Let’s be honest:
There’s nothing like the feeling of flying high after closing a massive deal.
But if you’re like most salespeople out there, you’ll also face times where every lead you touch feels colder than a Siberian winter (brrr!).
However, there are sales pros out there who are absolutely shattering their sales goals.
So to find out what keeps them going, I got in touch with 70 of these experts and asked each one:
What’s the single best piece of sales advice you’ve ever received or shared?
Let me tell you, the responses I received were nothing short of amazing.
So whether you’re looking for instantly actionable tips or career-altering advice, here are all 70 of their responses – in their own words:
Free PDF: Get access to a free downloadable PDF version of this post. Contains all 70 of these amazing responses that you can view or print for your daily use.
Sales is a life skill you need everyday
Sales is a life skill you need everyday.
You can’t accomplish anything in life, whether closing a deal, starting a company, raising money for a non-profit, asking for a promotion or getting a new job, without being able to sell a product, an idea or yourself.
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Aaron Ross – Bestselling Author and Consultant, PredictableRevenue.com
Don’t give up, no matter the cost
I’ve received so much advice over the years in my professional selling and sales management career – if I had to cite one thing I would focus on being gritty and having tenacity.
So many people move on once they hear that something is hard, or they call someone a couple times and figure they are not interested.
More times than not, I’ve won opportunities simply because I stuck it out until the end.
I didn’t give up, no matter the cost.
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Lori Richardson – Inside Sales Speaker, Author, and Social Selling Consultant
ScoreMoreSales.com
Never Believe in Never
Years ago, a stranger handed me a business card that simply said:
When I got back to the office, I put it up on the wall in front of my phone. Every day as I stared at it, the message wormed its way into my thinking: Never believe in Never!
Instead of getting down when I faced tough situations, I simply accepted the reality of them. This mindset was my impetus for learning something new – information or skills – that were vital to my future success.
This saying keeps me growing and learning. It focuses my thinking and it inspires me to be better today than I was yesterday.
I still have this saying tacked up in my office. It’s tattered and battle-scarred after so many years. After all, it’s been with me my entire career and informs everything I do.
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Jill Konrath – Sales Keynote Speaker
JillKonrath.com
Listen with the intent to truly and deeply understand your customer
The best sales advice I ever received came from the late Stephen Covey in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Covey wrote:
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to respond.
I realized that during my own sales presentations, while the customer was talking I was thinking to myself, “You know, when you shut up I’ve got something really powerful to say. It’s gonna blow your mind.”
Since then, I’ve tried my best to listen with the intent to truly and deeply understand my customer.
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Jeff Shore – Sales Keynote Speaker
JeffShore.com
We can afford to lose clients, deals and money, but not our reputation
The most impactful advice I ever got related to the importance of reputation.
The individual involved impressed on me that we will all make mistakes and bad choices, part of the growth and learning process.
But given that our reputation is the only thing we have when we start out, it is the one thing we need to cherish and protect.
We can afford to lose clients, deals and money, all can be recovered. But once we lose our reputation, we are forever behind.
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Tibor Shanto – Speaker, Author, and Sales Execution Specialist
SellBetter.ca
The goal isn’t to make a sale…
Doug Macdonald, veteran sales manager for Mass Mutual, told me in 1977 that the goal was not to make a sale.
The goal is to make a difference.
And if I couldn’t make a positive difference for my customer then I shouldn’t make that sale to him or her.
Ever since then I’ve seen the value of selling more clearly. That was the beginning of my discovery of what today I call “Relationship Selling.”
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Jim Cathcart – Strategic Advisor, Sales & Marketing Expert
Cathcart.com
Never back down…
“Never back down…”
It’s something I remind myself almost every day.
And every morning I start the day by repeating 4 simple statements:
1. If I want something I have never had, I must do something I have never done.
2. I refuse to waste time worrying about things that I can not control.
3. Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better by the choices that I make and the work that I do.
