Search Results
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Gaining Sales Traction is Like Talking to Kids
- February 29, 2012
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
On a recent coaching call, I was explaining how to handle the prospect who doesn’t admit to having an issue on which they need help. During a first call where the salesperson is taking a consultative approach, it’s not unusual for a prospect to become protective or defensive by denying having issues. At this point, most (74% according to Objective Management Group) salespeople will choose one of the following three paths:
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Sales Education – New Events, Articles and Books
- February 28, 2012
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Today’s article has a collection of links to help you, your sales managers and your salespeople become more effective.
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How Many of Your Salespeople are Addicted to This?
- December 14, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Do your salespeople have a hopium addiction?
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The Biggest Mistake That Salespeople Make at Year End
- November 30, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Your actions can not be dictated by the time of year. Your actions must be dictated by where you are in the sales process and the step or stage that must occur next.
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Sales Pipeline – Reality vs. What Your Salespeople Know and Think
- November 28, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Sales Pipeline and Forecast, Understanding the Sales Force
What your salespeople think or believe – not a data point.
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The Difference Between Sales Commitment and Desire
- November 18, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I was explaining this difference to a client and the two findings, which we were comparing, were striking in their contrast.
The candidate in question scored 100 (off the charts) on Desire (how badly he wants to succeed in sales); yet, as low as he was high – 16 – on Commitment – his willingness to do what it takes to succeed in sales. So as you might expect, the client asked, “How can he score so high in Desire but so low in Commitment?”
Great question.
I’ll explain it in exactly the same fashion I explained it to him.
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Sales Traction – The Key to Measuring the #1 Sales Competency
- November 16, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
One of the KPI’s I introduced in my Moneyball article two months ago was Traction, the ratio of suspects that become prospects. Using the Baseline Selling process, that is also the ratio of opportunities that move from 1st base to 2nd base. Translating that one more time, it is the number of 1st meetings that move to “we have a real opportunity here”.
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Embarassed by This Sales Article in The Economist?
- October 31, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
On October 22, The Economist published an article called, The Art of Selling – The Death of the Salesman Has been Greatly Exaggerated. Is the Economist really that far out of touch? I wrote the last of my 5-part Death of Selling Has Been Exaggerated articles 5 years ago! And how long has it been since anyone referred to salespeople at “salesmen”?
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Will This Sales Candidate Really Fail If We Hire Him?
- October 26, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When it says Not Recommended, you really need to believe the science behind the recommendation – if you dare to hire one of these candidates 75% of them will fail inside of 6 months.
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Top 10 Questions for Salespeople to Ask and Stay Away From
- October 12, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Best Top 10 Lists, Understanding the Sales Force
The theme of my recent posts has centered around links sent by readers, asking me to weigh in with a counterpoint to the conclusions drawn in the articles. Today, I address yet another Harvard Business Review Blog article (how many misguided HBR Blog articles are there?), this one about the Single Worst Question a salesperson can ask.