Habits of salespeople who thrive during times of economic uncertainty
Are we in the midst of – or are about to enter – a period of economic uncertainty? Who knows? But some high-achieving salespeople don’t just survive hard times – they create new “personal best” performance levels during potential down cycles in their business. How do they do it? In a new white paper, the
5 metrics to include in your goal-setting playbook for the new year
The first month of the year is a classic time for business owners, and sales professionals, to identify and focus on their most important personal, and professional, goals. We’ve noticed, though, that the goal-setting behavior of an organization’s leaders during the month of January tends to have the biggest bottom-line impact on the year, as
How to finish the year strong
The holiday season is already upon us and you might be wondering: “Where did 2022 go?” Maybe you and your company had a great year, blowing through your billing projections and setting revenue records. Or you might be asking yourself: “What went wrong and how do I prevent it from happening again?” But, before you
The importance of pre-qualification
If you’re in sales, sales management or business development, here’s a reality check for you: Are you counting on closing a deal or projecting income from an opportunity that isn’t fully qualified? Whenever we ask sales professionals this powerful question, we often hear an awkward silence in response. Sometimes that silence is because the person,
It’s time for CEOs to rethink the role of human resources
By Christine Hairelson, vice president, employee experience at Accusoft/OnTask COVID was a massive stress test, and gut check, for every organization regardless of size, scope or industry. All departments were faced with unprecedented scenarios that tested organizational processes, teams, culture and technology. Unfortunately, many of us quickly found we needed to evolve and evolve fast.
Timeless selling principles (and how to apply them)
If you’ve been keeping up with this column, you may have noticed a theme: the fact that it’s never a bad idea to “get back to the basics” and constantly hone your skills in an ever-demanding business development environment. For many professional sellers, the concepts, and ideas, to which they regularly adhere have been refined
Six effective ways to motivate your sales team during the ‘dog days’
Welcome to the dog days of summer—that time when the temperature and humidity are still unbearable, families are trying to squeeze in the last days of summer vacation before going back to school and (it seems) most of your customers, and prospects, are out of the office. As a manager, it can be hard to
Use KARE when growing your business
Whether you are a sales leader responsible for an entire team’s performance or a single salesperson looking to hit your income target, you are well on your way to implementing your new business and client retention plan for 2021 – or are you? If you are struggling with how to organize your selling time, and
How to keep your sales organization focused
During this time, when many of us are directly or indirectly dealing with issues related to the global COVID-19 pandemic or, perhaps, financial pressures on the personal and organizational levels, many sales leaders are struggling with the issue of keeping their teams focused. It’s not at all surprising that sales teams can become distracted. The
Transcript: Listen to Learn and Lead
On May 25, in Minneapolis, George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, was slain by a police officer. He was held down, with a knee on his neck, for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The video was circulated on social media and spurred a social justice movement that spanned throughout the United States and around
The Value of Being Explicit
Responsive, adaptive organizations invest time upfront to make future work easier. I call this frontloading. One simple, impactful and repeatable way to frontload work is by performing a team agreement at the start of a project or when forming a new team. Ever had a terrible roommate? Imagine how much time and energy you could
Hiring Productive Sellers
Although the national unemployment rate spiked earlier this year, hiring a productive salesperson can still be a huge challenge. Salespeople tend to be outgoing, and engaging, and it’s easy to convince yourself that you’ve found the right person for the job simply because a candidate is “likable.” But before interviewing any sales candidate, take the