4. I’m tough enough to do whatever needs to be done for as long as that takes.
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Dan Waldschmidt – Business Strategist & Popular Speaker
DanWaldschmidt.com
Make one more call…
When you are tired, hungry, worn out, burned out, and ready to go home, make one more call.
Those words are the best advice I ever received and are my mantra.
That “one more call” has returned millions in additional sales.
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Jeb Blount – Author, Speaker and CEO
JebBlount.com
People don’t buy Legos. They buy the ability to build the Millennium Falcon.
People don’t buy Legos. They buy the ability to build the Millennium Falcon.
That quote came from Stephanie Buscemi formerly of SAP and now at Salesforce.com. It has stuck with me for years.
I try to help sales work with buyers to find out what their Millennium Falcon looks like, what happens when they get the Millenium Falcon, and what happens if they don’t.
Legos = little deals. Millennium Falcons are the big deals.
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Craig Rosenberg – TOPO Co-Founder and Editor
Funnelholic.com
Sometimes it pays more to come second!
Our first reaction on learning that our bid has been unsuccessful is to feel let down, disappointed, even resentful, particularly if we have worked on this opportunity for weeks, possibly months.
However, we must immediately contact our prospect and break down that invisible psychological barrier that may have been erected, since we received the news. They are probably feeling guilty, because they know how much cost and effort we invested.
One simple phone call, expressing our thanks for being given the opportunity to bid in the first place, confirming that we would welcome the opportunity to work together again, and… that we are ready to step in, should anything go wrong.
That last part is significant, because obtaining the order is just the beginning of a sale, and so many things can fall over during installation and implementation. We want to be there to pick up the pieces and charge premium rate for doing so.
I cannot possibly count the number of times I have won business like this.
Sometimes it pays more to come second!
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Jonathan Farrington – CEO
Top Sales World
Let your personality come through
Let your personality come through in a manner that allows you to truly connect with your customer.
Yes, this means being passionate about the customers and considering it a privilege to work with them. I was fortunate to learn this early in my sales career from my sales manager.
This simple, yet profound, advice turned me from being technical in my sales approach to being understanding.
And it allowed me to connect with customers at an entirely different level.
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Mark Hunter – Keynote Speaker, Executive Consultant
TheSalesHunter.com
Sell the hole, not the drill.
Best sales advice ever?
“Sell the hole, not the drill.”
It was actually the CEO of Black & Decker (the maker of drills!) who said this in a presentation once. I quote it all the time.
You aren’t going to be successful selling what your product does, but rather what it does for your customers.
Sell outcomes, not tools.
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Matt Heinz – Founder and President
Heinz Marketing
It’s about the customer; their issues, their goals, their problems…
It’s not about you. No one cares what you want.
It’s about the customer; their issues, their goals, their problems and their business.
They couldn’t give a shit about your quota, your product, your needs, your anything.
It’s all about the client, and once you get that into your head, everything about selling changes.
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Jim Keenan – CEO and Keynote Speaker
ASalesGuy.com
Just because it’s never been done before, is the best reason I know for doing it.
Just because it’s never been done before, is the best reason I know for doing it.
That wisdom was from my manager at my first job out of college.
I was 22 years old, and her words have become a guiding principle in my business and in my life.
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Joanne Black – Sales Consultant and Author
NoMoreColdCalling.com
Become known as an Action-Taker
I have come to value these three pillars in my 30+ year career as salesman, sales leader and company owner:
1. Be an Action-taker.
Everyone has many brilliant ideas throughout their career. Assume you are not the only one with your idea.
The rewards and riches will only be realized by those that take action on those ideas. Bring them out into the open, apply them, test them and measure the results and then try them again.
You have been meaning to get that personal website/blog up, but just don’t get around to it. You want to learn a new skill but don’t make the investment of time or money to learn it.
It is a lock-down 100% guarantee – No Action- No Rewards.
Become known as an action-taker.
