Jim Marshall 
Question: When should you tell your “significant other” that you love them? Answer: Before someone else does. The same basic principle holds true for your clients and customers. Your best clients really are your competitor’s best prospects. That’s why every business owner, and sales professional, should include specific customer success behaviors in their account plan … Read more
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 … Read more
Whether your company is large or small, whether you have experienced serious disruptions in your business or managed to avoid them, it’s likely that the last year-and-a-half has taken a lot out of you and your team. Either way, one of the big questions we are hearing from clients these days is this: We think … Read more
Will we eventually be able to return to the prepandemic ways of conducting business? That’s a question that has been on the minds of many professionals. The latest survey from the Sandler Research Center, “Leading from the Front During Challenging Times,” asked sales leaders around the world what kinds of changes they have encountered in … Read more
Ask any sales leader whether they want to build a high-performing team and the immediate, and obvious, answer will be, “Yes.” But what are the specific best practices that support this goal? Here are three that we have observed in organizations that are thriving thus far in 2021. First, and foremost, create clarity about the … Read more
Here’s a tricky question, from the Sandler Research Center, for any business leader responsible for customer success or net revenue retention. Of all the clients who changed suppliers last year, 68% did so because: They were offered a better, shinier, “deal.” They were offered a lower price. They no longer felt valued by the incumbent … Read more
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 … Read more
Given the upheavals and uncertainty of this past year, many leaders and salespeople are wondering: What skills and adaptations, will be necessary to survive and thrive in 2021? I would suggest you review and evaluate these four trends as you plan for the year to come. Virtual Selling. It’s here to stay. That doesn’t mean … Read more
There’s no question this past year has had a profound impact on many of our businesses, and lifestyles, as a result of the coronavirus. Companies downsizing (or going out of business completely), work/school-from-home protocols and procedures, social distancing, facemasks, loss of friends and family, not to mention political and social unrest. Enough already! The German philosopher … Read more
2020 was the year. Your company was going to experience exponential growth. The plans had been meticulously prepared and presented, blessed by your board and applauded by all business unit leaders around the table. Your team and processes were in place, the market was ripe and opportunities seemed limitless. But then, the entire selling landscape … Read more
