Are Your Salespeople Schrodinger’s Cat?: A thought experiment on sales training sustainment

I think the greatest challenge we face in the Learning & Development (L&D) world is whether the audience we design and deliver content for actually use the learning in the field. In my experience the content is generally good, and improves year after year. Trends such as mobile technology and gamification can extend the life of a learning initiative, increasing the impact that L&D budgets have on their target audience.

Sales and Service Excellence April 2015 Advertisers

Eliminate the “On the Run” Style: 5 tips to build superior teamwork and service

Robert runs a high energy business with a dedicated team. At least on initial glimpse this is the impression someone might get as they wait in the lobby. The reality is the team is floundering at any life line they can get just so the business stays afloat. Communication is usually restricted to brief directions given as Robert runs out the door to the next important meeting. Often the orders shouted out on the run contradict a previous task already identified as critical. It is up to the staff to interpret which task really is the priority and act accordingly.

Can this Sales Rep. be Saved?: How to spot someone who “Checks Out” of the job

Are sales results below quota? Are some of your best and most consistent sales representatives underperforming? Do you know if any of your representatives have decided to fire themselves? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” or “maybe”, problems may be lurking in your sales organization — problems that need to be attended to quickly.

Predictive Analytics and Sales Hiring: A solvable mystery

Early in my business experience, I encountered a curious mystery. A tightly run inside sales team had an ocean of standardized desks and cubes. Each sales representative had the same scripts to follow, the same goals, the same computer screens and the same incentives for success. They made a lot of outbound calls to sales prospects with little variety.

Buyer Persona: How to use it effectively during pre-sales stages

Here’s a question: Do you want to sell/market? Or have someone buy? The belief is that if you can sell/market appropriately – the right campaign to the right buyer with the right solution at the right time – buyers will buy. If that were true, you’d be closing a helluva lot more than you’re closing. Sure, buyer personas make a difference in your close rate. However, it could be higher.

Taking Advantage of Time: How to fill the void

When I speak to sales groups around the country about creating more time and space, I explain that our focus is improving their quality of life for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, there are many ways to succeed. For example, imagine that your company is sending you to a two-day sales skills conference that starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday. The reservations have already been made, and you have scheduled the conference on your calendar and made all necessary preparations. You are ready to go.

Six Figure Success: 14 things small businesses need to earn big

According to the Small Business Administration, of the 22 million non-employer businesses only about 11 percent ever make six figures. To earn six figures in a year, you need to earn $8,333.33 a month or $1,923.07 a week. And more importantly, you have to have a clear and concise plan of how you’re going to generate that new revenue each week (and month) in your business.

From Vision to Action: 5 steps to create powerful results

From doubling a salesforce in one year, to becoming a market leader in their state, business owners have bold dreams. However, will they be achieved? Chances are, they won’t. These dreams are a lot like New Year’s Resolutions: they’re bold statements dreamed up by those who aspire for more, but in the stark reality of the everyday demands of being a business owner, it’s much harder to complete them.

‘Carma’: How to blend cold and warm calls to improve results

There seems to be a debate among sales gurus about whether or not cold calling is an archaic approach. It is conceivable the debate arises from most people wishing cold calling to, in fact, be dead.