Posted: January 19, 2017 | Categories: Sales

When I was growing up, many of my summer vacations were spent in Wyoming visiting my relatives.  We had several visits to Yellowstone National Park, and I vividly remember seeing bears walking around and occasionally leaning on a car.  Not far away we could count on seeing a sign that said, “Do not feed the bears!”  We all know why we are not supposed to feed the bears, don’t we?  Because if we do, they won’t be satisfied with what they give them, and they will demand more.

This story is a good one to remember in selling:  The rule is:

The earlier the concession, the less value it has in closing the saleRead More…

Posted: June 23, 2016 | Categories: Sales

In coaching sales teams, the subject of participating in trade shows often comes up.  Some companies count on trade shows to generate a substantial portion of their revenue.  Others say trade shows are a waste of time.  Clearly, there are many factors that contribute to a profitable trade show booth.  Today I heard a story that illustrates one of the most winning combinations:  Asking good questions and listening to the responses.Read More…

Posted: January 6, 2016 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

23 years ago a fellow team member and I were sitting in a lobby waiting to see a prospect.  My buddy Joe brings out a copy of Golf Digest to read.  This was the issue that listed the top PGA money winners of the past year.  Joe pointed out who was in first place:  It was Fred Couples.  He had made $1,344,188, participated in 22 events, and his average score per 18 holes was 69.38.  Then Joe showed me the stats for the person in 130th place.  His name was John Mahaffey, his total winnings were $101,512, he participated in 28 events, and his average score per 18 holes was 71.99.  Think about that!  The difference between the person in first place and 130th place was only  a difference of 2.61 strokes per 18 holes.  Does that sound unusual?  Not really.  A major league baseball player  whose career batting average is 300 will probably end up in the Hall of Fame if he plays a full career.  This is what champions call the slight edge.  It means that the person at the top and the person in 2nd are not that far apart.  Instead of thinking we need to be twice as good as our competition, often all we need to do is develop the slight edge.Read More…

Posted: October 9, 2015 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

“Successful people form the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do”                                    – Albert Gray: “The Common Denominator of Success”

What does the word “integrity” mean to you?  Here is the most common answer I hear to this question:

“It means doing what you say you will do, when you say you will do it.”

Of course, it is also assumed that you will do your best quality work.Read More…

Posted: September 25, 2015 | Categories: Leadership, Sales

“Don’t start what you can’t finish”  – The Sorcerer in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”

Several months ago I read a news story about a large national  fast food chain and their perceived quality of customer service.  They were in 5th place.  That wasn’t where they wanted to be, and it bothered them.Read More…