Jim Marshall 
Does it bother you when prospects treat your specialized products, and services like a commodity? Are you tired of having to discount deals to win competitive situations? Salespeople generally don’t like talking about these things because it really hurts their pride—and deep down, it even makes them question the purpose of their existence, professionally speaking. For … Read more
Well, here we are … The year is already halfway “in the books” and, if you’re like most business owners and sales professionals, you likely fall into one of three categories: • You’re having a great year so far and you, and your team, are really making it happen. • You’re not where you’d like … Read more
Whether you are new in your role as a director of sales, or sales manager, or fancy yourself as an “old hand,” at my company, we believe there are five important skills a sales leader should develop over time to be successful: Be engaged. As the leader of your team, you’ve got to be engaged … Read more
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 … Read more
It’s the time of year when hope springs eternal, all 30 teams are undefeated, the weather is perpetually glorious and families are already thinking about summer vacation plans. It is an annual ritual for baseball players, and fans, dating back to the late 1800s, and, over all those decades, one thing remains constant: no matter … Read more
If you’re a sports fan, you already know that “March Madness” refers to the annual NCAA single-elimination college basketball tournament. The month of March also signifies the arrival of a new season, Major League Baseball’s spring training and the promise of warmer weather just around the corner. It’s worth noting people also have used March Madness to … Read more
Sales has traditionally been an intuition-driven profession: “What’s in your pipeline? What do you think is going to close?” But these days, that approach puts companies and organizations at a major competitive disadvantage. In this data-driven era, sales leaders need to make decisions in response to real-world market changes, up-to-date assessments of the marketplace, accurate … Read more
Happy New Year. As we continue to reboot to whatever the “new normal” is, here’s hoping that this year will be one of health, happiness and prosperity for you and your company, or organization. As you focus on the days and weeks ahead, you might find yourself reflecting upon successes and/or failures over the past … Read more
It’s hard to believe the holidays are already here, and if you’re like many business owners, managers and sellers, you’re either looking back on the year with a high degree of satisfaction and accomplishment, or you might be asking, “Where did the year go?” How has your year been? Maybe you’re planning one last push … Read more
If you’re reading this article, chances are pretty good that you’re a business owner, general manager, company executive or sales manager. And, as we’re heading into the fourth quarter of the year, you might be thinking, “Do I have the right sales team on the bus? Maybe I need to reassess and, perhaps, even upgrade … Read more
