Sales Tips

Focus on the Sales Activities That Matter

Salespeople will do what they like to do, not what they need to do. If it’s uncomfortable to make cold calls, they’ll find a way to justify doing something else — like sending an email or writing up a proposal. But when you’re focusing on sales activities, you need to dedicate time to the activities that matter — even if you don’t like them. Real, Severe Commitment There’s a difference in scheduling time and severely committing to something. I’m working…

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November 14, 2017
Management Tips

4 Lessons I Learned About Entrepreneurship From High School Band

I never realized being a band geek was leading me to entrepreneurship. I grew up in Germany on an army base. With my dad as my music teacher, I started playing alto saxophone in seventh grade and continued through high school. The endless hours of practice and the cut-throat competitions did more than just make me a better sax player. They taught me a lot of sales strategies and made me an entrepreneur. Four principles took root in me back…

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January 26, 2016
Sales Tips

Strong Sales Presentations: How to Leave Prospects Begging for More

You’ve made it past the cold calls into the conference room, and now it’s your time to shine. The typical slide shows with bar-graphs and pie charts don't exactly leave your listener begging for more. So how do you get to the place where prospects are asking questions and ready to sign? What are the best sales strategies for closing the deal? First and foremost: know your audience. Too many presenters forget this basic principle, but if you want people…

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December 8, 2015
Sales Tips

How to Set the Right Expectations So Clients Don’t Run Your Life

Think for a minute about your internet going out. If your service provider sends you an alert that your connection will be down for 2 hours, it’s inconvenient, but you can adjust. You’ll go to a coffee shop during that time or schedule something away from your computer. This simple notification enabled you to adjust your expectations so you didn't waste time. Rather than sitting at the office trying to figure out, “Is the internet down for 2 minutes or…

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November 24, 2015
Management Tips / Sales Tips

Salespeople: Here Are 3 Ways To Save An Hour Per Day

If you were to analyze a typical salesperson’s day, what would you see? Most likely, you’d find them filling out paperwork repeatedly, making conference calls, meeting at specific times (in inconvenient locations), providing customer support for current clients, creating a list of prospects to call, and, let’s not forget, making sales. Sure, there’s value in some of these activities, but as a salesperson, are you really spending your time in the best ways possible? What if you could get some…

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September 22, 2015
Sales Tips

5 Things Your Sales Script Should (and Shouldn’t) Include

Sales scripts have been a mainstay for as long as people have been hocking goods on street corners and from wooden carts. Why do they still work today? Because human nature never changes.Essentially, a sales script helps guide the presentation so it hits the right pain points for the audience. The script ensures that you target the message. It keeps the presentation simple and to the point, so you maximize your time with a prospect.Breaking Down a Sales ScriptTake ActionThe…

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October 21, 2014
Sales Tips

The #1 Question You Should Ask During Your First Sales Appointment

The prospect you’ve been dying to speak with finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting. All of your persistence paid off, and you’re ready to make your pitch and seal the deal. Not so fast. All the effort you put into getting that meeting is wasted if you go in for the kill too quickly. When you first sit down with a prospect, you need to prep them in order to get them into buying shape. So, let’s say you’ve scheduled…

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October 14, 2014
Management Tips / Sales Tips

Do You Have What It Takes to be a Sales Manager?

Not every sales person makes a great sales manager. In fact, some salespeople have no desire to become a manager. The skills that make someone a terrific sales person are not the same ones needed to successfully manage people. If you’ve got your sights set on becoming a sales manager, now’s the time to start developing the skills that will get you noticed. Job Skills 101 Take a look at the different skillsets that both positions require: Salespeople Love to…

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August 5, 2014
Management Tips / Sales Tips

The 1 Secret Tool Your Sales Team Can’t Succeed Without

A crack sales team of seasoned professionals securing millions of dollars worth of sales. It’s a business owner’s dream. On the surface, it may seem like building a great sales team takes the skills of a well-practiced human resources professional. But that’s only partly true. The other critical factor that will dictate your team’s success is the quality of sales materials. The topic may seem unglamorous, but the tools you put into the hands of your salespeople do make an…

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July 29, 2014
Sales Tips

10 Sales Mistakes That Will Make You Look Like an Amateur

Selling is tough, and even seasoned salespeople can slip up. These mistakes can hurt your business, especially when times are tough financially. Let's face it, we all have those moments when we're not at our best and make blunders that make us look like rookies.Here are the top 10 sales mistakes that can make you seem inexperienced, even if you've been in the game for a while:Acting like you have all the time: Don't act like you have all day…

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June 17, 2014