Sales Force

  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • How Dell and Apple Use Customer Service as a Sales Force

    • May 20, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ve written several articles about customer service and how quickly and easily they can passively sell your customers on defecting from your company and moving their business to a competitor.  My favorite targets over the years have been Verizon, Dell and the airlines, but recently, my commercial insurance agent, and my accountant have accomplished this feat too.  In this article, it’s Apple’s turn and just wait until you read this…

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  • Best Sales Strategy For Your Company

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

    What would you do if one of your sales reps called at 5 PM on a Friday, the last day of the month, on the final day of a bad quarter and said, “Good News – I closed ___________!”(insert any huge company here)

    You’d get excited, your heart would beat a little faster, you’d feel relieved because things seem to be turning around, and you’re thinking, “This is good, damn it.”

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  • Tom Peters Top 9 Items for the Sales Force

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

    Tom had dozens of items on the list and an argument can be made to include more of them as staples of the sales force but these are a really good start.  If you were to pick just one to work on first, which one would you choose? 

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  • Xobni as Sales Assistant, Pivots Help Close Sales

    • May 6, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    My guest on yesterday’s edition of Meet the Sales Experts was Matt Brezina, the co-founder of Xobni. Do you have Xobni on your computer?  If you do, you know just how helpful it is.  If you don’t, all you need to know is that it will make you more you MUCH more productive with your Outlook or Blackberry email applications.  Listen to the show to learn more about it or visit their web site.

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  • Sales 2.0 – The Answer to our Prayers or a Costly Distraction?

    • May 5, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Let’s take a look at this phenomenon from another perspective.  Sales 2.0 is simply a high-tech, 21st Century version of the low-tech, 20th Century method for approaching, engaging and getting in front of prospects.  You know what I’m referring to:

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  • Anatomy of the Million Dollar Producer

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

    Do you have salespeople that aren’t profitable, don’t contribute enough to overhead, won’t change what they’re doing and simply aren’t benefiting the company?

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  • How Do Companies Retain Their Underperforming Salespeople?

    • April 30, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I explain the difference between lousy salespeople and good salespeople in terms of line items and investments in this article.

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