Sales Coaching

  • 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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  • The Secret to Winning Sales Presentations and Public Speaking Success

    • October 28, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I spoke to an Entrepreneurial class at Clark University this week, something I’ve been doing once or twice a year for the past 5 years.  It’s much more difficult than working with experienced C-Level Executives, Sales Leaders, Sales Managers and Salespeople because the kids don’t have the context, reference points or experiences that professionals have.  Despite the difficulty, it’s more fun because they don’t push back, they don’t claim to have heard it before, they don’t say that “it” won’t work in their business, they don’t resist, and they are great learners!

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  • Do Your Salespeople Really Understand Pipeline Requirements

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

    They sent their lessons but didn’t get it right.  Their takeaway was that it requires 20 opportunities to sell 1.  But that’s not correct.  It requires 9 opportunities to sell 1.  Why is that distinction important?

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  • The Advantage that Focused Salespeople Have

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

    Show me a focused salesperson – one who isn’t aware of what else is taking place in the office this very moment because he is so focused on getting his sales work completed; one who won’t stop to take a break until she makes all of the required calls; one who won’t go to sleep at night until all of the appropriate follow ups, responses,  CRM updates, paperwork and details have been finished – and I’ll show you a good salesperson.

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  • Time and Territory Management for Salespeople

    • October 4, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Aside from requests for Motivational training, Time and Territory management training is one of the most inappropriate requests I receive each week. And I’ve been getting requests like that for more than 25 years!

    Time and Territory management is what sales managers and VP’s ask for when they:

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  • Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales

    • October 3, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ll bet that every CEO, President, Director, VP of Sales and Sales Manager asks the “how can we increase sales?” question on a regular basis.  Do you?

    There are as many answers to this question as there are politicians running for US President in 2012.  They include but aren’t limited to:

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  • Top 15 Questions That Prospects Ask Themselves

    • September 27, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Two questions for you:  Are your salespeople consciously aware of the 3 mindsets and two categories, and have you checked as to whether they have appropriate approaches for each?

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  • Cold Calling Example – Best and Worst in a Single Sales Call

    • September 22, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Your salespeople will only get a small percentage of their messages returned but when they do, make sure they are offering their prospects value on that call.  Their messaging must be in the context of helping rather than selling and they must be able to overcome the resistance that is sure to be present with a blind returned call.

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  • Red Sox and the Sales Force – Winning and Losing is Contagious

    • September 21, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Of course you can coach, train and develop SOME of the wannabes, but only if they are Committed, Motivated wannabes, that you can hold accountable.

    Either way, winning is contagious  and you must do everything in your power to create a winning environment where success is expected and anything less is not acceptable.

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  • Sales Selection – Would You Choose Bob or Mary?

    • September 16, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    As is the trend in the automobile industry these days, there is a hybrid, the best of both worlds, with all the charm of Bob and all the resolve of Mary.  But my opening question didn’t include the ‘A’ player as one of the choices.  If you had to choose Bob or Mary, who would you select?

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