One of the differences we have noticed in our conversations with sales managers over the last few years, is that there is a real acceptance that the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to selling simply doesn’t work anymore – not unreasonably, customers and prospects have increasing expectations that a salesperson should tailor their pitch to them. This can […]
View Post Communication, Meetings, Presentations, Sales, Sales Training, Selling, Trust, ValueA simple, but highly effective model that might just transform your life… How often do we sit in a meeting (obviously organised by somebody else…) and think “why am I here and just what am I getting from it?” When you walk away at the end of the interaction still none the wiser, do you […]
View Post Communication, Meetings, Presentations, Sales, Sales Training, Selling, Trust, ValueUnderstanding how to communicate across cultures is an absolutely indispensable skill. Do you work with colleagues and customers from around the world whether face to face, by mail or tele-conferencing? The answer is probably ‘yes’ as more and more of us need to connect and work well with a whole range of people from different […]
View Post Cross-cultural, diversity, global, international teams, LeadershipWe all need to occasionally phone somebody up who we have not met before with aim of securing a meeting. Maybe if telemarketing is your day-job, this is an everyday occurrence! But perhaps you are: Leading a start up company A partner in a professional services firm A salesperson with a new business responsibility An […]
View Post Cold Calling, Sales Training, Telemarketing, TriggersMy people want to learn and be developed! Training budgets are tight – or non-existent! My team need to share more and support each other! We need to share best practice across teams! All of these are things that I frequently hear from managers and HR professionals. So I have good news! We have been […]
View Post Action learning, Fly-on-wall, Making training stick, on-the-job trainingWhen I talk to commercial leaders they frequently focus on the issue of margin. And that’s not surprising – arguably, it’s one of the most important ways in which businesses can protect their profitability, long-term growth and ultimately marketplace survival. Without healthy margins, profitability drops. Without profitability, no business has a future. But although those […]
View Post Business Development, High margin, Negotiation, SalesI can almost guarantee that when coaching or running workshops on the topic of leadership and influence that I am asked 2 questions about this! Let’s start with the first question… ‘Why should I manage my own manager?’ When I am asked this, I often refer back to the classic Harvard Business Review article: “Managing Your […]
View Post coaching, Leadership, manager, Managing UpwardsSales Management is a tough job…. Today’s business environment is increasingly complex, and as a result, Sales Managers are being given more and more responsibilities. With aggressive sales goals, new technology adoption, territory management, forecasting, and all the other day to day activities, it’s all too easy for Sales Managers to focus on these important […]
View Post Developing Sales Leadership, Sales managementWe’re approaching the time of the year when many of us are turning our thoughts to that annual festival of giving, receiving and then giving again: Christmas. If we do mark this holiday, while some of us enjoy the hassle and hustle of present seeking, others would rather run anywhere than to the shops. So, […]
View Post Insights, Learning and development, Personality types