2. Always be learning.
The challenge of change is ever present. The pace of this change is on an acceleration curve that will not slow down.
Approach each day and each opportunity with an open mind, ready to explore, discover and learn new ideas, approaches and thinking on everything around you.
Clinging on to something that worked a year ago can prevent you from arriving on a new, higher plateau.
3. Develop deep, mentor-level relationships throughout your career.
Seek out those who have achieved the success that you are striving towards. Spend time with them, ask questions, and listen intently to their answers to your questions and to their guidance.
This group of mentors should not be static, rather growing as your career does. Look at these people as your personal board of directors. They will be able to hold you accountable for the actions you commit to take.
Work hard to maintain these relationships over the long-term.
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Miles Austin – Sales and Marketing Technologist and Speaker
FillTheFunnel.com
The #1 thing you need to be successful in sales…
The best sales advice was actually some business advice I got from Jack Welch.
When I was young and growing my first company, I asked him how I could instill my passion on other people to get them as excited about my company as I was.
He said I was looking at it the wrong way, and that I could never instill my passion on someone else; I needed to hire passion and teach them skills.
This changed my mindset on what it took to be successful in sales and in business.
I now know that the #1 thing you need to be successful in business and more specifically sales is passion and a true belief in what you do.
Sales is the transfer of enthusiasm and you need to truly believe in what you do to make that happen.
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John Barrows – Sales Trainer and Owner
JBarrows.com
Ask for the budget…
Always ask for the budget before discussing price.
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Geoffrey James – Contributing Editor
inc.com
Always give 10 times more value than someone asks, expects or pays for…
There are 5 pieces of advice I remember from 3 different sales managers over my journey:
#1 Ask one more question before you leave a sales conversation.
#2 Set a target for phone calls and don’t physically put the phone down until all those calls have been made, in order to stop procrastination and prevent distractions.
#3 Start your day by calling or seeing your best customer first and you will start the day with a spring in your step, and that energy will create momentum.
#4 Always give 10 times more value than someone asks, expects or pays for.
#5 Be yourself.
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Bernadette McClelland – Sales Leadership Speaker & Consultant
Bernadette McClelland Consulting
It’s not about you. It’s about the other person.
It’s not about you. It’s about the other person.
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Daniel Pink – Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker
DanPink.com
Understand what problems you solve, and where you excel at delivering results.
My research shows that the first two questions executives ask when approving decisions are:
A) “What Problem Does It Solve / Why Do We Need It?” and
B) “What Is Our Likely Outcome If We Proceed?”
With that in mind, understand what problems you solve, and where you excel at delivering results. Then, seek out customers facing those very issues.
Your customers have to convince you that the problem is worth solving.
If you are more passionate about solving the problem than your customer, then bring your wallet – because you’ll have to pay for it.
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Ian Altman – Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, Executive Consultant
GrowMyRevenue.com
The happiest day in the life of a sales person…
The happiest day in the life of a sales person is not when they realize who they are, but rather, what they’re not.
Why?
Because the moment they understand what they’re not, they stop focusing on the wrong prospect and leads.
They stop trying to be everything to everybody.
And they only get involved with those that are truly a “good fit” for their business.
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Marcus Sheridan – Founder
TheSalesLion.com
Just when your big deal looks like it’s falling apart…
Just when your big deal looks like it’s falling apart that’s often when you’re close to closing.
When the rubber hits the road is when people make last minute demands or seem to panic a little.
So take a deep breath and buckle in for the ride.
You’re about to get your long awaited deal.
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Nancy Nardin – Sales Productivity Tool Expert
SmartSellingTools.com
People who serve more, sell more…
To be interesting, be interested in something other than yourself.
People who serve more, sell more.
Alway be Listening. Always be Learning. Always be Curious. .
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Jill Rowley – Social Selling Evangelist and Startup Advisor
JillRowley.com
You know what to do, so just do what you know.
