SALES PRO INSIDER BLOG

The Great of Grateful

by Nancy Bleeke | Nov 20, 2018

We’ve officially entered the “season” of holidays for the year…closely bundled together in the US anyway, we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Years. I’m grateful it starts with Thanksgiving. There are no gifts to stress over, no need for fancy clothes (comfy is key with the hearty food), and a...

Stop the Prospect Chase and Follow-up

by Nancy Bleeke | Oct 31, 2018

Most people know who first responders are…those heroes that charge into danger to save the day! In selling efforts, though, we are more likely to run into non-responders. Those prospects who seem to run away from you after a conversation. The non-response reaction starts harmlessly enough. You have a meeting with a prospect that seems to go...

Don’t Let Your Buyer’s Laziness Stop Your Sale

by Nancy Bleeke | Jul 31, 2018

“Nancy….you’re making this too difficult for me.” A client recently wrote those exact words to me in an email. Those are not the words I ever want to see — or hear. The email then went on to tell me how busy he was, what he wanted to “just get done”, and for me to take care of it. What came to mind as I...

Why Does Sales Still Get a Bad Rap?

by Nancy Bleeke | May 9, 2018

Just the other day, I ran into someone I haven’t seen in a very long time; we served on a school board together years ago. As we did the typical “what are you up to?” chit chat… she said, “Are you…uh… still in sales?” At first, she impressed me by remembering that I have spent the last 20 years not...

Gain Without Pain? Little Actions Lead to Big Results

by Nancy Bleeke | Feb 15, 2018

Ever notice that if you share a stretch goal or dream to a super achiever, they often respond with the, “No pain, no gain” type of comment? How do you feel when you hear that reaction? Most of us react with a big sigh…pain? As humans, aren’t we wired to avoid pain whenever we can? But what exactly is painful when we are...

Stop the Lose-Lose-Lose Selling and Increase Your Close Rate

by Nancy Bleeke | Dec 5, 2017

At the start of a recent workshop, I asked the group, “What do you want to get out of your investment of time and energy today?” One by one they responded. At least 50% mentioned a desire to close more sales. Not a surprise for people in a sales workshop, I’m sure. What was interesting is that the leaders had chosen the topic of...

3 Uncommon Actions to Help Actually Achieve Your Goals

by Nancy Bleeke | Nov 8, 2017

Shalane Flanagan won the NYC marathon women’s division this past weekend. This is a goal achieved that was long in the making. Her story is one of determination and sacrifice, ending with big success. Yet, every day us “common folk” in sales also strive to achieve goals. Our achieved goals may not make the New York Times, but...

Why You Must Avoid Value Blindness in Sales Conversations

by Nancy Bleeke | Oct 11, 2017

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, wrote Plato in the 3rd century BC. Well, so is value, writes me today. If buyers don’t see the beauty or value of what you sell, that’s value blindness. And buyer’s value blindness will stop your sales opportunity right in its track. Value blindness can create a big problem when trying to...

The Language Barrier That Can Kill Your Sale

by Nancy Bleeke | Sep 8, 2017

As we planned a trip to Europe for a family wedding, my husband was very happy that we were going to be in two countries where “they speak English.” He thinks the language barrier when communicating in a second language is stressful for everyone involved and kills some of the fun. But boy was he was he surprised to find difficulty...

The 3 Questions You Must Answer at the Start of Your Sales Conversation

by Nancy Bleeke | Aug 17, 2017

You’ve scheduled an appointment with a prospective buyer and, like all top performing sales reps, prepared for your conversation by identifying your objective planning your questions and everything you want to tell them. That’s a great plan. Right? It is, IF you get that far. Even with a scheduled appointment, you might get shut out...