Practical ideas for sales leaders
Sales Skills & Process
Improve prospecting, discovery, follow-up, and the steps that move a sale forward.
95 articles to explore
- How Extraordinary Salespeople Outsell The Competition
· 5 min read
Great salespeople know that good questions aren’t enough to outsell the competition. They ask their questions within a framework of logic that elevates the...
- 4 Exceptional Habits Of Highly Successful Salespeople
· 3 min read
Successful salespeople possess certain habits. Knowing and applying these four habits can put you into a select group of superstars. One of the questions I get...
- Build a Sales Empire by Conquering Your Contact Lists
· 4 min read
Arrange your contact lists into these five (5) categories for a highly effective way to create greater sales opportunities. The lifeblood of your sales career...
- 7 Proven Ways to Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors
· 4 min read
Differentiate yourself and overcome sales resistance using as many or all of these seven forms of validation. Differentiate yourself from your competition by...
- 6 Sales Questions To Help You Sell Like a Champion
· 3 min read
Sales questions that really draw out the buyers needs, desires and wishes. You'll improve each sales call with these gems. Asking good sales questions gets you...
- 10 Reasons Why Most Sales Training Doesn’t Work
· 6 min read
Sales training can be highly effective. It can also fail to provide the ROI you expect. Here are ten items to help you implement a successful sales training...
- 7 Smart Questions Sales Managers Ask When Coaching Reps
· 2 min read
Coaching sales reps is one fo the primary roles of a sales manager. Unfortunately, too many sales managers don’t spend enough time in the field observing sales...
- 15 Proven Sales Tips to Boost Your Sales Right Now
· 7 min read
Use these time tested sales tips to improve your performance right now. I’m a collector. I collect everything from vintage Coca-Cola machines to really good...
- Why is Your Sales Rep Failing?
· 4 min read
Why is your sales rep failing? Our research shows that there are many reasons why a sales rep fails to achieve their quota. For the purpose of this article, I...
- 7 Ways to Fix Underperforming Sales Reps Right Now
· 6 min read
Identifying the root cause of underperforming sales reps is always the first step to a solution. Avoid applying an impulsive decision like throwing more...
- 5 Qualifying Questions to Ask Your Sales Reps
· 3 min read
When coaching your salespeople through the sales process, there are certain questions that you need to consistently ask them. They really need to have a...
- 10 Awesome Follow-up Questions to Get Your Buyer Talking
· 5 min read
Follow-up questions get you the whole story. Of course, asking good questions is the heartbeat of a good sales call. However, many salespeople can become so...
- 7 Qualities of a Great Sales Coach
· 5 min read
Being the sales coach to your reps is the primary function of your job. It’s the best pathway to achieving the sales quota. In this article, I list seven...
- Another 10 Revealing Interview Questions to Ask Sales Candidates
· 6 min read
This is a follow-up to my previous article: 10 Revealing Interview Questions to Ask Sales Candidates . This article focuses on making a job comparison between...
- 7 Questions That Reveal Why Your Sales Team Performance is Low
· 5 min read
Why is your sales team performance not meeting your expectations? I ask this question to my clients on a first call to get their perceptions about why their...
- 7 Sales Mistakes To Avoid from a Painfully Awkward Video
· 4 min read
The late, great comedian, Jerry Lewis, sat for an interview in his 90’s with a staff member from The Hollywood Reporter. The interview is known as 7 Painfully...
- Use This Simple Technique to Increase Sales
· 3 min read
You can increase sales by maximizing the opportunity with the buyer sitting in front of you. When a buyer shares an issue that your product or solution can...
- 10 Smart Ways to Overcome the Most Common Sales Training Problems
· 5 min read
Sales training can be highly effective. It can also fail to provide the ROI you expect. Here are 10 reasons why sales training doesn’t work, and the solutions...
- 8 Reasons Why Qualifying Makes You an Awesome Sales Rep
· 3 min read
1. You don’t get derailed by unknown decision-makers. Part of qualifying is finding out each of participants involved in the purchase decision. Fully...
- 10 Things You Can Do to Become a Better Salesperson Right Now
· 5 min read
We all want to improve as sales professionals and skill development is a lifelong process. Here are ten things you can do right now to become a better...
- 5 Behaviors of Stellar Salespeople You Should Replicate Now
· 5 min read
We desire to be stellar salespeople. But what are the common characteristics of superstars? Some traits deal with internal factors such as personality style...
- 4 Simple Steps for Upselling Your Customers
· 4 min read
Upselling is vital to leveraging more sales with your existing customers? Apart from simply asking for more business, the goal is to develop or reinforce your...
- 4 Smart Ways to Coach Your Sales Reps on a Sales Call
· 3 min read
When you coach your sales reps in the field, how often should you step in and save a sale? You need the revenue, so why not? As a sales coach, your goal is to...
