Stepping into the world of sales for the first time can be as exciting as it is daunting. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that the difference between a successful career and a short-lived stint often boils down to what you learn early on. It’s only common sense that a solid foundation […]
True Customer Engagement
Don’t just sell to the customer. Don’t just service the customer. The real secret to a long time and successful customer relationship is based on engagement…true customer engagement. True customer engagement is a critical component of success. True corporate-wide customer engagement transcends departments, functions, and individual interactions, becoming a holistic strategy embedded into the very […]
Training Great Customer Service Reps (CSRs)
When it comes to building a successful business, there’s one thing you just can’t ignore: customer service. We all know it, but sometimes we overlook it. You could have the best product on the market, the most cutting-edge technology, and a killer marketing plan, but if your customer service stinks, you’re in trouble. I’ve been […]
Selling PCBs Ain’t That Hard! Or Is It?
Selling PCBs is a bit like playing chess; every move matters, and the endgame is always about delivering value. If you’ve been in this business for as long as I have, you know that it’s not just about pushing product, it’s about understanding what the customer really needs and how to meet those needs better […]
Selling With Confidence
You’re doing your customer a favor! One of the things that frustrates me the most about salespeople is when they feel they have to beg their customers. That they have to beg them for a meeting; that they have to beg them for a quote; and that they have to beg them for the order. […]
That’s Opportunity Knocking!
I was reading the Sunday comics the other day when I came across this statement. I think it was in Hi and Lois or maybe Arlo and Janis, one of those deep philosophical strips. One of the characters says to another, “He’s the kind of guy that when he hears opportunity knocking, he complains about […]
Modern Ways To Generate Leads
No matter what people say about these times, especially old, or rather shall we say well-experienced salespeople say about all of these newfangled software programs, CRM programs and social media programs, the fact of the matter is that these are the best of times to generate leads. There have never been so many great ways […]
Great Customer Service Is Winning!
Customer service around the world is getting worse. How can it? But it is, isn’t it? How about those pain in the neck supermarket self-checkouts? How about that whenever you approach somebody at Best Buy or Home Depot they are never the right person. The right person is on break. Is it too easy to […]
You Gotta Risk It For The Biscuit!
In working with so many companies over the years, one of the more surprising things I have learned is that not taking a risk can be more dangerous than taking one. Most of the time the companies I have worked with who are not willing to even consider taking a risk are the ones who […]
Training Like An Olympian: A Guide For Salespeople
I had a friend who was at the University of Wisconsin with Eric Heiden, the great Olympian speed skater. He said it was nothing for Eric and his pals to set out on eighty or a hundred-mile bike rides every weekend morning. It was just what they did. Another Wisconsin based speed skating champion, Bonnie […]