Sales
Companies are losing the battle of sales and customer service because their reps are not trained in critical thinking. Instead, they are loaded with scripts and computer programs on what to say next versus the next logical step one should take to help solve the problem and build customer loyalty. The key to building any…
If you want to make a lot of money, you need to create vs. compete. No matter what services or products you are selling, if you continue to compete against others your ability to make a lot of money is greatly diminished. In competition, the conversation usually turns to money and everyone gets commoditized. Pressures…
My driver of 15 years was taking me to the airport today and he asked me a question: “The place I was living in I have to move out of because they are selling the building. I really felt comfortable and I fear I won’t be as comfortable in a new place. I do not…
The last several years have been difficult for the vast majority of businesses. It seems as if every customer is demanding a lower price or at least some sort of special deal. As frequently as customers are asking for it, salespeople are giving it to them. Salespeople are quick to defend their need to discount…
In the movie The Blind Side, Sandra Bulllock plays the part of a wealthy woman who takes in a homeless young man (Michael Oher) who goes on to become an NFL Star. In the movie, Michael tries out for the high school football team and struggles a great deal. Michael is a young man in…
If you are a leader or a sales professional, consider that validation is an extremely powerful tool for getting your point of view accepted. I have learned in working with CEO’s that they value validation of current strategies as much as suggestions of what they could do better. You want to position yourself as a…
When I wrote the book The Complete Idiots Guide to Great Customer Service in 1998, we interviewed the Vice President of Hertz Reservations who shared this story with me. Hertz did a survey of their top customers and found out that they were highly dissatisfied with how long it took to return their cars and…
The Life Science Leader writes about how Leaders Don’t Puke. Rather, they lead by vision and find out what’s important to people before they start trying to influence them. Life Science Leader talks about how the best organizations teach all of their employees to lead, from the CEO on down. To read more, click here …
How would you answer the follow questions? Do think about the money you don’t have to do things or the things you want to do regardless of how much money you have? Do you think about the limited resources you have in servicing clients or the ideal service level you want achieve? Do you think…
On a Sunday during this seasons NFL playoffs, I went to a friend’s house to watch the Texans/Ravens Football Game. I had no intention of staying to watch my beloved Giants play the Green Bay Packers because of my friends negative approach to the game based on “reality”.
The number one reason why sales cultures are not performing the way CEOs want them to is simply because they’re concentrating on the wrong people. That’s right. You see, last Sunday was the annual Met Gala in New York City. The Met Gala was started in 1995 by Anna Wintour, who is the editor-in-chief of…
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Did you hear that Rolls-Royce announced this week that it is building five brand new buildings on its main manufacturing site in England? So, I ask you, what was the driver for making this huge, expensive decision? Many of you would say it is to build new cars. That is far from the truth. The reason…
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As we’ve all seen for the last year or two, there’s been a lot of shoplifting. A pack of thieves breaking into stores, stealing massive amounts of merchandise, and leaving before the cops come. If they’re caught, they’re back on the streets in a couple of minutes. Shoplifting has gotten to such a high degree…
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When I think of sales success, I think of a Banyan tree. Look at this tree. It is so magnificent. But look at the integrated network of roots. It’s amazing how it grows. Now, here’s what’s special about a Banyan tree. It’s not like normal trees that have one trunk coming down, and it’s not…
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I want you to meet Alex. Alex is a van driver who picked me and a few of my colleagues up from the hotel in Albuquerque this weekend to take us to the airport. It was a seven-minute ride. During the ride, Alex asked us if we had traveled to many different cities and ordered…
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If you truly want to keep your competitors out of your accounts, you must become part of the inner woven fabric of your client’s organization. Consider that loose piece of thread sticking out of the bottom of your sweater, and you start pulling it. All of a sudden, you inadvertently pull apart the entire sweater.…
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A few years ago, I was meeting with Steve Forbes in the Forbes building in his private library. The meeting was to discuss the presentation he was about to give to the National Speakers Association that I was president of. Rather, it was to get him to agree to give that presentation. What struck me in…
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As you create your sales plan for 2024, what’s the one issue you must pay special attention to? That one issue is your ideal customer profile, because that’s going to determine whether or not you gain velocity in your sales efforts. Picture business 2012: I was just voted as the Vice President of the National…
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In the early ‘90s, I trademarked the phrase “The Question Man™.” I believed then, as I believe now, that the answers to your success lie in the questions that you ask. At that time, I had a great client, Hertz Equipment Rental, that rented backhoes. It was a division of Hertz Rental Car Corporation. The VP of Sales was…
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When times are tough, and the flow of customers into your business is slowing down to a drip, what’s more important: marketing or sales? I had that conversation yesterday with the CEO I was coaching. He sells very high-end custom furniture. Because of the economy, he was complaining that the flow of traffic into his…
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