Dave Kurlan

  • What Does it Mean When You Can’t Reach Your Salespeople?

    • February 23, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    When you can’t reach anyone on your sales team is that a good thing or a bad thing?

    When they are all on sales calls, working the phones, or with customers/clients is that a good thing or a bad thing?

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  • Kindle – Lessons Applied to the Sales Force

    • February 22, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Readers who have purchased the Kindle have totally embraced that device.  Some think it’s the Kindle, not online sellers, that is the biggest threat to brick and mortar book stores.  Those of us who own a Kindle are reading more books, and reading them more easily and conveniently than before we had the device.

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  • 8 Question Sales Quiz – Malpractice?

    • February 19, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    One of the many sales newsletters I get each day had a ridiculous sales test.  It asked “Is a Sales Career Right for You?” and had an 8 question test.

    First, there aren’t 8 questions in the world where the answers would allow us to make that determination.  Even if we tried, we couldn’t identify even 15 of our 100+ questions that would allow us to answer that question accurately! But I was curious and clicked on through.  8 Questions and if you get 3 strikes or wrong answers, you’re out and shouldn’t be in sales. This free test shouldn’t even be available for entertainment purposes!

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  • Should Special Effects Determine If You Have the Right Salespeople?

    • February 18, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    When we evaluate a sales force, one of the answers we usually provide is whether or not a company has the right salespeople.  Right for what?

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  • How Does the Secret of Happiness Affect Sales Motivation?

    • February 17, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Salespeople must be happy in order to succeed but we also know that they must want more than what they have in order to be motivated.  What is the balance between being happy and being dissatisfied?

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  • Mastering Sales and Sales Management

    • February 16, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We’re talking about Mastery of things you have a passion for.

    Do you and your salespeople have a passion for sales?  What is the thing you do that is equal to repeated listening, watching or practicing? What do you do to know your material cold? Do you attend training as often as you attend concerts, theater or movies?  Do you listen to sales training as often as you listen to music?  You should be getting exposed to the artist (sales expert) at least twice monthly and listening to their recordings (archives or supplemental material) even more often.  In addition, you should be practicing (role playing like our son does) at least 30 minutes per day!

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  • Sales Management – Eagerness vs. Resistance

    • February 12, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I received more email from this week’s episode of Meet the Sales Experts than I usually get following the show.  I was trying to understand what we talked about that resonated so well with listeners.

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  • Sales 3.0 – Time to Upgrade Your Sales Force?

    • February 12, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you find yourself having to compromise on your growth goals – I want to grow 30% but it isn’t realistic so I’ll settle for 8% –  it’s time to upgrade.

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  • Why Was the Sales Forecast So Unreliable?

    • February 11, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The snow storm never happened. We got an inch – over a 12 hour period – and the state shut down for nothing. And it’s not like we can’t handle a snow storm here in New England. We can handle anything! They just blew it.   How was this forecast similar to the sales forecast?

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  • Why You Should be Scared When Your Salespeople are Closing Sales

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

    Most senior executives get excited when a lot of business starts to close all in a fairly short period of time.  They think:

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