldschmidt The world is full of “just enough” and “almost there” activities. Stuff like debate over how warm a lead needs to be before you take action. Mindless nonsense like the exact seven steps you need to hunt a whale. We fight about the time of day to call a prospect and the [...]

Lower Training Budgets But Even Higher Expectations

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:08:10 +0200

The dichotomy facing Sales Directors is how they reconcile the fact that most corporations today provide less upfront training for their sales staff than in years past, yet attach increasing importance to staff development? This should not come as a surprise, because current stock market thinking provides a powerful disincentive for firms to invest in [...]

Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #320

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:14:45 +0200

Do you prepare for business? I was in disbelief when encountering the following saga. A known resort accepted business from two conference organizers a year ahead of time. Both conferences were to be well-attended. The arrival date for hundreds of people was to be on a Sunday. The town of this resort cherishes [...]