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  • Now That You Have A Sales Process, Never Mind
    • January 6, 2015
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    It’s amazing what Harvard Business Review will print on their pages when it comes to the subject of sales. This post marks the 6th time that I have strongly felt the need to question an article appearing on their pages. The November 2013 issue featured an article titled Dismantling the Sales Machine.

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  • Is the Concept of Sales Process Really Antiquated?
    • January 6, 2015
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We read about yet more school shootings, abductions, madmen dictators’ plans to rule the world, and any of the other recurring events that must be the work of pure evil. Do you get to the point where you say to yourself, “The world is going crazy!”? I do. I also think the sales world is going a bit crazy too.

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  • Sales Process Optimization
    • January 6, 2015
    • Posted by: Kurlan & Associates, Inc.
    • Categories:
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  • What is the Best Sales Process for Increasing Sales?
    • July 14, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Companies have terrific results when they implement Baseline Selling, and last week a well-known expert asked, “What is the big secret that makes Baseline Selling so powerful?”  He thought it would make for a great article discussion, so let’s attempt to answer that question by starting with a few questions of my own.

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  • Sales 2.0 Conference; The Huge Sales Blitz and Sales Processes
    • March 11, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    In my experience, there have always been two kinds of taxi drivers. The first asks how long I’m planning to stay and when they learn I’m flying back out the same day, they offer to pick me up for the return trip to the airport.  This is the taxi-driver version of an account manager.

    The second type ignores me, talks on his phone, gets me where I’m going and looks for his next fare.  A hunter.  Purely transactional.  Just like a salesperson who knocks on doors.

    But yesterday, I met a third type.  He was a type 2, but with time management skills.  

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  • Is the Concept of Sales Process Really Antiquated?
    • December 16, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    It’s really not sales process itself that is antiquated; it’s most people’s perception of sales process that is antiquated.

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  • What is the Most Difficult Part of the Sales Process?
    • December 6, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We discussed the various challenges associated with all three milestones and when all was said and done, everyone agreed that the midpoint, that crucial point in time where compelling reasons to buy must be identified, is the most difficult for salespeople.

    Why?  Well a quick look at the following list of mini-milestones, that must be accomplished in order to get to the point where compelling reasons will be shared, tells the whole story.  How many of your salespeople can do all of this in their first meeting?

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  • Now That You Have a Sales Process, Never Mind
    • October 16, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Here’s the premise:  Companies that have been rigorously enforcing sales process should stop doing so because it is resulting in longer sales cycles, decreased conversion rates, unreliable forecasts and depressed margins.  So they say.  Here are some of the many problems with their premise:

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  • Impact of Sales Process Versus Sales Coaching
    • May 14, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    While most sales leaders admit that they must be more effective at coaching, many who said they have some kind of sales process in place didn’t come to the same conclusion.  So, why is it so obvious to sales leaders that they need to improve their coaching, but so elusive that they need to improve their sales process?  

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  • Sales Process – Top 10 Reasons Why Sales are Lost
    • January 14, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    When a salesperson fails to land a deal, sale or order which they expected, projected, forecasted and pre-banked, nine times out of ten, you can lay the blame on one of the following ten conditions:

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