THE NEW HIRE FAILURE RATE is astonishing and expensive — and it’s even worse for sales candidates, who can be among the toughest job applicants to properly evaluate. Leadership IQ reports that of 20,000 new hires tracked in a recent study, 46 percent failed within 18 months. Many people blame…
Read moreACCORDING TO ALBERT EINSTEIN, the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” However, it’s still common for sales managers to feel like they’re beating their heads against the wall trying to get their sales professionals to follow established processes to…
Read moreMOST BUSINESS OWNERS and hiring managers struggle to find good sales talent, but I would contend that’s because many are simply focusing on the wrong candidate profile. It’s a common stereotype that the strongest extroverts make the best sales professionals. Everyone has experienced their fair share of highly extroverted salespeople…
Read moreSALES SKILLS CAN BE TAUGHT. It’s a myth that successful salespeople are born to sell. In reality, sales skills are learned, crafted and honed through years of practice. However, there are inherent personality traits that signal a sales professional is destined for greatness. When interviewing sales professionals, look for these…
Read moreIT’S TRUE THAT “nothing happens until someone sells something,” as aptly said by IBM’s founder Thomas Watson. However, if you talk to business owners about identifying a predictable, repeatable sales process that ensures their teams consistently meet sales targets, they look at you like you’re talking about the Holy Grail…
Read moreIN THE EARLY DAYS of a small business, the founders typically have to become rainmakers. However, as their businesses grow, owners often struggle with how to impart their passion for sales to others, so that the whole team can work together to sustain growth. If you want to create a…
Read moreGREAT SALES PROFESSIONALS have the ability to adapt based on the audience. They are able to embrace rejection as an express pass to their next “yes,” and they generally have a high degree of emotional intelligence. However, even veteran sales professionals can fall into the trappings of making excuses as…
Read moreGOOD SALES PROFESSIONALS are experts on the products and services they sell. This expertise inevitably creates a few blind spots. When you feel like you’ve seen it all — every prospect response, motivation and objection — it’s easy to occasionally jump to the wrong conclusion. It’s not realistic to assume…
Read moreWHETHER YOU CALL IT SALES, business development or fundraising, bringing in new customers or donors is essential to your organization’s growth. After all, as the late founder of IBM, Thomas Watson, so prolifically stated, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” However, there are seven deadly sales sins that everyone needs…
Read moreTODAY’S BUSINESS CLIMATE is tough for sales professionals. When good prospects are few and far between, putting your best foot forward in each sales pitch becomes crucial to your survival. Given this reality, avoid these most common sales missteps to ensure you make the most of each prospect opportunity. One…
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