When I started my consulting practice, it took off like a bottle rocket. I was insanely busy for the first 18 months doing delivery.
Then, I hit a lull.
I had not been filling the top of my funnel and had spent all of my time doing “the work”.
I totally panicked and called my friend Kristin Lembo who owns Beyond Real Estate. She met me for lunch and said the following:
You know what to do so just do what you know.
Wow… that resonated with me.
I went back to the office and dedicated part of every day to making outbound calls.
My funnel filled quickly and the rest is history.
That was 17 years ago and to this day I still try to hit my quota of 10 outbound calls.
I just keeping doing what I know.
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Trish Bertuzzi – President and Chief Strategist
BridgeGroupInc.com
Our industry demands genuine belief in yourself, your employer, and your product.
Our industry demands genuine belief in yourself, your employer, and your product.
Selling is the transference of that belief.
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Kyle Porter – CEO and Founder
SalesLoft.com
You don’t have to present anything…
The best sales advice I ever received was from Bob Jiguere, my regional sales manager back in 1974, who said:
You don’t have to present anything. If they like you, and you ask the right questions and thoroughly qualify, the presentation will be unnecessary.
The gist of that message still applies 40 years later.
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Dave Kurlan – Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author and CEO
Objective Management Group
Walk tall, and you provide THEM best practices.
When I was 25, I worked at a corporate real estate company. I was nervous calling CFO’s and CEO’s in my first year.
Our CEO once approached me and said, ‘how many real estate deals have you done this year?’
I said “15 or so…”
He then changed my life with:
“Did you know that the average CFO only does 1 real estate deal in their lifetime? That means you’re 15x more knowledgeable. Walk tall, and you provide THEM best practices.”
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Jamie Shanks – Social Selling Consultant
SalesForLife.com
Interest is driven by the search for advantage…
Interest is driven by the search for advantage, choice is driven by fear.
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Tom Searcy – CEO
Hunt Big Sales
It’s harder to sell inside your company than it is to sell to the customer.
1. When I was starting my first sales job with a very large company, a mentor told me:
It’s harder to sell inside your company than it is to sell to the customer.
I didn’t understand the importance until about a year later.
The sales person has to get a lot of things done for their customers within the company, whether it’s getting support for a sales effort, getting special terms, or whatever.
In larger companies, it’s sometimes harder getting what you want done than it is to sell to the customer.
2. Something I tell people:
Sales is pretty simple, it’s really about knowing what problems your company is the best in the world at solving, then finding customers that have those problems.
There’s a lot within that statement about differentiation, value creation, developing and communicating insight, etc.
I’ll leave it for your readers to figure that out.
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David Brock – President
Partners In EXCELLENCE
The true goal for a salesperson is to help the customer win.
The best sales advice I ever received came from my dad.
He drilled into me at a young age that the true goal for a salesperson is to help the customer win.
My dad taught me that if you’re motivated by helping your customer win then you will always come out on top. That advice permeates much of my sales coaching today and is why I spend so much time helping my clients sharpen their messaging so it’s focused on the outcomes they help their customers achieve, instead of focusing on their offerings.
When we show prospects how we help our customer’s win, they are much more likely to let down their guard and invite us in for further conversation.
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Mike Weinberg – Consultant, Speaker and Bestselling Author
NewSalesCoach.com
People buy first on emotion; justified by logic.
My father was the source. He shared these 2 buying rules many years ago:
“People buy from people they know and trust.”
“People buy first on emotion; justified by logic.”
Dad said like was subject to change and he qualified like as “would I bring them home for dinner.”
I have since added a third “People buy on value unique to them.” This is why salespeople cannot create value, only add or connect to the value drivers of the buyers. IMHO.
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Leanne Hoagland Smith – Sales Consultant and Coach
ProcessSpecialist.com
Have a point of view…but get it across respectfully.
The most impactful sales advice I ever got was from Charles H. Green, author of Trust Based Selling.
