Consultative Selling

  • Sales Traction – The Key to Measuring the #1 Sales Competency

    • November 16, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    One of the KPI’s I introduced in my Moneyball article two months ago was Traction, the ratio of suspects that become prospects. Using the Baseline Selling process, that is also the ratio of opportunities that move from 1st base to 2nd base. Translating that one more time, it is the number of 1st meetings that move to “we have a real opportunity here”.

    read more

  • Revealing Study of Salespeople Makes News at HBR

    • October 5, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This article has my first reaction to the Challenger Sale after news of the book first appeared in HBR back in 2011.

    read more

  • Effective Sales Models

    • September 15, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I wrote this article about the difference between sales process and sales methodology.  In addition to those two sales infrastructure components, companies should have a sales model.  How is the model different from the other two key components of an effective sales organization?

    read more

  • Is Moving From Vendor Up the Ladder Scary to Sales Executives?

    • June 20, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This is actually the third article on this subject. Last week I posted this article which contains a link to the original article.

    read more

  • What Customers Expect From Your Salespeople and More

    • June 13, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    On average, salespeople have only 22% of the attributes required to be effective at selling consultatively.  

    read more

  • The Complex Sale – Part 2

    • May 19, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Yesterday, we discussed the elements of the complex sale and the factors that make it so challenging.  I also asked whether you should you attempt to incorporate some of the elements of the complex sale in order to outsell your competitors.

    Today, we will revisit the factors that make it so challenging and discuss how various selling weaknesses interact with those factors.

    read more

  • Do You/Should You Have a Complex Sale?

    • May 18, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The Complex Sale – it’s so—-complex!

    Today we will simplify the complex sale and even ask if you should have a complex sale.

    First, what makes a sale complex?

    In most cases, a sale is complex when it:

    read more

  • How Christmas Gift Giving Mirrors the Ideal Sales Process

    • December 15, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you understand that, then why do so many executives and salespeople, from all industries, still insist that the first thing they must do with a new prospect is present?  Even the word “present” suggests waiting for the perfect time. 

    read more