When to apply a strategic selling process Not all opportunities require a strategic planning process. Too much process is like cutting butter with a chainsaw. But, if you are cutting down an oak, you don’t want to use a butter knife.  Three Battle Fronts Major opportunities are fought on three fronts: Technology – WHAT do we need? Financial – HOW MUCH financial return vs. competing … Read more

A single silver bullet fired by the CFO shoots down many good projects. “Why now?” I just had lunch with a friend who advises Federal CIO’s and CFO’s on procurement. He said 75% of projects fail in the business case, not the technical evaluation. When we propose a solution, we may think the question we are trying to answer is, “Does my solution produce a … Read more

We all naturally hesitate to ask personal questions. A new study explains why salespeople and customer success managers must ask personal questions. “As B2B offerings become ever more commoditized, the subjective, sometimes quite personal considerations that business customers bring to purchasing decisions are increasingly important. Understanding the full range of rational and emotional factors in business purchases – and tailoring value propositions accordingly – can … Read more

Your nature is like an elephant – strong, steady and powerful. Your will is like a rider. When the two want to go the same way, no problem. If your will and your nature want to go different directions, your nature wins. The point of application of new skills is a point of confrontation and stress. Under duress we revert to habit. Old learning or … Read more

This tip provides a series of sales leadership activities, recommended by sales leaders who know how to increase sales. The sequence starts with suggested actions when you first take over a new sales team. Following these initial actions is a cadence of annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly activities to drive a high level of sales performance. This is part two of a series on how … Read more

Allow the Solution to be the Buyer’s Baby It is in our nature to be helpful. So, we tend to offer solutions. We also like to be the smartest person in the room. A master of a truly consultative sales methodology knows; however, the more the customer creates the solution, the more they love it. It’s their baby. If the solution is the buyer’s baby … Read more

The Problem with Your Game If you hired a golf pro, what would you think if he said, “The problem with your game is that the ball does not go into the hole early enough and often enough!” As ridiculous as the golf coach’s advice is – and let me ask this very gently – is it the sort of advice many sales managers give? … Read more

Why doesn’t my product or service sell? Have you ever wondered, “Why doesn’t my solution sell?” Or maybe it was closer to, “Why don’t these idiots buy my solution?” If you imagine a chain with two links, the weak link is either: What you are selling. How you sell. Link #1: What You’re Selling People who are satisfied with the status quo do not change. … Read more

The Law of Paradoxical Intent A favorite sales tactic of many of my clients, is the anti-suggestion. The basis for this sales tactic is the Law of Paradoxical Intent: If you’re desperate to make something happen, and you try to control events and people, you push away the very people you want to influence and you prevent the desired outcome. Role Reversal The term “anti-suggestion” … Read more

Zombies are terrifying because they can’t die, they don’t know they’re a problem, and they can take you down with them. A zombie sales deal might not be quite as scary, but having too many of them on your forecast and on your mind can hurt both you and your company. What do I mean by a zombie sales deal? A deal that you haven’t closed, … Read more