They don’t always say yes! That might be the very first thing you learn as a sales person. As a matter of fact, “No” in all its various forms and…
Self-Directed Learning – The Ultimate Success Skill
In the last 12 months, only one out of every 20 sales people have spent R200 or more on their own improvement! Incredible. Let me repeat it to make sure…
Two Principles for Closing The Sale
Whenever I ask sales people to rate themselves on their competence at all the different parts of the sales process, they invariably rate themselves low at closing the sale. Unfortunately,…
Limited Training Budget? Start With The Sales Manager
Now that the worst of the recession is behind us, it’s time to think about actually growing the business again. And that means investing in the improvement of the sales…
Improve Your Job Ads, Attract Better Sales Candidates
Good question! It seems that everyone has a favorite response. Some people only use recruiters, and others swear by networking. But classified ads (online and offline) continue to be the…
The Three Most Common Mistakes Sales Managers Make
In most organisations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company's sales goals and the realisation of those goals. The gritty day-to-day interactions between the sales people and their…
Are You Hindered by Outdated Sales & Marketing Policies?
I call it FIP. Fine in the Past. It refers to all the sales and marketing efforts, ideas, policies, principles, techniques, and strategies that worked well in the past, but…
Astute Sales Managers Coach Sales Execs on Personal Improvement
One of the most debilitating myths about the sales profession is this: Salespeople can learn on their own, on the job, and eventually become good at their jobs. They'll eventually…
Take Caution in Sales Hiring – Can You Beat the “80/20 Rule”?
Most everyone has heard of, or experienced the 80/20 rule - 80% of the sales come from 20% of the salespeople. For businesses with 5 or more salespeople, it is…
Time to Revise Your Sales Compensation Plan?
If you're paying your sales reps straight commission, you're using an obsolete formula. If you're paying your sales reps a straight salary, you're also using an obsolete formula. Both of…