Archive for Category: Discipline

How to become a successful salesperson

Successful salespeople don’t follow the rules. This is what makes them succeed. Paradoxically, following rules is what makes average sales people, well, remain average. Here are three attributes of becoming a successful salesperson, by breaking the rules. Focus on result not process Your sales rule book or standard operating procedure (SOP) likely outlines number of

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Differences in successful and average sales people

Successful sales people can get away with murder. Average sales people can only wish they could kill the many ‘problems’ that afflict their selling. This is the difference between successful and average sales people. Average sales people are bogged down with average sales people problems.Successful sales people are bogged down with too many sales. Average

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Avoid These Sales Mannerisms That See You Shooting Yourself In The Foot

“Why would you want to interrupt a conversation that is to your advantage?” Success in selling is not just about what you say. Sometimes what you do shoots you in your foot. These three mannerisms work against the seller, possibly losing him the sale. Cell phone etiquette. Francis (RIP), salesperson par excellence, once told me

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Selling is not tricking a customer into buying a product

Today I’ll play Agony Uncle and respond to some queries and feedback I’ve received over time. Your tricks work I’m sad. I’m sad because I have been misunderstood. You see, I have been excitedly told by some ardent followers of this blog that they have used “the tricks in your column and they always work.”

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Selling is Going Against the Societal Grain, and calls for Stoic Discipline

“…those that have resolutely chartered their own waters have emerged triumphant. And the same society that was against them, now becomes their cheering squad.” The foremost formidable challenge selling faces is that it goes against the societal grain. Most people are happy to take the well trodden path, not the one less travelled. They are

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Forget closing the sale! Just get the appointment

“You can’t sell to everyone, and because you must sell to someone, you don’t want to pick anyone. Prospecting remains the most important step in sales. All others cannot manifest if there’s no one to work them on.” So, forget closing the sale; just get the appointment. What is the most important skill in selling?

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Sell ethically for sustainable business and commissions

To begin with, I was recently invited to a sales achievement awards ceremony and five things stood out for me. Today I share one. Sell ethically for sustainability. Next week. I’ll share the rest. Now. Like in any other awards ceremony, there were different categories. The one that I found of greatest interest is the

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