Crossing canyons is no cake walk.  Take it from the late Even Knievel, famous motorcycle stuntman. In 1974, Knievel attempted an outrageous jump over the Snake River in Idaho.  The distance between the launch and landing ramps at the north and south rims of the canyon was roughly one mile.  To pull this off, he Read More Read More

In ancient Greek mythology, Heracles was given the impossible task of capturing Cerberus, a multi-headed hound that guarded the gates to the underworld.  Hades, the underworld’s CEO, told Heracles that he would only allow him to take Cerberus if he could (do the impossible and) tame him.  Heracles put the beast in a choke hold Read More Read More

Last summer, it was easy to get drawn into the incredible drama of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.  And with all this winning and losing, it was impossible for me as a sales coach to resist the chance to draw parallels to effective selling. My focus here is on the importance of a shared mission among Read More Read More

Two fighters enter a steel cage. Both hungry, strong and determined. The door is locked. Lights dim. Hearts race. The stakes are high – life or death. As a salesperson, do your contract negotiations ever feel like this? You strap on the body armor, smear war stripes across your face and crush bricks into powder? Some of these feelings are due Read More Read More

https://thesalesblog.com/2016/12/22/if-you-think-its-hard-to-sell-with-a-higher-price-try-selling-low-price/ In a recent post on http://www.thesalesblog.com, Anthony Iannarino (@iannarino) highlights a price trap that many salespeople fall into.  The temptation to go low on price may be connected to your belief that a lower price equals an easier win. The fact is that price, while important, rarely makes it into the top criteria that drive Read More Read More

This is the little-known story of how Albert Einstein changed sales performance forever. And, though history may not be your thing, this story may help you strengthen your performance next year and beyond… Read more http://blogs.richardson.com/2016/12/20/future-selling-2017/   Read More

Because B2B purchasing decisions are increasingly made by committee, B2B selling organizations respond by deploying groups for high-stakes meetings.  These groups can include leaders, salespeople, subject matter experts and co-selling partners.  This many-to-many dynamic adds pressure and complexity to the sales interaction.  This post provides a baseline to help sales and client-facing professionals better understand Read More Read More

Imagine you are an 18 year-old college basketball player and, despite limited playing time during the regular season, you are pulled off the bench and put into the national championship game, with 13 minutes left on the clock and your team down by nine points. If you’re Duke University’s Grayson Allen during the final game Read More Read More

Turbocharger. Hear the word and you probably think “robust power source.” Competitive drivers and car manufacturers have used turbochargers for decades to boost engine power and race performance. In the hands of a skilled driver, this extra power can offer a competitive advantage. Putting that power, however, in the hands of someone less skilled or Read More Read More

How to be a Successful Salesperson (or Recognize One on Your Team) You may recall that oh-so-70’s TV series called The Six Million Dollar Man, in which a secret government agency rebuilds former astronaut Steve Austin after an accident into a spy with bionic speed, strength, and vision that make him unstoppable. Leaders and sales Read More Read More

 Closing: Winning Sales Tips for Closing Effectively As the year rapidly comes to a close, this is a great transition point to reflect on past, present, and future. Among the things that deserve some focus is closing. Whether the close is a client call, meeting, contract renewal or extension, or a new partnership or business Read More Read More

Challenger® Selling: “Courageous Questions” Differ from “Grenades” Many sales leaders are urging their salespeople to adopt CEB’s Challenger Selling™ model to ask “challenging” questions to have effective sales meetings with prospects and clients. The intent is to be more provocative, create differentiation in a crowded market, provide insight, and hopefully add more value to the conversation. Read More Read More