I asked him what was the fastest way to earn trust with a new potential client, especially a senior one, and his answer was:
Have a point of view…but get it across respectfully.
I’d expected him to tell me all the usual stuff about relationship building and listening and following up.
But Charlie pointed out that if you haven’t got anything new, different or challenging to say to a senior client or potential client, then you’re wasting their time.
You’re adding no value.
Bringing something new and useful to the table is the fastest way to add trust.
Of course, he added that you have to get it across respectfully so that the potntial client will do something with it rather than just reject it out of hand. A lot of sales people struggle with that side too :)
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Ian Brodie – Management Coach and Consultant
IanBrodie.com
Sometimes you oversell the right solution when the prospect wants to buy the real solution.
Years ago, the best sales manager I have ever worked for (recently deceased) told me that:
Sometimes you oversell the right solution when the prospect wants to buy the real solution.
Another very good sales manager told me that:
In order to get from Chicago to Atlanta you have to leave Chicago.
These are related thoughts because sometimes a buyer cannot visualize the full (“right”) solution – and will only buy what they perceive as the first step (or “real”) solution.
In other words, if the prospect will at least go from Chicago to Louisville on the way to Atlanta, you are better off than if they never left Chicago.
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Dan McDade – President and Founder
PointClear
Serve the customer and you’ll do fine.
The best sales advice I ever got?
Easy – “It’s not about you.”
What’s tricky is recalling who first told me. I honestly don’t recall, but once I “got” it, I started hearing variations:
“Keep the commitment, detach from the outcome.” Anonymous
“People buy what they need from those who understand what they want.” Brooks & Travesano
“People listen to those who have listened to them.” Robert Cialdini
“The biggest mistake in sales is trying to solve the problem before they’ve finished telling you what it is.” Neil Rackham.
They’re all variations: serve the customer, and you’ll do fine.
It’s not about you.
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Charles Green – CEO
Trusted Advisor Associates
I don’t care what reason you come up with, just show up there!
I don’t care what reason you come up with, just show up there!
Advice my Sales Director gave me in the final days of a competitive battle to win a multi-million dollar data networking deal.
I scuttled my travel plans, flew to visit the prospect that night, and won a seven-figure deal within the week.
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Kurt Shaver – Speaker, Trainer, and Founder
The Sales Foundry
Terrible prospects are not like fine wine…
Terrible prospects are not like fine wine. They do not grow old gracefully. If they are awful to deal before they have given you money, just imagine how bad they will be after they pay you, and figure you owe them!
That was given to me by David Gibbard, President of the former PSSoftware and my first boss in technology sales.
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Colleen Francis – Corporate Sales Consultant, Author and Speaker
Engage Selling Solutions
Always ask questions.
They may not have intended to, but my parents gave me the best sales advice I’ve ever received.
Their advice was to always ask questions.
Dad seldom accepted “I don’t know” as a legitimate answer. Instead, he pushed me to find out by asking questions of people who did know.
Similarly, Mom encouraged my natural curiosity and supported my pursuits that put question-asking skills to good use.
Asking thought-provoking questions is the secret of my success in sales and the bedrock of my strong relationships with clients.
For me, every pursuit starts with a quality question.
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Deb Calvert – President
People First Productivity Solutions
If it isn’t fun, it isn’t selling…
My mentor Joe Mooney always told me:
Be yourself.
Don’t try be someone you aren’t. Be real, be warm, build a relationship.
I also recommend to everyone to ‘have fun.’
Because:
“If it isn’t fun, it isn’t selling.”