- The One Interview Question You Must Ask Every Candidate
· 3 min read
There is one interview question I have my clients ask every candidate: Why do you want to leave your job? That question may be a very common one to ask for...
- 16 Questions You Need to Ask Your Customers Right Now
· 2 min read
Ask your customer questions about their business and where it’s going. Focus on collecting information relevant to what, why and how customers buy from you. In...
- 8 Intelligent Questions for Evaluating Your Sales Reps Performance
· 4 min read
Evaluating your sales reps is like evaluating an athlete. No experienced football coach would ever consider sending his team onto the field without being right...
- 6 Truths That Separate Superstar Salespeople from the Mediocre Masses
· 4 min read
From my two decades of training and coaching salespeople, here are six fundamental truths about what it takes to join the elite group of superstar salespeople....
- 5 Ways to Rock Role Plays with Your Sales Reps
· 5 min read
Want to improve your sales reps’ selling skills? Here are five things you can do to engage in role plays effectively and get the results you want. For many...
- What Type of Sales Manager Are You? The Selling Sales Manager
· 4 min read
The Selling Sales Manager has the dual responsibility of achieving a personal sales quota while managing other salespeople. This differs from a typical Sales...
- What Type of Sales Manager Are You? Pure Growth Sales Manager
· 3 min read
One of the toughest, yet rewarding jobs a Sales Manager can do.
- What Type of Sales Manager Are You? The Maintenance Sales Manager
· 3 min read
Find out the role of the easiest job a Sales Manager can have.
- 10 Sales Meeting Topics Your Sales Reps Really, Really Want
· 6 min read
If your sales meeting was not required, would you show up? Anyone else? Too often a sales meeting is seen as a waste of time – an event that lacks any purpose...
- What Type of Sales Manager Are You? The Reconstruction Sales Manager
· 3 min read
Not all Sales Managers get to create a sales team from scratch like the Start-up Sales Manager. Instead, some must work with sales teams affected by...
- What Type of Sales Manager Are You? The Start-up Sales Manager
· 3 min read
In our previous article, we discussed the Selling Sales Manger . This manager often works well in small or new divisions. They build a new sales teams and then...
- 3 Ways to Make Your Sales Training Better
· 3 min read
While most companies agree that sales training is important, they also agree that it is ineffective. Salespeople enter sessions with low expectations and leave...
- 6 Questions To Ask Before Terminating A Sales Rep
· 4 min read
Objectively evaluate the source of the problem before terminating a sales rep. Terminating a sales rep is a difficult thing to do. At this point, you’ve...
- 7 Critical Questions to Gut Check Your Sales Process
· 4 min read
Your sales process should be the path of least resistance to maximum sales. Don’t let your sales process grow cold. A regular examination of the steps, purpose...
- Dramatically Improve Your Sales With This Magically Worded Question
· 3 min read
Using the wrong words (even when asking the right question) can lead you to false assumptions and adversely affect your next appointment. Follow this example...
- 3 Quick Ways to Reduce Sales Objections
· 2 min read
You may not be able to eliminate sales objections completely, but you can certainly minimize them. Here are three ways you can preemptively reduce the number...
- 6 Habits that Hurt Your Sales Pipeline
· 3 min read
Old sales habits are difficult to change. The health of your sales pipeline of prospects is worth the effort. Your sales pipeline is the lifeblood of your...
- 3 Quick Ways to Make Hiring Salespeople More Effective
· 4 min read
Hiring salespeople who can meet your expectations takes time, strategy and a good process. Implement these three proven ways to acquire premium sales talent....
- 7 Things Smart Sales Managers Do When Coaching Sales Reps
· 6 min read
Coaching sales reps is a fundamental task of sales management. Follow these guidelines to improve your performance as a sales coach. Great Sales Managers leave...
- Smart Salespeople Aren’t Afraid To Do This With Their Customers
· 3 min read
Ideal customers have similar traits. Therefore, smart salespeople do this with their customers… Ideal customers, those that fit your ideal customer profile,...
- Change Your Approach When Selling to These 3 Buyers
· 4 min read
Decision-makers’ buying habits can be quite different depending on their level of authority within an organization. Superstar salespeople know how this makes...
- Want to Break the Fear of Cold Calling? Do These 3 Things
· 3 min read
Don’t let the fear of cold calling impede your sales performance. Check out these three fundamentals to break free from prospecting panic. Fear of cold calling...
- 25 Awesome Sales Tips from Legendary Action Movies
· 4 min read
Hollywood knows how to sell. For a quick reminder of some essential sales tips, here are 25 classic lines from guy movies that translate quite well into the...
- 4 Ways to Maximize Customer Revenue and Retention
· 4 min read
What does it take to keep good customers and the revenue that comes from them? Follow these four steps and you'll leverage more than you thought. Make the most...
