The “TiVo” phenomenon is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to consumer-centric product and service marketing. This change, most noticeable in television advertising, is in itself a remarkable change in the way we spend and manage our recreational and spare time. But, more importantly, the “TiVo phenomenon” in all of its forms…
Why do the unsuccessful marketers constantly seek the ‘Holy Grail” of sales and marketing when the answer has always been well within reach? I assume that the fads in the sales and marketing profession are the ‘divining rods’ and tarot cards of our industry. Everyone seeks a shortcut to success. Well, I have bad news…
Most insurance agencies would like to be driven by a regular flow of new business from their producer force. However, most agencies find that their producers spend most of their time caring for existing customers with production relegated to a secondary position. In this article, you’ll learn how to establish a producer validation program to…
Sales manager is an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope that their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field salesperson to provide some…
Every salesperson talks about “Closing the sale.” The best salespeople understand that before you can close the sale, you must open it. “Opening” means using well designed and delivered questions to thoroughly uncover as many aspects of the buying decision as possible. Too many sales people mistakenly concern themselves with only the technical aspects of…
“How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself from the competition when you are both selling a commodity?” That’s a question I’m often asked in my seminars. Here’s how you make a difference….
How much time should I spend entertaining my customers? Good question. The world of the field salesperson is changing rapidly these days, and everything is in question. The practice of entertaining customers is one of those issues that needs to be rethought. First, let’s consider whether or not you should entertain your customers.
That’s probably the question I’m asked more than any other. Frustrated CEOs and sales managers express that thought over and over, in one way or another. They harbor a feeling that some of their salespeople just aren’t doing what they want them to do, and they don’t know what to do about it. If that…
What’s gunk? Any practice that detracts from the salesperson spending time with customers. In other words, other things the outside salespeople do instead of meeting with customers. When we boil down the job of the typical outside salesperson to its essence, it is clear that the one thing we want of them, the one place…
How do I sell to an account that is firmly in the hands of a competitor? In one form or another, I hear that question at almost every sales seminar I teach. It’s a great question, reflecting one of the most perplexing and frustrating situations every sales person faces. If you haven’t yet been faced…