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Ken Thoreson – Sales Leadership Consultant, Speaker, and President
Acumen Management Group
Always be learning…
Always be learning…
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Sean Burke – CEO
KiteDesk
If you want a prospect to respect you, you can’t be afraid of him…
The best advice I ever received was passed on by Robert Trudeau, the man I worked for before going into business for myself:
To be successful, a salesperson must have the prospect’s respect and be seen as his equal. And if you want a prospect to respect you, you can’t be afraid of him. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like you do. He sits down on the toilet the same way you do. He’s just another human being, not a deity; he has no power over you except to say no, and if he exercises that power, so what? In the overall scheme of things, his “no” is meaningless: you knew going in that you weren’t going to sell them all. The losses don’t matter, only the victories count. You have to get the no’s out of the way to get to the yesses.
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Robert Terson – Author, Speaker, and Founder
Selling Fearlessly
Advice about how to figure out what’s right for you, is far better than advice about what to do.
Asking for the single best piece of sales advice is like asking which finger on your hand is your favorite…
Over many years in the field of sales performance, I finally figured out that tips, tricks and advice can be really dangerous when advice-givers are basing them on their experience rather than an analysis of your situation.
I had a sense of this from my own experience, but the person who really crystallized it for me, was Dave Stein, who’s written some excellent posts on the dangers of out-of-context tips and tricks.
Based on my experience and what I’ve culled from Dave, my motto has become:
Advice about how to figure out what’s right for you, is far better than advice about what to do.
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Mike Kunkle – Sales Training and Development Leader
MikeKunkle.com
It’s all about the customer’s wants and needs.
It’s all about the customer’s wants and needs.
My dad, Steve Heiman gave me that advice.
It doesn’t matter what you want, it only matters what you can do to help the customer reach their goals.
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Alice Heiman – Founder and CSO
Alice Heiman, LLC
Sweeten the deal, gain the sale…
“Sweeten the deal, gain the sale.” Literally.
Upon beginning my sales career and learning I was to knock on every door of my territory, my Sales Manager provided the following advice that paid off huge dividends:
Purchase giant bags of miniature candy bars to hand out to each gatekeeper, on every holiday.
Following his advice enabled my entry into Fortune 100 and 500 corporations.
One guard, with guns at his hips, originally threatened I was to never return. Ignoring that, I returned to give him a candy bar.
It took me literally 15 minutes to talk myself into getting out of the car. When I did, adrenaline took over.
I swung door open with all my might, and wound up my right arm as if I were pitching a ball not too him but at him, and threw the candy bar yelling “Happy Halloween!”
Instantly, tears rolled down his cheeks, and I heard him mumble, “No one ever gave me anything before.”
Then he handed me his secretive black book containing names of everyone in the company!
Fond memories…
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Elinor Stutz – Best-selling Author and CEO
The Smooth Sale
People only remember the #1 and the #2 in any industry…
The sales advice that had a huge impact on me early in my career came from Larry Ellison in the early days at Oracle, before Larry became a billionaire and an industry icon.
I never intended to pursue a career in sales, so I had a lot to learn. I had graduated with a human biology degree, intending to go into a socially responsible field: medicine or public health.
As the company’s first inside sales leader, I just didn’t understand Oracle’s “must win” sales culture – why we had to be so competitive in every customer opportunity.
Larry’s response was clear and simple:
He told me that people only remember the #1 and the #2 in any industry – like Coke and Pepsi.
If we didn’t strive to be #1, we might not make it at all as a company.
Larry personally taught me many things in those start-up days – not only about business and sales but also how to program in SQL!
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Anneke Seley – CEO and Founder
Reality Works
Don’t tell people how good you are, let your actions show it…
The single best piece of sales advice I have ever received was not actually when I was in a sales role…
I was a Regional Manager for a restaurant chain and while working with a group of potential franchisees, I “beat my chest” to tell them how much experience I had, that they were in good hands, etc.
I wanted to show them that they were making a wise decision buying our franchise.
Unfortunately, my comments were not received as I planned.
One franchisee said to my boss (the VP Operations), “If this guy doesn’t get off his high horse, we’re not signing the deal.”
After my boss dressed me down he said:
Don’t tell people how good you are, let your actions show it.
That advice has stuck with me for more than 20 years and I keep it in mind during every sales call.
