The only reason to get media coverage is to generate qualified leads. Therefore, all communications with the media must carry lead generation messages. The three classic messages are best expressed as questions that the customer needs answered:
• Why should we buy?
• Why should we buy from you?
• Why should we buy now?
In addition, any communication [...]

T services are poised to become high tech business’s first trillion-dollar market. If your firm isn’t participating fully, you could find yourself on the short end of the revenue stick. Here’s why.
The market research firm IDC recently issued a report forecasting that companies and government agencies will spend more than $746 billion on external services [...]

Top sales professionals recognize the importance of nonverbal communication in the selling process and have learned to “listen with their eyes.” They understand that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of prospect’s “buy signals.”
Body language reveals your deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers. Body [...]

I’m sick of customer satisfaction. The worst companies in the world tout the fact that they won some satisfaction award. It’s not just a bad joke. It’s a pathetic statement.
Every company is hoping that their customers will reorder. They’re hoping that their customers will spread the word about how great their products are, and [...]

In many sales organizations, performance management sounds something like this:
“Are you going to make your number?”
“How many did you sell?”
“You need to get in front of five customers a day.”
“You did great this year. That’s why I know I can count on you for an additional 10 percent next year.”
By nature sales organizations are revenue [...]

One of the time tested methods for surviving a tough economy is to hone in on prospects who match the profile of your most successful customers. This may sound like Sales 101 but it’s worth your attention right now because when times get tough, the opposite happens – namely, desperation can make it tempting to [...]

Remember Dolly, the cloned sheep? No doubt many a sales manager privately wondered if the same science could be applied to their top performers. After all, if you had an entire sales team comprised of top performing reps, you’d never have to worry again about making the numbers, even in today’s economy. Until human cloning [...]

Often, the problem of selling in a down economy isn’t so much that pipelines are empty, it’s that prospects reach decision time and become paralyzed with worry. Are they taking too great a risk in light of market conditions? Will they realize value from their investment? Might they find a cheaper alternative elsewhere? Besieged by [...]

We’ve known for a long time that sales leaders who recognize their employees have greater employee engagement than their non-recognizing, warm-as-Russian-shot-putter peers. But our recent research study of 200,000 people shows another startling difference: managers who do recognition right get vastly superior revenue growth versus those managers who do recognition incorrectly.
So what is an incorrect [...]

Everyone talks about the importance of product knowledge. No one tells you how to use it to make a sale.
REALITY: Most companies train 90% product knowledge, 10% sales knowledge. Big mistake. The percentage should be: 20% product or service, 80% sales, personal development, attitude, and presentation skills.
REALITY: Salespeople spend 80% of their time OR [...]