Baseline Selling

  • The Lion King – Watching a Movie Again Improves Sales Effectiveness

    • November 2, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You can watch a movie you haven’t seen for a while and appreciate the things you missed before.  Your sales force will experience the exact same benefits from rereading the book, having refresher training, and focusing on the areas they didn’t apply and execute the first time around.

    read more

  • Sales Process is to Religion as Sales Methodology is to Prayer

    • October 24, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Whether you have or are a salesperson yourself, if you don’t have BOTH an effective sales process that you follow – religiously – and a sales methodology that you practice – faithfully – you must – convert!  

    read more

  • Effective Sales Models

    • September 15, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I wrote this article about the difference between sales process and sales methodology.  In addition to those two sales infrastructure components, companies should have a sales model.  How is the model different from the other two key components of an effective sales organization?

    read more

  • How to Add Value to Your Sales Offering

    • August 17, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We often discuss the importance of adding value as well as how to sell and build value. Last week I was asked if I could provide an example of what added value could be.

    read more

  • Top 10 Criteria for a Qualified Sales Presentation

    • August 17, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Salespeople should not be allowed to present until their prospects have yielded the right of way.  Where intelligent pedestrians qualify the opportunity to cross, intelligent salespeople qualify the opportunity to present.

    read more

  • Top 12 Questions to Ask Yourself About Sales Process

    • June 14, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Most people don’t understand the difference between sales process and sales methodology.

    A customized, optimized, formal sales process includes the sequence of steps, to-do’s, milestones and goals that must be achieved during a sales cycle.

    A sales methodology is the approach one takes to execute those steps.

    For instance, using a few well-known companies and brands:

    read more

  • The Complex Sale – Part 2

    • May 19, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Yesterday, we discussed the elements of the complex sale and the factors that make it so challenging.  I also asked whether you should you attempt to incorporate some of the elements of the complex sale in order to outsell your competitors.

    Today, we will revisit the factors that make it so challenging and discuss how various selling weaknesses interact with those factors.

    read more

  • Do You/Should You Have a Complex Sale?

    • May 18, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The Complex Sale – it’s so—-complex!

    Today we will simplify the complex sale and even ask if you should have a complex sale.

    First, what makes a sale complex?

    In most cases, a sale is complex when it:

    read more

  • Compelling Reasons for Your Salespeople to Go Mobile

    • June 14, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Good Sales Managers know how important it is for their salespeople to uncover needs.

    But it goes way beyond needs. 

    As I detail in Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball, it requires that your salespeople learn about their prospects’ compelling reasons to buy.  Not just their needs. The issues, problems and frustrations – and even the consequences – that would cause them to spend money and spend it with your company, instead of your competitor.

    But it goes well beyond compelling reasons.

    read more

  • Derek Jeter Shows Salespeople How to Convert Leads to Opportunities

    • May 13, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Derek Jeter, the leader and all-star shortstop for the New York Yankees, goes all out running hard to first base on every ball he puts into play.  As a result, it’s easy for management to expect the same kind of hustle and effort from everyone on the team.  After all, if the star does it, then everyone should do it. Other teams?  Not so much.  David Ortiz of the Boston  Red Sox never runs hard on a ground ball so what does management say to a younger player who also fails to run hard?

    read more