Sales Conversations - Sales Pro Insider

SALES CONVERSATIONS

It’s Time to Pause and Say Thanks

by Nancy Bleeke | Nov 22, 2016

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There are no gifts to buy, no fancy clothes to wear, and a day when taking a nap is not frowned upon. I appreciate the focus on thankfulness at work and home. It’s a great time to pause and say thanks to customers and employees alike. You can ignore political, ethnic, and religious constraints and truly...

This Simple Action Will Grow Your Team’s Sales Plus 10 Ways to Put it in Practice

by Nancy Bleeke | Nov 9, 2016

What drives people to succeed? What motivates them to do more and do it more effectively? You may have put a lot of time, energy, and money into getting more from the people you have…compensation adjustments, awards, bonuses for new business, and such. Yet the one simple action that will grow your team’s sales may have been skipped....

The World Series is Over…Now It’s Time to Ditch the Pitch in Sales Too

by Nancy Bleeke | Oct 31, 2016

Pitching at prospects is no way to win…it’s business, not baseball.

The ONE Question You Must Answer Correctly to Win Sales

by Nancy Bleeke | Oct 4, 2016

After spending two weeks at conferences and trade shows, I noticed something simple, and yet so important to your success. When someone asks you, “What do you sell?” Or “Tell me about your product…” There’s a more important question beneath the question. What your prospects or buyers are really asking is,...

Earning What You’re Worth Happens in THIS Profession

by Nancy Bleeke | Jun 13, 2016

The US Census income data from 2014 is released and reports the median income by different age groups and gender. I’m not going to get into the wide disparity between men’s and women’s income by age (which is shameful), because this message is about how gender and age don’t matter when considering income potential. If you want to earn more than...

The 2016 Sales Must-Read Books: Build a Learning Culture

by Nancy Bleeke | Jun 8, 2016

Staying mentally sharp and relevant is key to sales success. Buyers demand their sales reps be relevant, insightful, and valuable. As the leader, you set the stage. What information do you share with your team that positions them to bring extra value, challenges their thinking, and helps them be more skillful, work smarter, or open new doors?...

Don’t Let Being “Part of the Family” Kill Referral Sales

by Nancy Bleeke | Jun 1, 2016

Trusted advisor, business partner, collaborator, part of the family—all terms sales pros seek to indicate they are “in” with their customers. Joanne Black, my referral mentor, says these terms are good indicators of referral possibilities. Well, that is…unless that close of a relationship starts killing referral sales. I was so proud of being...

These 2 Important Actions Will Shorten Your Sales Cycle

by Nancy Bleeke | Apr 27, 2016

Last weekend, my husband and I tackled replacing a fence post that finally gave way after 18 winters of snow sitting at its base for months on end. We started with the worst part, digging out the rotted stump and the 36” deep concrete which surrounded it. It’s dirty, tedious, and hard work. Midway through, he said, “Maybe we should’ve watched...

3 Bad, Bad Sales Behaviors You Must Avoid

by Nancy Bleeke | Apr 6, 2016

I’ve been in the buyer’s seat a lot lately. For our consulting firm, we’re looking for a new IT vendor, new equipment, graphic services, and specific supplies to support our training courses. It’s been fascinating to be sold to. Or rather I should say it’s been fascinating having sellers attempt to sell to me. I want to believe that sales...

Salespeople Obsolete? Hogwash!

by Nancy Bleeke | Mar 30, 2016

Do you find yourself focusing on tools and technology to drive sales? Or, is your strategic focus to ensure your salespeople are willing and skillfully able to grow sales? It seems the focus on equipping salespeople to succeed is missing a key component…sales skills! I’ve been to so many events lately where nearly all speakers, vendors, and...