Dave Kurlan

  • Top 20 Requirements – How Salespeople Can be Better at Closing

    • June 10, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you were to ask most executives for one thing that they would like their sales force to do better, you would likely get one of two answers:

    Close
    Prospect 

    Nothing wrong with those two choices – or is there? 

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  • 10 Obstacles That Most Salespeople Cannot Overcome

    • June 8, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A great salesperson can overcome a myriad of obstacles including my top ten:

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  • But I’m a Sales Guy! The Story of Motivation and Compensation

    • June 7, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A Sales VP and his CEO were in the conference room and each time the CEO brought up a problem, we asked the Sales VP to elaborate.  Each time he began with, “Well I’m a sales guy so I know this stuff…”

    Yes and No.

    Yes, he’s a sales guy.  But no, he doesn’t know this stuff.  If he knew this stuff the problems and challenges in their organization wouldn’t exist and the two of them wouldn’t be sitting in front of us in the conference room.  This isn’t at all unusual either. 

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  • Jiffy Lube Magic, Sales Adaptability and Plagiarism

    • June 4, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Perhaps you’ve noticed that while driving past a Jiffy Lube during (slow times for them) your commute there may be a mechanic out front, holding a sign, offering a discount, hoping you’ll pull in.  I don’t know about you, but I am not particularly moved by a guy in a jump suit waving for me to stop.  But it made me wonder, does this work? 

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  • With Blown Call, Jim Joyce Succeeds at a Sales Core Competency

    • June 3, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably heard all about Jim Joyce’s horrendous call that cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. It would have been just the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The worst part about this baseball tragedy was that the perfect game was a sure thing! There were two outs in the ninth inning when Galarraga induced a ground ball to first and everyone in the park and watching on television knew that would represent the final out of a perfect game. And that’s when Joyce became the focus of the game by calling the runner, Jason Donald, safe.

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  • The Delayed Impact of Lack of Sales Commitment

    • June 2, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    While commitment is a single data point – not the be-all-end-all – it’s a very powerful and predictive data point as well.

    If you are a client, upon learning that a top producer lacks commitment you might be asking, “How can that be?”

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  • Are You Looking for Salespeople with Entrepreneurial Spirit?

    • May 26, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Is it reasonable to expect your salespeople to live and breath your business?  To bring it up wherever they go?  With whomever they meet?  Should it be part of the job description?  Would it be authentic?  Would it help?

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  • Sales Tips for Trade Shows and Major Accounts

    • May 25, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The exhibitor and visitor attendance is more good news relative to confidence, spending and outlook in the business sector.  The bad news is that the exhibitors were clueless as to how to get people to stop at their booths and engage.

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  • Top 10 Tips for Hiring Salespeople for Your Sales Force

    • May 24, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Today, we will discuss hiring for the sales force but not so much the “how” of it as much as the importance of doing it for the right reasons, at the right time and in the right manner.

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  • 3 Strikes and You’re Out – The Need for Sales Force Consistency

    • May 21, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I place a higher value on consistency than I do on talent.  I don’t care how much potential a salesperson has.  If they aren’t performing the basics – consistently – then the talent is wasted.

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