About a year ago, I researched some software to execute some processes in my business. This was a significant investment for me – more so in scaling my business than in price – it was an important decision. Between three options, I chose the one that had the best features for me and the sales...Read More
Not to name drop but I have some extremely smart friends and colleagues that have written and are writing amazing sales books. I’ve reviewed a lot of them here on The Pipeline blog and usually bring a few with me when I go to train a sales team. Many of my clients are devout readers...Read More
That was a special Mother’s Day. Unique, for sure. Remembering this special experience from a few years ago … “No sleeping in, breakfast in bed, or brunch this year. This year we were out the door before school bus time and on our way to a special experience at FedEx. One of my husband’s patients...Read More
Part of understanding the negative feelings out there about sellers is reconciling the fact that much of the sales advice out there preaches manipulative and controlling sales practices that leave customers skittish, untrusting, and gun-shy about sellers’ intentions. Which is why buyers don’t return our calls, shrug off our emails, and work hard to ignore...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
If you asked 10 Sales Pros what their primary goal would be, you’d predictably get some variation of, “Close more deals,” or “Grow revenue,” or “Make my quota and bonus.” I like the “eye on the prize” mentality but question those answers as goals. They are outcomes. They are results. Similar to the name of...Read More
Looking forward to the New Year, I’m thinking about the most important areas to focus on for my clients’ sales teams. Prospecting is always tough, closing is a priority, new business development is critical . . . What’s your data telling you to focus on? If you’re looking for specific places to focus on development,...Read More
Traveling to NYC this past week, I had the opportunity to get chatty with many of my fellow travelers. “Going places” is pretty much a universal language and helps create instant bonds when you’re “all in this together” on a plane, or in a terminal. So, unless you give the international sign of “don’t bother...Read More
We’ve had great response (and a lot of STRONG suggestions) when we started asking sales leaders across the country to share their insights about what sales pros should STOP doing to earn more sales. I had particularly emphatic response from my colleagues of Women Sales Pros, whom all seem to be on a mission to...Read More
A while back, we participated in a great business expo hosted by the local chamber. At The Selling Agency booth, we asked people to “Give us their best pitch” about their business. And . . . we offered to record it for them and email them the sound bites. There was a specific point to asking...Read More