All too often we forget what is actually our role when it comes to selling. This is especially true when we're in the business of selling services, because in essence we're selling our expertise, which by design is hard to communicate to a non-expert. Regardless of what we're selling however, it is not about our expertise. In fact, our expertise is what gets us a seat at the table. Once we've been let through the door, our role as advisors is...
"No matter what I do, they don't seem to listen!" The person sighed with frustration in his voice. He'd been trying all kinds of different things to get his organization to change but to no avail. The thing they wanted to change seemed pretty straightforward on the surface. They wanted to sell on value and stop giving discounts. But their salespeople simply didn't get it. They'd done everything they were supposed to. They'd changed the...
I was 16 years old when I started in sales and holy shit was I dumb. I couldn't recognize a buying signal if it struck me flat in the face. The first job I had in sales was for the national tabloid newspaper - when you could still smoke inside the boiler room (which obviously I did). Now direct telemarketing is probably the business in the world that has the highest employee turnover rate - which also explains why they would take me in at 16 -...
There's a saying that I like - a saying that I live by really. I'm continually amazed by how stupid I was two weeks ago. Now, to show you what I mean, let me tell you about a recent revelation I had. I don't remember exactly when, and I don't remember exactly how or why it hit me. Matter of fact, I don't think it was a sudden realization at all. I think it was more like a slow, creeping realization, that I had. I mean sure, I'd read a few books...
