I have become addicted to a show on Discovery called ‘Auction Kings.’ This is a show where people bring items in for consignment and they (the company is called Gallery 63) auctions them off. It is amazing to see some of the historic items and very unique items that are brought in and actually sell at a higher price than expected. I don’t watch much TV but the episodes I have caught of this show have intrigued me. (more…)
Archives
Archive for the ‘Tips & Tactics’ Category
Adversity was no Obstacle for this Creative Hippie
Monday, November 21st, 2011
It’s easy to forget the time before we had iPads, iPhones and iPods. Or a time when corporate America considered Steve Jobs a long-haired hippie who talked nonsense about personal computing. Or when Jobs was a failure. (more…)
The Power of Our Beliefs
Monday, November 7th, 2011
I contend that if you hold a belief, you will act on it nearly every time.
In the next two weeks, my family will begin our annual tradition of “The Elf on the Shelf.” Our Elf, named “Ellie,” is a small Elf that hides each night behind objects, on top of cabinets, hanging from light fixtures, and in other places where she can watch what goes on in the house. Each night she returns to the North Pole, reports the good and bad behavior to Santa, and returns to a new spot in the house. (more…)
How to Get Bitten by Asking the Wrong Questions
Monday, October 31st, 2011
Many situations in our lives revolve around asking and answering questions. For example, for a doctor to diagnose your illness, he or she needs to ask lots of questions. When you order food at a restaurant, the server asks you questions, because he or she wants to make sure that your food order is correct. Your three-year old learns by asking all kinds of “why” questions. Peter Drucker, one of the best known and most widely influential late 20th century thinkers and writers on the subject of management theory and practice, helped change the direction of General Electric by asking Chairman and CEO Jack Welch only two critical questions. (more…)
6 Ways to Improve Sales Manager Performance
Monday, October 24th, 2011
Part of your responsibility as sales manager is to help your sales team increase their capacity to perform and improve the outcomes of their performance. In other words, help them become better salespeople. To that end, you conduct regular sales meetings to hold them accountable, you provide coaching to keep them on track, and your provide training when needed. (more…)
Defining a Good Fit in Sales
Monday, October 17th, 2011
In today’s business environment, selling is more complex and prospects more sophisticated. Continually pushing for the “yes” – ignoring the possibility that your product or service may not be the best fit – and refusing to take a “no,” will lead you down a path to a dead end. The result will be wasted time, effort, and resources that could have been invested in other opportunities. (more…)
Pests R Us
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Interesting title? Confused a bit? Probably… but it got you to read further. Well guess what it also got me through a gatekeeper to talk to someone I had been chasing for weeks. So the story goes like this. One afternoon as I sat down to make my calls I made the choice to have the mindset of no excuses, to be emotionally detached from all outcomes and decided to just have fun with my calls. What is the worst that could happen right? (more…)
How Edison Invented Good Salespeople
Monday, September 26th, 2011
Edison gave us nuggets of wisdom on how to build the perfect salesperson. Our problem is that we just weren’t listening, because his message wasn’t in context. (more…)
Selling Isn’t Easy
Monday, September 19th, 2011
As I run each week diligently following my marathon training plan, I sometimes hear from friends and family when I have a 5 miler or 10 miler …oh that is a breeze for you. 6 miles you do that all the time. What they don’t know is that no matter how often or for how long you have been running it can still be difficult. It is sometimes those so called “short” runs that can be your toughest. The heat, what you ate, how much sleep you got all affecting you and sometimes you just have a bad run for no apparent reason. You just do. (more…)
Overcoming Call Reluctance
Cold calling is not fun but we have to do it. Here are a few excuses and my feedback on to rethink them.
Read More