Understanding the Sales Force

  • The Nutcracker in 2020 and 3 Critical Year-End Lessons for Salespeople and Their Managers

    • December 15, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    But this is 2020 and everything is different. That is as true for the ballet as it is for my article.  So while we won’t be in Boston, we will stream a performance on TV and while there may not be any in-person sales calls, virtual sales calls can be quite satisfying in December.  Today’s article explores the three most likely December scenes in which you may find yourself as well as what you must watch for.

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  • My Dog Has Better Listening Skills Than Most Salespeople and I’ll Prove It

    • December 10, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Prospects don’t pay a lot of attention so the less you say the better.  It helps them listen and comprehend more of what you share with them when you use fewer words.  But prospects aren’t the only ones who don’t listen.  Salespeople don’t listen very well either.  As a matter of fact, my dog has better listening skills than most salespeople because my dog knows what to listen for. Don’t believe me?  I’ll prove it in the video below.

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  • How a Mug of Dunkin Can Help You More Effectively Sell Value

    • December 9, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This is another Bob story. Bob was on a sales call and the prospect told him that they were looking for the lowest price.  I hope you hate it when that happens.  It’s a bad thing because while Bob was supposed to be selling value, a price-based conversation is transactional yet he’s supposed to be taking a consultative approach to support the value he provides.  Would you like to guess what Bob did instead?  Yup, he got them his best price.  Ugh!

    So what should Bob have done instead to turn this around and not waste everyone’s time?

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  • The $225,000 Selling Mistake Most Salespeople Make

    • December 7, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    While colleagues and supervisors shared their enthusiasm for this exciting moment, my first reaction was, “And why do you think this is good news?” 

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  • There is More Than One Type of Bias in Hiring Salespeople

    • December 4, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Biases drive decision making.  You have them.  I have them.  We all have them.  Most of the time those biases are fine but when it comes to hiring, and specifically sales hiring, bias can get you in a heap of trouble.

    While some biases simply cause bad hiring decisions, others have led to the growth of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) role in companies. This article attempts to explain and make sense of the various biases, how they affect selection, and how that correlates to sales success.

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  • Found! The Caliper vs OMG Comparison: Which Sales Candidate Assessment is More Predictive?

    • December 1, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Almost nine years in the making, this article compares OMG with Caliper and I did update it so that the information on both assessments is current.

    I compared two assessments for the same candidate: one from Objective Management Group (OMG) and one from Caliper.  Not being one to pass up opportunities like this, I conducted another comparison where OMG recommended this person for the role and Caliper did not. 

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  • 2020’s Ten Must Read Sales and Sales Leadership Articles

    • November 30, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force
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  • Why I Can’t Talk About This form of Rejection Anymore

    • November 25, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I want to ask for your help.  Please read these two rants and then comment – I really need your comments, inbound links and outrage to support my position.

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  • Data Shows That Your Sales Team is No Different Than Your Lawn

    • November 20, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    But why do sales teams continue to fail, year after year, regardless of industry, and in every economy?  Why don’t the numbers improve?  Why don’t more salespeople jump from C’s to B’s?  From B’s to A’s?  From D’s to C’s?  The answers – and there are plenty – are evasive.  But let’s try!

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  • Selling Over Video – The Six Things You Must Do Next to Improve Your Look

    • November 17, 2020
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    At this point, most salespeople have accepted that the majority of their sales “calls” will take place over Zoom or similar video platform.  However, accepting the reality of video selling, and maximizing that video selling for effectiveness, are two completely different things.  In today’s article, we’ll discuss the next set of steps you should take so that selling over video can be as effective as possible.

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