Sales
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Does anything in life come easy for us? Yes and No. When we engage in activities aligned with our strengths and skills, they often come easily to us. On the other hand, tasks that we dislike or lack proficiency in can be challenging. However, that is not what I’m talking about here. Recently, I had…
Radius recently announced their Top Sales Influencers on Twitter, based on KRED Scores. I am proud to announce that I was number two on their list! Check out the details of their announcement and follow the entire list of influencers by reading their post: Sales Influencer Rankings. While…
Read MoreThere are many reasons why people say no to the sale, and most often it’s not because they’re not interested. No is the answer of no risk. Yes is the answer of risk. We know that in previous studies, it takes on average three to seven no’s before someone gets their yes. 90% of sales…
Read MoreYou want the magic pill for increasing your sales dramatically right now? Here it is—- the Relevancy Pill. That’s right. How relevant is your pitch and message to your market? How relevant is it to your customer’s needs? Are you just regurgitating all of your features and benefits to your customers? If so, you are…
Read MoreRecently I was talking to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a company and she told me her real title was VP of MIH. I asked her what MIH was. She said – MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! I started laughing; but then I thought, what a great title! More importantly what a great mindset. No…
Read MoreToday, New York City is holding a VIP funeral for one of its greatest Mayors, Ed Koch. Everyone knew Ed Koch was one of the best Mayors New York ever had. What’s surprising to me is the incredible outpouring of love and loss over his passing. One of his closest friends said this outpouring exceeded…
Read MoreIt was a hot summer day in July, 1977 and I was working at a summer job on Wall Street heading into my senior year at college. I remember sitting on the steps of Federal Hall at the corner of Broad and Wall Street eating lunch when Congressman Ed Koch walked around the corner and…
Read MoreLast week I made my monthly visit to one of my annual retainer accounts. When we met for dinner, one of the executives said “in the past six months under your guidance, Ron we reduced our sales team by half and increased sales by 10%.” Now that’s results! …
Read MoreOne of the best pieces of advice I have ever received came from a mentor. He said, “staying in communication with your customer is the key to closing sales.’ By staying in touch with them, you stay in the top of their conscious mind. But, the questions always arise; How often do you stay in…
Read More