- 5 Things Successful Sales Managers Do on Joint Sales Calls
· 3 min read
Get the most out of your sales calls with your sales reps using these 5 proven strategies Before you even go out on joint sales calls with one of your sales...
- 5 Ways Smart Sales Managers Deliver Profitable Sales Meetings
· 3 min read
If your sales meetings were not required, would anyone show up? Sales meetings are notorious for being boring and unprofitable. The Sales Manager simply does...
- 3 Amazingly Simple Things That Could Land Your Next Big Account
· 3 min read
Five out of six salespeople failed do these very simple things; and they lost a big sale. Seventeen leaders representing every region of the country sat behind...
- 3 Essential Traits of Superstar Salespeople
· 5 min read
Whether you’re looking to hire or get hired, success demands that you know these traits well. Whenever I speak to a group of professionals, I get this one...
- 3 Taboos to Avoid on a First Appointment
· 4 min read
All to often salespeople say things that really erode trust when they conduct their first sales call with a new prospect. If your team works in an industry of...
- 6 Slacker Habits That Cost You Sales
· 4 min read
Changing habits is difficult, but it can be done. Check to see if any of these sales habits inhibit you from reaching your goals. We all have areas of...
- 4 Timely Questions That Will Improve Your Closing Ratio
· 4 min read
Why do some sales opportunities not close when every indicator leads you to believe they will? Preserve your closing ratio by following these four tips. You...
- 4 Vital Questions to Answer Before Discounting
· 4 min read
What are the right circumstances to discount the price? Before your next sales opportunity get’s to the pricing questions, here are four to help you construct...
- 8 No-Nonsense Questions to Ask Sales Reps Who Are Not Hitting Quota
· 3 min read
What does it take to uncover why your sales rep is not achieving their sales goal? Ask these 8 questions to find out. The sales manager’s goal is to have 100%...
- Improve Your Sales Coaching Results: Avoid These 7 Mistakes
· 4 min read
You think you’re coaching. However, you may be preventing your sales reps from developing their skills. If you really want to coach your sales team to...
- 3 Pivotal Questions To Help You Benefit From Lost Sales
· 3 min read
Lost sales can be your greatest teacher as a sales professional. Learning from it can change the trajectory of your career. One of the most underutilized...
- 3 Better Ways to Upsell
· 3 min read
One of the quickest ways to increase revenue is upselling. Unfortunately, it’s not always executed well resulting in reduced trust between the buyer and...
- 50 Bad Sales Habits To Eliminate
· 4 min read
We develop habits over time. Use this list to see where you have opportunity to improve your sales performance. When it comes to bad sales habits, I’ve done...
- 3 Ways Smart Salespeople Close Sales with Slow Buyers
· 3 min read
Here are some ways to help you wrap up a sale when the buyer appears slow to make a decision When? That one-word question can make all the difference. You can...
- 15 Proven Sales Tips to Boost Your Income Immediately
· 6 min read
I'm a collector. I collect everything from vintage Coca-Cola machines to really good sales questions . In this article, I'm sharing some of my favorite sales...
- 5 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Introverts
· 4 min read
Pause for a moment to consider using these lessons from Introverts and ease your way through your next sales call. Introverts: Gandhi, Bill Gates, Marilyn...
- 7 Reasons Superstar Salespeople Laugh at Rejection
· 5 min read
Rejection is a difficult aspect of professional selling for many salespeople. Here’s how top performers handle this challenge with ease. “No.” That can be a...
- 5 Ways You Can Boost Your Self-Confidence
· 4 min read
Negative self talk causes emotions to adversely affect self-confidence, behaviors, and outcomes. Change your thinking patterns with these five smart methods....
- Smart Salespeople Are Not Afraid To Do This With Their Customers
· 3 min read
Smart salespeople can differentiate between good customers and mediocre ones. They study the subtle differences and focus on looking for those who fit that...
- 7 Ways Savvy Sales Managers Grow Their Sales Reps Skills
· 4 min read
Here are a few great clues from savvy sales managers who know how to improve the skill level of their sales reps through role-playing. Want to dramatically...
- Why You Should Stop Talking About Sales Quota
· 4 min read
Change the conversation with your sales reps and change their results for the better. When a sales rep isn’t making their sales quota, the issue of quota...
- 3 Awesome Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople
· 4 min read
Superstar salespeople know which prospects will buy and which one’s won’t. For the average sales rep, however, it’s tempting to become overly optimistic about...
- Wildly Successful People Have Mastered This Powerful Communication Skill
· 4 min read
Effective communication skill means connecting with the other person in a way that invites them to offer you valuable information as well as willingly receive...
- How to Handle Sales Calls That Get Cut Short
· 4 min read
What do you do when your appointment gets cut to only five-minutes? Every experienced salesperson eventually finds themselves cut short on sales calls. For...
