sales prospecting
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The Bearded Lady, My Shaving Pattern and Your Sales Pipeline
- August 8, 2019
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I can grow a pretty decent five o’clock shadow – above my upper lip and only after about a week. Unlike the bearded lady at the circus, when it comes to facial hair, there’s really not much there!
Can you think of something else which, at first glance, appears to be OK but upon closer inspection, there’s really not much there?
Did you guess sales pipelines?
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Beach Ball of Death Predicts Lack of Sales Growth
- March 11, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
And then there is the beach ball I want to share today – the sales beach ball of impending doom. You might be wondering how there could even be a sales beach ball, never mind one that spells impending doom; but, there is.
Last week I saw it for the first time on a slide from a deck that Objective Management Group (OMG) prepares when we evaluate a sales force. This particular slide answered the question, “Why Aren’t We Generating More New Business?”
Here’s the slide:
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Getting Emotional at Dunkin Donuts, and Over Social Selling
- August 18, 2014
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
My sudden inability to comprehend what was taking place is what happens when your mind is elsewhere. It happens to salespeople when they aren’t able to stay in the moment, maintain complete focus on what their prospects are saying, and respond without thinking several moves ahead or, more typically, about what they want to say. It’s a form of being emotional.
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Inc Magazine Gets it Wrong on Sales Prospecting
- May 31, 2013
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
In his article, he shares a systematic approach for prospecting “loosely based upon a conversation with Thomas Ray Crowel.” My interpretation of his use of the word “loosely” is that he contributed his own opinions to this systematic approach. That makes the article all the more disappointing.
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Salespeople Must Use & Embrace Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments
- September 27, 2012
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Can you remember that time, back in school, when you did something so embarrassing that you wanted to run away and hide forever? Of course you do – it was all about you. But I will wager any amount of money that you are the only one who remembers. The others who were there that day and anyone you might have told have long forgotten. It – wasn’t – about – them.
The same phenomenon applies to selling.
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Every Sales Assessment Tells a Story – This is Fred’s Story
- December 19, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When his boss couldn’t understand why Fred wasn’t performing, we performed a sales force evaluation and among the things we focused in on was Fred.
Fred’s Sales DNA was generally quite good but when it came to his selling skills, there were a few problems that explained everything.
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Derek Jeter Shows Salespeople How to Convert Leads to Opportunities
- May 13, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Derek Jeter, the leader and all-star shortstop for the New York Yankees, goes all out running hard to first base on every ball he puts into play. As a result, it’s easy for management to expect the same kind of hustle and effort from everyone on the team. After all, if the star does it, then everyone should do it. Other teams? Not so much. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox never runs hard on a ground ball so what does management say to a younger player who also fails to run hard?
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Leads for the Sales Force – Not
- December 14, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I received an email last week from a LinkedIn connection promoting his new super duper lead engine that connects salespeople with the most powerful buying influences in the world.