Understanding the Sales Force

  • Distraction, Engagement, and Selling with Great Efficiency

    • October 24, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Many salespeople are so busy getting the work done that they don’t see how much selling time they waste doing administrative work that can be postponed until later. 

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  • It’s OK for Salespeople to Lie When This Happens

    • October 20, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This new world we’re all living in is getting downright scary.  It’s time to talk about selling in the context of this combustible culture but before I get started, a simple request to the haters on the left and the haters on the right.  You are invited to read something else.  I don’t want to spend the next week responding to hate comments.

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  • Why Do Salespeople Use Facts and Logic to Combat Objections?

    • October 17, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The easy answer to the title question is that they have been trained to do that since they first arrived at sales kindergarten.  Whether talking points, bullet points, inarguable facts, competitive differences, ROI, value proposition, brand promise or cost of ownership, these words and phrases have been reinforced since day 1.

    The problem is that while salespeople confidently spout off these return volleys, the only thing accomplished is to make it more difficult to sell anything.  When a prospect states an objection their resistance goes up.  When a salesperson attempts to counter the objection with logic or facts, the prospect hears the hard sell and resistance is raised some more.

    Logic does not overcome objections.  So what does?

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  • 5 Sales Hiring Mistakes and Fake Resume Claims

    • October 10, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    One of the regional sales managers asked, “What are the 5 Biggest Mistakes that Sales Managers Make When Recruiting Salespeople?”

    While that question is quite easy to answer, most companies, including their recruiters, HR professionals, sales leaders and executives are guilty of some or all of the following 5 mistakes:

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  • Customers Love to Buy – Why Do Salespeople Struggle?

    • October 2, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    So if we all love buying stuff, why do salespeople struggle so much when they try to sell stuff?  Why isn’t it as friction-free as an abundance of happy buyers would suggest it should be?

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  • 4 Reasons Why Salespeople Suck at Consultative Selling.

    • September 26, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Yesterday, a sales manager I was coaching asked me to explain the difference between a great question and a tough question.  I gave him the one-minute version but this article has the expanded version of that answer.

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  • 9 Reasons Why Salespeople Lack the Urgency Necessary to Succeed

    • September 25, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I coach a lot of sales leaders and their most common frustration is that they can’t understand why their salespeople don’t seem to have the same urgency as they did when they were selling.

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  • Why You Should Care That Sales Motivation Data Correlates Perfectly With Sales Effectiveness

    • September 13, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I reviewed the data and in the table below you’ll see that extrinsic motivation is most prevalent in the top group of salespeople while altruistic motivation is most prevalent in the lowest group of salespeople.

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  • How to Get New Salespeople to Take Off Like a Rocket Ship

    • September 7, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Most companies combine some kind of classroom training with self-directed online training, shadowing an experienced salesperson and coaching. While all of that helps to pass on important knowledge, it does little to quickly ramp up a new salesperson.  What does?  I’ll share that next.

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  • How Salespeople Must Run Stop Signs and Red Lights – Legally

    • September 5, 2017
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    There is one simple thing you can do each day that will dramatically improve your sales effectiveness.

    But you don’t think it’s possible to do what the title says, do you?

    Well, it is not only possible, it’s crucial – and not only that you do it, but that you do it often and start doing it today.

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