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Want more sales? Become a better listener!
Have you ever had a friend say, “You talk enough to be a good salesperson?” I have. There is only one problem with that statement. It describes the worst type of salesperson. Do you know what makes a good salesperson? One who knows how to listen after asking a relevant question.
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How Much Money is Discounting Costing You in Your Paycheck?
I was approached by the Branch Manager from a company that was one of my suppliers. Twice a year, he would come by or call to see if I was ready to come work for him selling the products I used in my business. After years of “persuading”, I decided the timing was right. I…
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Can You Use Pyramid Math to Make More Money?
Pyramid Math The pyramids used a lot of advanced math to build. The dimensions are a tribute to higher mathematics. So what does this have to do with sales? We can determine the selling price by one of two methods–price markup or price margin. In working with many salespeople, I find they don’t understand the…
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The Truth and Nothing but the Truth
Today, Seth Goden writes about the Chief Apology Officer. This struck me as the perfect explanation for what happened to me at Big Box.
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Don’t Settle for Being Part of the 80%
I am fascinated by what people think sales is about. Easy Money? Easy Work? (Just play golf all day) You were told you were a natural because you talk a lot You can’t find a job so you go into sales You take a job selling until a good job comes along Easy Money? It’s…
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First Day of Sales?
My first days in sales were a mess and I did not achieve quick success but persisted in my pursuit. What could help me achieve success quicker? I wasn’t sure of the answer but knew it was available because of seeing other’s success. I was fresh, raw, and untrained. On my first day on the…
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How Serious is Your Sales Training?
Can we all agree that sales is a profession? If you believe it is a hobby or part-time job, you can quit reading now because this is for professionals only. I’ve been thinking and writing about sales training a lot lately. Two particular articles, Are you the person responsible for sales training, and How necessary…
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If the Customer is Bored, It’s Your Fault
The sales rep I was working with that day had started his PowerPoint presentation, plowing through the thirty-five slides with maniacal fervor.I was watching the customer; she was beginning to roll her eyes. She looked at me as if to plead for relief. I bumped the sales rep’s foot to get his attention, but his…
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Are you the person responsible for sales training?
When I started in outside sales, the Sales Manager handed me a 3-ring binder and walked over to a map on the wall. He raised his arm and, with an extended finger, pointed at the map, drawing a lazy circle around an area an hour from the office. He said, “We don’t have customers in…
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Are Great Questions a Skill You Want?
“After every difficulty, ask yourself two questions: “What did I do right?” and “What would I do differently?” -Brian Tracy Asking the wrong question over and over again will never result in a good answer. Over the years, I have witnessed ill-prepared salespeople ask the wrong question, ask a bad question, and get frustrated when…
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How Important is Sales Training to Your Company’s Success?
” I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” Muhammad Ali Do salespeople need training? Every new sales job I’ve started required some type of training. Whether it was for a new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software or product knowledge,…