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Kelley Robertson – Sales Keynote Speaker and Senior Sales Trainer
Fearless Selling
Treat everyone equally and with respect…
The best advice I ever received was to treat people as I wanted to be treated.
Treat everyone equally and with respect is my motto.
You never know when the tiny business will develop into a major player or the major player unexpectedly goes bankrupt.
One of my best customers initially bought a $6 computer cable from me. He later said that unlike other reps, I treated him as if his order was in the thousands – not less than ten dollars.
As his business grew, he pretty much sent every order my way. As for those for who couldn’t be bothered to help him when his business was small, he didn’t give them the time of day when his business grew into the millions.
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Barb Giamanco – Co-author of The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media
www.scs-connect.com
People buy from people
People buy from people.
This is so often forgotten but is crucial to success, at least in big healthy deals.
Sell to the individual, then the employee, then the company.
By doing this you create an internal hero that works for you and actively helps move the deal along.
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Max Altschuler – Entrepeneur, Sales Hacker, and Founder
SalesHacker.com
Your clients are entitled to the very best meal…
The best sales advice wasn’t directly sales advice. It was teaching advice and it was from my father.
When I was a new teacher preparing for a class, he said:
Remember you are not just teaching English, you are teaching children.
And that sentiment stuck with me for sales.
As for pure sales advice, when I first started Richardson I was on an airplane and the man next to noticed I was reviewing a proposal.
He was a sales executive and we got talking.
I expressed that I had a very small company and that I was going up against one of the giants of the industry.
He said:
Your clients are entitled to the very best meal, talk about that and not the kitchen.
It made me more confident about what I would deliver and not defensive about being as small as my company was at that time.
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Linda Richardson – Sales Leader and Consultatnt
LindaRichardson.com
If someone simply doesn’t want to buy from you…
A managing director of a manufacturing company gave me this advice more than twenty years ago:
If someone simply doesn’t want to buy from you, you cannot sell him anything.
In complex B2B, a buying decision often has a much bigger impact on the buyer than on the salesperson.
For the buyer, it’s not only about business results and risks that have to be considered. Also their intangible, personal wins and risks come into play, especially if the decision covers a topic that’s a new approach to the organization.
Salespeople cannot control the customers’ decision dynamics. What they can do is to decode those decision dynamics along the customer’s journey and to adjust their activities and behaviors accordingly.
That’s all about providing valuable perspectives that enable them to master their challenges in a measurable and tangible way.
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Tamara Schenk – Sales Enablement Leader & Analyst
TamaraSchenk.com
Have a ‘valid business reason’ for making every call…
I think the best piece of sales advice I ever received was from the book Conceptual Selling, by Robert Miller and Stephen Heiman.
That was way back in the 80s, but it did more to shape my sales career than anything else.
That book (and Strategic Selling, also Miller/Heiman) introduced me to several critical sales concepts that really helped me succeed in the sales profession.
One of the concepts was the idea of having a ‘valid business reason’ for making every call.
I came to understand it more fully years later when I owned a business and had salespeople calling on me without any sense of my business or the challenges I was facing.
Bringing value to each call – in a way that is useful for the customer, not you – is a part of the sales process every salesperson must master to be successful.
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Kelly Riggs – Sales Strategist & Leadership Coach
BizLockerRoom.com
Ask better questions…
Twenty years ago, my Branch Manager at IBM, Scott, did a “ride-along” with me.
I was terrified, but as the meeting got closer I got excited. The prospect liked me and liked IBM.
It would be great to show Scott my relationship skills.
The meeting went well, and I was pumped… until I got into the car with Scott.
He said (in a very nice way): “Craig, how do you think that went?”
Me: “Well! I thought he was engaged, and listening to what we could do for him.”
Scott: “I agree. How do you feel about what you did?”
Me (getting a bit more nervous): “Great!”
Scott (sternly): What kinds of questions