Remember that strategic plan you set up? It was, and is, full of energy and inspiration. But there is a temptation to get distracted by everyday performance as you and your team look at more short-term goals. It is not unusual for CEOs and other senior executives to focus on what is happening now. [...]
In 1951, Jay Gould wrote in the Journal of Marketing that "a sales forecast need not be merely the product of informed guesswork or hunches, but that such problems lend themselves to a systematic, quantitative appraisal in which the margin of error can be greatly reduced." So, not exactly a new challenge for sales [...]
"If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not only be happier; we will have a distinct advantage over other people who fail to realize they are fighting an unwinnable battle……." Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman … The Daily [...]
We have observed patterns in 2021 sales trends that demonstrate how much the events of 2020 have accelerated or completely altered B2B selling. There is a need for specific critical skills for organizations to compete and grow effectively in 2021 and beyond. Some companies had a banner year during 2020, but this will not insulate [...]
We follow several researchers for our work at The Nova Consulting Group, but one of our favorites is Dr. Willy Bolander. Dr. Bolander is the Carl DeSantis Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Florida, and it is worth your time looking at his research. He recently interviewed us about The Advanced Sales [...]
“They should know, shouldn’t they?” On one hand, this is a valid question. On the other hand, it may highlight a missed step in your communication with your sales team members. The baseline expectation is that they will sell the product or service your company offers to the best of their ability. But beyond [...]
We must "find and solve the pain," to be told by traditional sales pontiffs. Sellers who leverage behavioral science in their methodology know that two equal and powerful motivators are at the core of every buying decision. Loss (pain) is one. Gain is the other. However, getting to the real reasons that motivate a [...]
With all of the movement in the sales world, it is not unusual for sales leaders to move from organization to organization. Sometimes it’s moving up from being a regional leader to a vice president role or even higher. For others, it’s about moving up within one organization. But, at the end of it [...]
The short answer is...“it depends.” Let me tell you a story about Jim (not his real name). Jim’s sales manager was finding it hard to move Jim away from larger deals in his pipeline that were stuck. In a coaching session, Jim kept mentioning the amount of one deal, so I asked him, “what [...]
What sales approach do you use the most? Most salespeople are inclined to build a relationship with the buyer through the adaptive selling approach. Adaptive selling is one of the best ways to build a relationship with the buyer and gain their trust. There is, however, a subtle and potential pitfall when using adaptive [...]
