Let me tell you something that most salespeople — even the ones flashing Rolexes and bragging about crushing their quotas — still haven’t figured out: facts don’t close deals. Stories do. You can walk into a meeting loaded for bear — binders full of data, PowerPoints thicker than a New York phone book, rattling off […]
From Cold Calls to Warm Leads: The Evolution of Prospecting
Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: Cold calling isn’t dead. I don’t care what the LinkedIn gurus or the TikTok “sales coaches” say. Picking up the phone and talking to another human being is still one of the fastest ways to grow your business. But (And it’s a big but.) Cold calling […]
The Silent Salesperson: Leveraging AI in Modern Sales
Let’s get one thing straight before we go any further: AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to make you smarter and faster. I know, I know. Every time a new tool shows up, half the sales floor panics like the sky is falling. “They’re going to automate us out of a job!” they […]
20 Lessons in 20 Years — A Career in Common Sense
By Dan Beaulieu, for the 1000th edition of “It’s Only Common Sense” The Long Game of Weekly Truth-Telling One thousand columns. 20 years. The first edition of It’s Only Common Sense was published on September 5, 2005- Twenty years ago the first 10 columns were monthly. But then on July 31st, 2006, the column went […]
Why Failure is an Opportunity for Growth
It’s only common sense that failure, as painful as it may be, is one of the best teachers in life. Whether you’re running a business, managing a team, or navigating your personal journey, failure offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn, grow, and emerge stronger. If you’re not failing now and then, you’re likely not trying […]
Stop Chasing New Customers and Start Keeping the Ones You’ve Got
Come on, I get it! Customer retention is not glamorous. It doesn’t have a flashy ad campaign. It’s not going viral on social media. And nobody’s handing out “Best in Retention” awards at trade shows. But if you’re running a real business — not a popularity contest — then customer retention is where your real […]
The Team, The Team, The Team
Sales as a Team Sport If you’ve ever played on a sports team, you know that it’s not just about scoring goals or making big plays—it’s about everyone working together toward a common goal. Sales is no different. Too often, sales is seen as an individual activity, with each salesperson striving to hit their personal […]
Bringing Home The Orphans
How to Win Back Lost Customers In business, losing customers is inevitable. But while it’s tempting to focus solely on acquiring new customers, there’s significant value in bringing lost ones back into the fold. I call it bringing home the orphans. Winning back lost customers isn’t just about patching up old relationships; it’s about understanding […]
Know when to Fold Em!
The Importance of Knowing When to Walk Away In business, the ability to know when to walk away is just as critical as knowing when to say yes. It might feel counterintuitive, especially when every deal seems like an opportunity, but not every deal is the right one. In fact, the most successful professionals are […]
Customer Service is Sales in Disguise
When we think about sales, we often picture meetings, pitches, and negotiations. Customer service? That’s something entirely different, right? Wrong. In reality, customer service is one of the most powerful sales tools a business can deploy. Every interaction with a customer—whether they’re calling to ask a question, lodge a complaint, or simply inquire about your […]