I am constantly looking around, trying to identify the “selling” moments that happen in everyday transactions and interactions – big and small. Trying to articulate the good, the bad, and the really terrible, because most selling exchanges are not clearly defined moments that each party is privy to – rather, they are small, natural communications...Read More

I’ll admit, I’ve done it before. In my sales career, I’ve been frustrated and tried to get a buyer to respond with something compelling but in my haste, I’ve sent the – “Just Checking In” email. Have you received one of those? Or sent one? Hi Bill, How’s everything going? I’m just checking in to...Read More

What’s your focus for improved sales results this year? Cleaning up my office this week and the biggest stack of papers on my desk is my “Session Notes” pile. It’s the colorful printouts of PowerPoint decks and session worksheets that are scribbled on in blue, purple, hot pink, and aqua (I love my colored sharpie...Read More

Thanksgiving signals the official rounding of the corner for wrapping up the business year. While never an excuse that I’ve subscribed to (or let my sales reps use), it can be extremely challenging to “do business” at this time of year. It’s all downhill after turkey day. Holiday parties, office potlucks, client gifts, employee parties,...Read More

Having a conversation with a Sales Director the other day about his sales team and he remarked that only one seller made their quota last year. Several of the team members were new (6 months in), and the others . . . well, they’re struggling. The one Account Executive that made quota has been there...Read More

NOTE: This is an update to the WHACK-A-MOLE Business Strategy post from several years back. I work with both business owners and their sales teams and individual sellers and I see more WHACK-A-MOLE than ever! Does this title feel ALL too familiar to you? I write this blog as I had an encounter with a...Read More

Let’s talk about your sales and profit margins. How effective do you think your Sales and/or Marketing messages are? Are they compelling and converting leads in to opportunities and opportunities into customers with strong and healthy margins? At what rate? And at what cost to acquire a new customer? (If you don’t know your conversion...Read More

  We run across this situation quite often. You started a business. You hustled. You busted your behind. You earned trust. You demonstrated experience and credibility. You brought in the customers and your business took off. But at a certain point, you spent less time selling and more time “doing” and running the business. At...Read More

My husband sent me this email earlier this week. He’s such a good sport. I truly think he may listen to what I say about sales and selling and I’m convinced he may even read my blog posts. He knew he had an example of a #SalesFail. A case study of what NOT to do...Read More

Guest Post by Selena Silvestro, Director of Ground Floor Strategies at The Selling Agency and weekend warrior baseball fan in the bleachers. Read on for first-hand sales advice for Small Business Owners, Solopreneurs, and Sales Pros in Small Businesses: Every business lives and dies by its ability to build revenue. Unfortunately, roughly 80% of businesses...Read More