“I hate being in Sales,” a woman recently confessed to me. Even so, she’s pretty successful, and was recently netting $40,000 a month in commissions. But here she was, telling me that she hated the very job that she was so good at.
This surprised me, because I like to pretend that most sales […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

Sales managers are always insisting that sale reps should sell high, but that’s not always practical. Some organizations push buying decisions so far up the chain that nobody except a CEO is likely to get face-time with the guy who’s got the cash.
The most obvious example of this is the military, where the generals […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

Everybody in sales wants to have great sales skills, but not everybody realizes that sales skills come in three varieties.

Psychological skills. These are what most people think of as sales skills. They include the ability to complete a successful cold call, to get an appointment, to build rapport, to give presentations, to close […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

I think that we’re way too lenient on corporate criminals. I consider this a Sales issue because selling depends on building a strong relationship between the buyer and seller. Corporate criminals, whether in sales or elsewhere in the company, break the compact of trust that is the key to long-lasting business success.
Before I […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

Selling is hard work, but it’s even more difficult when the sales team starts exhibiting dysfunctional behavior. Here are the seven major sins of sales teams, along with some advice on how to cope:

OVERCONFIDENCE. When everyone wants to make big numbers, there’s a tendency to sell too much, too quickly. Solution: Before closing, […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

I was wrapping up a second mortgage with my local bank when I noticed that, for some reason, they were now using seven-digit telephone extensions. That meant that you had to dial an 800 number and then seven more digits to reach a particular person.
Most business cards already have at least three phone […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

A meeting with a prospect is more likely to result in a big sale if you go into the engagement armed with solid information about the prospect’s firm. Fortunately, there’s no mystery to market research. Here’s how the experts build a quick corporate profile when they’re pressed for time:
Step 1. Go to […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

Questions serve three functions in a sales conversation.  First, they elicit more information about the prospect, thereby allowing you to learn more about how (and if) you can help.  Second, they move the conversation forward, so that you can continue to ask more questions, and learn even more.  Third, they help build rapport with the […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

Questions serve three functions in a sales conversation. First, they elicit more information about the prospect, thereby allowing you to learn more about how (and if) you can help. Second, they move the conversation forward, so that you can continue to ask more questions, and learn even more. Third, they help build […]

Original post by Geoffrey James

If your sales success isn’t where it ought to be, you may be operating under the weight of one or more persistent (and pernicious) myths about selling. Here they are:

Myth #1. All qualified prospect are potential customers. Truth: Only certain prospects should and will buy. If your lead qualification process were that […]

Original post by Geoffrey James