- Secrets to Selling to Darth Vader and Other Forceful People
· 3 min read
The practice of identifying personality styles has been around for centuries. Today, it is still highly effective to recognize your customers’ different styles...
- 3 Big Reasons Why You Lost That Sale
· 3 min read
Overcome these common mistakes and make more sales One of the most misunderstood phrases in our business is the “lost sale.” Sales managers hate any lost sale,...
- 8 Things Smart Salespeople Never, Ever Do
· 4 min read
Avoid these common sales mistakes and follow the lead of successful sales reps to improve your sales What mistakes do successful salespeople sidestep that the...
- 5 Quick Prep Tips for Sales Call Success
· 3 min read
I'm a keen observer of sales call success. So I enjoy riding along with reps. Frankly, I’ve witnessed too many salespeople who possess an overinflated belief...
- 5 Ways to Get New Sales Reps Selling Faster
· 3 min read
Training new sales reps is a critical part of success. Too much training can diminish performance. These 5 steps will get them producing quickly. What do you...
- 3 Battle-Tested Sales Strategies from "The Patriot"
· 4 min read
Identifying even the smallest distinctions between you and your competitors can make the difference between winning and losing. The Patriot is an excellent...
- The 7-Fold Pathway to Self-Motivation
· 3 min read
Life throws us many unsettling circumstances that can truly exhaust our motivation. However, you can recover and even prevent them from deflating your drive....
- The Greatest Cold Call Opener Ever
· 4 min read
What do you say on a cold call? Many sales techniques have been tried and most end up alienating the gatekeeper. Instead of attempting to get around the...
- 3 Awesome Sales Tips from the Greatest Chess Player Ever
· 4 min read
The average sales rep does only one of these sales tips; the sales expert does all three. Follow these tips to improve your sales results. A casual chess...
- 5 Things to Eliminate from Your Sales Meetings Right Now
· 3 min read
Just because you call it a sales meeting, doesn’t mean it is. Most sales managers don’t actually hold sales meetings… but they think they do. Sure, they...
- How An Unexpected Question Flipped a Decision-Maker to Say “Yes”
· 4 min read
Knowing the difference between being liked and being trusted can transform your sales career. With just one question, here’s a story of how it instantly...
- Fire Your Customers (And Make More Sales)
· 4 min read
Eliminate the wrong customers by defining your ideal customer profile. Increase your revenue by refocusing your sales efforts on your best customers and...
- 4 Ways to Get Mentally Prepared for a Sales Call
· 3 min read
Whether you have five minutes or five days before your next call, use these tips to get yourself mentally prepared for sales success. Salespeople aren’t always...
- 4 Steps for Awesome Team Selling
· 3 min read
When a sales rep has to rely on other members of the company to assist on a sales call, complications can arise. Following these steps can help you improve...
- 5 Things Never to Say on A Sales Call
· 4 min read
The words we use can make the difference between landing a sale or getting kicked to the curb. When observing salespeople selling, I’ve found many phrases used...
- How a 4-Letter Word Dramatically Transformed a Sales Reps Career
· 5 min read
The words we say can have a powerful impact on people - positively or negatively; not only to others, but also to ourselves. Read this story about how a sales...
- How a Handoff Can Save Your Largest Account
· 3 min read
Some sales reps are better at acquiring new customers. Others are better at keeping them. Knowing the difference can reap you great rewards. Most companies...
- Use Nurture Selling to Stay in Front of Prospects
· 3 min read
Nurture selling is the systematic means of staying in front of a potential buyer through a variety of communication channels. Years ago, I was on a sales call...
- How Long Should We Cling to Our Sales Process?
· 2 min read
It’s a loaded question, but the answer is deceptively simple. Whenever a salesperson or sales leader asks this question, it sends up a red flag that something...
- How Skipping One Step Derailed an Entire Sales Team
· 3 min read
Every step of the sales process is important, even if the sale cycle is short. Be wary of skipping steps. That can lead to unintended consequences for your...
- The Final Word on Sales Manager Success
· 4 min read
You cannot achieve sales manager success if you don’t know what it is. Sales managers need a clear picture in their mind of ideal sales performance and the...
- 5 Stellar First Appointment Questions
· 3 min read
You only get one first appointment with a prospect – never waste one again. If you don’t have a list of first appointment questions, you need one. Don’t waste...
- 5 Easy Steps to Increasing Every Sales Opportunity
· 3 min read
Well-crafted questions are the key to effective upselling. Learn these five excellent ways to add more value and increase each sales opportunity. “Do you want...
- 4 Ways To Effectively Hold Sales Reps Accountable
· 3 min read
Accountability is critical to running a successful sales team... but it's not always easy. Use these four tips to help you keep your salespeople on track. It’s...