Understanding the Sales Force
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Difference Between a Good Sales Email vs. Bad
- April 27, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I received a request for help via email. The reader asked if I could recommend a response to an email reply he received (at least he got a reply!). The thing is, he deserved the reply he received because his introductory email absolutely sucked! In today’s article I’ll share what he wrote, the reply he received, and my recommended response. All of the names and organizations have been changed to protect the innocent. Ready? Here’s his original introductory email:
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What Committed Salespeople Do Differently
- April 24, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Commitment. We have discussed commitment a LOT in this Blog recently because many people misunderstand the role it plays in successful selling.
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The Importance of Resiliency in Sales and Selling
- April 22, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
We saw Paul Blart – Mall Cop 2 and laughed a grand total of twice. It was inept comedy, a horrible sequel and a terrible movie. Despite that, it was a great example of resiliency as Blart is continually rejected, stopped, ridiculed and put-off, only to ignore those events, bear down and try even harder to accomplish his goals. From that perspective, the movie, and Kevin James, succeed at demonstrating what it is like to be a salesperson.
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The Phony Baloney Sales Superstar
- April 20, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I was in the car when the call was forwarded to my cell phone. I didn’t recognize the caller and his first statement was, “I have some questions about Objective Management Group (OMG).” Very Dry. Very Abrasive.
I was thinking detective, maybe researcher. I asked, “What kind of questions?” Keep in mind that he hadn’t said hello, introduced himself, or explained why he was calling so I was wondering what this was about.
He said, “I took one of your assessments and it prevented me from getting a job. Is this based on the Myers-Briggs?”
I calmly explained that Myers-Briggs was a personality assessment that reported on 16 dimensions of personality but the OMG assessment he took was sales specific and looked at 21 Sales Core Competencies.
He told me he had problems with the Myers-Briggs preventing him from getting a job once before so it must be based on that. He repeated that it prevented him from getting this job so I asked what led him to that conclusion. His answers will blow your mind!
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20 Lessons from a 10-Year Sales Blogger
- April 16, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When my COO, John Pattison, had an excited look on his face, I thought he had a great new idea for a product enhancement. Instead, he said, “Did you know that this week is the 10th Anniversary of your Blog?” I didn’t. He also pointed out that I had written and posted 1,236 articles, generated more than 562,000 views directly on my blog and perhaps double or triple that number when you include syndication. So what have I learned about blogging and how can that help you?
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More Junk Sales Science in HBR Blog
- April 14, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
What do donuts, chips, cake and ice cream have in common with some of the articles that are written and published about salespeople, sales selection and assessments? That’s right, they are all junk and junk is bad for you to consume. Over the years, there has been no better source of junk science written about sales and salespeople than the reputable Harvard Business Review Blog. Recently, they put out another absurdly awful piece, this one written by sales consultant, Steve Martin. As most of these articles do, “What Separates the Strongest Salespeople from the Weakest” attempts to use personality and conditions to differentiate the two groups. This comes on the heels of another horrible article I called out in March 2015, which led to this amazing epic debate on the science of sales, sales assessments, and sales selection. This is why this latest HBR article is yet another example of junk science.
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Top 3 Keys to Convert Phone Calls to Meetings
- April 6, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I had just finished speaking in Bozeman, Montana and was sitting in a delicious little breakfast cafe (think cowboy truck stop). That’s when I was asked to explain how to maintain control of a cold call. Well, the environment screamed rodeo, my inner voice yelled riding and taming a bull, but my voice of reason began talking about the concept of flow, patience, listening and staying in the moment.
There are really only three primary things required to keep a call going long enough to get a disinterested prospect engaged:
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Can the Lack Commitment to Sales Success Finding be Wrong?
- April 1, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Have you ever witnessed salespeople who go part of the way, but not all the way to get the business? They make the call, but don’t convert the call? They hold the first meeting, but walk away without traction? They add a new opportunity to the pipeline, but don’t move it forward? They do all of the right things, but with the wrong people? They qualify an opportunity, but don’t get any further? They forecast an opportunity as closable, but it doesn’t close? Those are all examples of salespeople with conditional commitment. They do what it takes, but only when it’s comfortable for them.
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30 Reasons Why 1 Million Sales Jobs Will be Obsolete
- March 30, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
On March 8, this article on the Hubspot Sales Blog reported that one million B2B sales jobs will be lost. Are you, or any of your salespeople at risk? The article talked about four archetypes of salespeople and the two types at greatest risk. While I agree that there won’t be a place for order takers, and those who sell consultatively will always have work, I see the shakeup a bit differently. Here’s why.
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30 Reasons Why 1 Million Sales Jobs Will be Obsolete
- March 30, 2015
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
On March 8, this article on the Hubspot Sales Blog reported that one million B2B sales jobs will be lost. Are you, or any of your salespeople at risk? The article talked about four archetypes of salespeople and the two types at greatest risk. While I agree that there won’t be a place for order takers, and those who sell consultatively will always have work, I see the shakeup a bit differently. Here’s why.