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The Prospect Isn’t Talking with Any Other Salespeople
- April 4, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
It’s not that this can’t happen. Some people don’t need to compare, talk with three companies, look at several options or get three quotes. I don’t. Most great salespeople don’t. And your salespeople should never assume that a prospect NEEDS to shop around.
On the other hand, when the salesperson says, “They aren’t talking with anyone else”, and it turns out that they were, you have to wonder how the salesperson missed it.
There are several reasons why it could get missed. They include:
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Selling is Like Rocket Science Until You Do These 2 Things Well
- March 31, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Next, he said, “We just got some outdoor furniture in over here!” Huh? Outdoor furniture? She’s falling in love with a sofa and he’s pulling her away to look at outdoor furniture?
She ignored him.
He’s not stupid. No, he’s a moron and tried again. “We have some really good deals on the outdoor furniture….”
She ignored a second time. Good for her!
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Top 6 Factors for Killing a Sales Opportunity or Prospect
- March 30, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I hear this question a lot…”When should I move on?”
You have left 6 messages and haven’t received a return call.
You have a prospect and things were moving along pretty well and now you can’t get them back on the phone.
Should you move on?
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Startups and the Dilemma of the First Sales Hire
- March 11, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When a company is ready to hire someone for its first sales role, they often face a big dilemma:
Should it be a salesperson?
Should it be a selling sales manager?
Should it be a selling Sales VP? -
Getting Deals Closed – End of Quarter Sales Gone Mad
- March 3, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
In the 26 years that I’ve been helping companies grow and develop sales and revenue, I have rarely met with an executive for the first time and not heard about —it.
It all begins around week 11 of the quarter. A frenzy of calls, increased activity, sales management and sometimes C-Level intervention, discounts, offers that can’t be refused, and more. For 3 weeks every quarter, the entire sales force – hell, the entire company – takes on a do whatever it takes attitude to bring those deals in house.
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Kurlan & Associates recently completed a thorough assessment of its capabilities conducted by ES Research Group, Inc.
- March 1, 2011
- Posted by: Kurlan & Associates, Inc.
- Category: News
ES Research Group, Inc., a firm that tracks and evaluates the capabilities of sales training providers, recently completed a peer review of Kurlan & Associates.
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Does Inbound Marketing Deliver Good Leads for the Sales Force?
- March 1, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
At least that’s the promise. And it delivers on the promise – to a point.
People submitted their names and email addresses (and perhaps more) to receive samples, download a white paper, request more information, view a video clip, subscribe to a free trial, subscribe to a blog or newsletter, get free use of a tool, or receive some premium content. To that extent it delivers on delivering leads. B U T, are the leads any good?
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Top 7 Sales Force Compensation Secrets
- February 28, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
A reader asked an interesting question about the relationship between sales assessment performance and income.
“If someone does well on the assessment but never earned more than $100,000, should that set off some red flags since $100,000 is the high water mark of sales success?”
It’s a great question.
Sales income is all relative.
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The Effect of Momentum on the Sales Force
- February 25, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Momentum has a magical effect on salespeople.
When salespeople are doing well, there is pressure on everyone to keep up, carry their fair share, compete, be successful, and contribute. It causes salespeople to remain focused, be at their best, and put forth the extra effort. It contributes to happiness, fulfillment, excitement, confidence and success. That’s all pretty good, huh?
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Sales Effectiveness – IDC and CEB Draw Conflicting Conclusions
- February 24, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
The latest IDC Study says that of the customers who changed vendors last year, 65% did so because they either had a poor relationship with their vendor or a better relationship with the new vendor. One of their conclusions is that companies need to do a better job teaching their salespeople how to develop relationship building skills, especially in the C-Level.
The latest Corporate Executive Board study starts out with this headline: “Most companies are betting that reps who focus on building stronger customer relationships will rebuild sales. They’re wrong—here’s why.”
So why are these two studies coming to two different conclusions?