sales leadership
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How to Differentiate with 4 Response Options and 10 Must-Have Traits for Sales Success
- October 17, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
It happened again—a sales leadership candidate imploded over an automated job email, firing off snarky replies like demanding a call, calling me a “timid man,” and later slamming my business as a “sinking ship” seeking “submissive corporate slaves.” But that’s a win: It exposed his attitude early via predicted weaknesses like emotional blow-ups and rejection issues. Pivoting to sales pros, use a highway frustration analogy (stuck behind a 30 MPH slowpoke) to explore 4 response options: scream, pass, ram (yikes), or follow patiently. True differentiation? Nail option 2 with 10 must-have traits, from ditching fear to asking killer questions. Gauge your team’s fit and boost your sales game.
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Sales Grit: Why Only 20% of Salespeople Have It (And How to Fix the Rest)
- October 12, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Discover how baseball’s evolving stats mirror the need for relentless sales grit. Drawing from real CEO and VP insights, explore why most salespeople fall short on commitment, perseverance, and more—and what it takes to elevate your team.
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Top 5 Ways to Stop Striking Out on Your Sales Forecasts
- September 21, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
The Boston Red Sox are whiffing 62% of their bases-loaded, no-outs chances—way worse than the MLB’s 15% fail rate. Sound like your sales pipeline? Discover why high-probability deals fizzle out and how to fix it with five key strategies, from robust qualifying to predictive scorecards.
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Revolutionizing Sales Forecasting with a Baseball Twist
- September 12, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Discover the “Power Alley,” a revolutionary sales forecasting strategy inspired by baseball. Learn how this KPI aligns pipeline, forecast, and revenue to boost accountability and solve CEOs’ biggest frustration.
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Don’t Let MT and Lay-Z Tank Your Sales Team: Lessons from Squirrels
- September 7, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Six years after meeting squirrels Ernest, MT, and Lay-Z, I’m stunned their sales team counterparts—underperforming salespeople—still linger. Learn why leaders hesitate to act and how to build a thriving sales team for 2026.
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Unify Your Sales Message: Lessons from Politics and Balance of Nature
- September 2, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Democrats flood the airwaves with one message, like their cringy 2025 Trump/Musk attack videos, while Republicans’ scattered talking points barely register. Sound like your sales team? Most operate like the GOP—95% of companies lack consistent messaging, per Objective Management Group data. Take Balance of Nature’s “fruits and veggies in a capsule” campaign: real customers, from moms to celebs, passionately amplify one message, driving huge growth. Imagine your salespeople delivering your value prop with that fire! At Kurlan & Associates, we analyze elevator pitches and value propositions to ensure consistency and impact. Sales leaders, review your messaging, make sure your team knows it cold, and enforce it like CRM compliance. Need help crafting a unified, authentic pitch? Read the full post for tips to make your sales messaging win.
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Lessons from Happy Gilmore 2: Why Salespeople Need to Get Serious About Skill-Building
- July 28, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Adam Sandler’s sequel delivers laughs and a sales wake-up call: Like Happy recommitting to golf, why don’t more reps grind on their skills? Explore 10 barriers backed by OMG data on 2.5M assessments, and how training flips the script for growth.
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Brad Pitt’s F1 Character Shows Us How to Tame Sales Mavericks
- July 24, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes in the new F1 movie is the ultimate sales maverick—talented yet rebellious. This article reveals how his journey from lone wolf to team player can guide you. Learn to harness your top producers’ integrity, turn rebels into mentors, or know when to cut ties for a stronger sales crew.
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Future Red Sox Stars to Sales MVPs: Why One-on-One Coaching Wins
- July 9, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
The Red Sox turned young players into stars with one-on-one coaching, and your sales team can too. Learn why group coaching falls short and how personalized coaching can boost revenue by up to 42%. Ready to hit a sales home run?
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Fire Your Top Salesperson: The Red Sox Lesson for Better Sales Teams
- June 18, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Can firing your top salesperson transform your team? The Boston Red Sox’s bold trade of Rafael Devers reveals how letting go of a problem performer can lead to big wins. Discover the sales team lesson in this surprising move.