Employee engagement numbers remain pretty bleak. The Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report noted that only 21% of all employees are engaged. The engagement level in 2022 is well below the 32.5% engagement we first reported in 2016. While these numbers refer to people across organizations, it does beg the question...what about sales [...]
The ugly truth is that we, as humans, lie. We do it all the time for various reasons. A study by the University of Massachusetts found that in a 60-minute conversation, most of us lie at least once! Add time pressure and self-interest to every sales situation, and you have a recipe for disaster. [...]
There's a lot of talk about how coaching makes all the difference in sales team performance. But do you really know the power of performance coaching? Most sales managers don't. The most typical scenario looks like this - the sales manager knows what numbers need to be met so he/she talks to the team [...]
In negotiations, our previous discussions emphasized the significance of "who speaks first." However, recent groundbreaking research in negotiation science has shed light on a new aspect: the divergent impact of pre-negotiation "small talk" on men and women negotiators. Brooke A. Shaughnessy, Alexandra A. Mislin, and Tanja Hentschel, esteemed researchers in this field, delve into [...]
Working with our client sales teams, the topic of selling "style" is typically something we encounter. "That's my style," "what I am comfortable with," or "I am just that kind of person"….is usually part of the description. Influence style "Selling style," or Influence Style, is critical to successful sales outcomes. It is that mix [...]
In the realm of sales, the question of how to measure performance is a ubiquitous one. When posed to our clients, the responses we receive often revolve around outcome-based control system measurements such as meeting revenue and profit goals, as well as acquiring new customers. These metrics, while important, represent a traditional approach that [...]
In the rapidly evolving landscape of sales, the tactics and strategies of the past have lost their effectiveness. In addition, the rise of the Economy 2.0 has ushered in a new era of buyer expectations and demands, presenting unique challenges for sales teams striving to meet revenue targets using outdated Economy 1.0 approaches. The [...]
We have discussed the negative impact of authoritarian sales leadership in previous posts because of its negative impact on performance. Democratic or egalitarian leaders lead elite, high-performing sales teams. Workplace Bullying According to WBI – The Workplace Bullying Institute's 2014 national survey, the number of workers affected by workplace bullying is estimated to be [...]
This is it. The end of the "period" (you pick - day/week/month/quarter/year - how is your sales team measured). Moving deals through your sales pipeline takes on a greater sense of urgency. The stakes are higher, and the pressure is even higher. So what will make the difference between "Your sales team had a [...]
So Ms/Mr. CEO, your sales team is experiencing some turnover. No big deal – right? Your sales leader tells you that "they weren't making their numbers," so it's justified – right? – wait, maybe not. This is important - If you take this response at face value without digging deeper, you and your company [...]
