sales training

  • Panic on the Sales Force and What to Do About It

    • December 10, 2008
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    What gets you in a panic?  When I was  young, height, water and people were enough to cause shortness of breath, a lump in my throat and a stomach ache.  Today, I still have the symptoms, but not over any of the things that used to bother me.  Today it would take somebody or something threatening harm to my wife, son or me.

    What about for you?  What causes a panic of that magnitude for you? I’m asking because I want you to know what it feels like, how difficult it is to function, concentrate, or breath.  Have you been there?

    Now let’s take your salespeople. 

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  • Ultimatums for the Salesforce – Do They Work?

    • November 19, 2008
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Suppose you deliver an ultimatum to a salesperson…

    Suppose you deliver it to the entire sales force…

    How would you expect them to react?

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  • What Really Creates Sales Excellence?

    • November 13, 2008
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you are like me, you’re receiving email invitations to attend webinars at the rate of 10 to 20 per day.  And you’re getting the exact same invitations every single day from the exact same companies.  And some of them promise the solution to all of your sales problems – sales excellence solutions.  Take a look at the invitations I received today alone!

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  • 10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One That’s Best For You

    • October 9, 2008
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ll bet you know plenty about agreements, contracts, and legal compliance in your industry. You probably know enough about accounting, taxes and audits to get by too.  And I bet you know your way around insurance, investments and real estate.

    Despite all of that knowledge, I’m certain you have a great corporate attorney, corporate accountant, insurance advisers for commercial, benefits and personal lines, and a Realtor.  Some of these people may even sit on your board.

    Do you have a sales expert on your board? On retainer? Working with your sales team?  Your sales management team? On your sales infrastructure? On compensation and incentives?

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  • Top 10 Reasons Why Opportunities Die

    • September 4, 2008
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ve provided examples before of bringing seemingly lost opportunities back from the dead.  That may be the reason a client asked me to help bring one of his company’s deals back from what might be a near death experience.

    I’m not going to reveal the details of this opportunity (yet) but opportunities like this usually have some common themes.

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