Todd Cohen

Prospecting for Quality Business

Dear ToddCohen.com Sales Community, Are you prospecting and creating quality business? In other words, are you bringing business to the able that is profitable, actionable and is a win-win for both parties? Let me suggest that as we go forth and prospect and develop business, always ask yourself, "Is this good business?" Does it make business make sense? Can my company deliver it and make a profit? Will it stand out as business that the company can act on and deliver? These are all good questions that great sales professionals constantly challenge themselves with. It is true that we can get caught between bringing any business to the table and knowing when to bring forth the right ...

Sales Culture Part TWO!

Dear ToddCohen.com Sales Community, As many of you know, my work and passion is very much about helping companies build successful sales culture. I have been doing some formal and informal research the last few months and have been asking the question" What does sales culture mean to you"? Here are some more answers:

“Sales culture is the sum total of all the informal behavioral interaction between people, within the organization and between the staff and customers. It starts at the top and pervades all levels of the organization. These behaviors will tend to fall into one of these behavioral categories: rigid, coherent or diffuse. Coherent behaviors are the ones that engage people – staff as well as customers –

I am Back!

Dear Todd Cohen Sales Community... Hello! I am back and ready to blog! Thanks to all of you in the ToddCohen.com Sales Community who were sending me emails and calling to see where I was! In short, I learned the hard way that moving and keeping up with your blogging is not easy! Some updates: *The new ToddCohen.com is about a month away and I am sure you will like it! Many of you have offered great insight and thoughtful suggestions I thank you! Please keep the ideas coming. *I am holding off on my next newsletter until the new ToddCohen.com is ready. Stay tuned. *I am busy writing my next white paper titled " Creating Great Sales Cultures". ...

Quality vs. Quantity

Dear Sales Community, Which do you think is better? Quantity of sales calls or the quality of sales calls? As one who was raised (in sales) in a time when we were strictly measured against metrics, one might say that making many calls is the most important thing. Make as many calls as you can and you will be successful. I do agree that activity is critical and a key party of being a successful sales professional! In fact, in the world of sales management this is still very important-making sure that your team is keeping activity high. That has not changed. However, times have changed in some ways.  In many cases, what we sell has ...

The Difference is Service

Good Morning ToddCohen.com Sales Community, Yesterday I was talking with some sales professionals who were concerned about their product being seen as a commodity. This is certainly not the first time I have heard this. It happens to all sales professionals at one time or another. I am often asked how I deal with that issue, and one of the first things that comes to mind is service. The service you provide as a trusted partner to a client is the difference and a large reason why people will buy from you. Now we all have heard the old adage " people buy you not the product". Guess what? It is TRUE. ...

Where is the follow up?

ToddCohen.com Sales Community, Its time to really rant again! 3 weeks ago today I was given a proposal for services by a local company. Do you know what? Not only was the proposal poorly done, the vendor has yet to call me and see if I have received said "proposal" and if I had any reaction. Nothing. Nary a phone call, a email, a telegraph, carrier pigeon..nada, zip, silence. I keep checking my phones for a dial tone-still working. My PC has not suffered any email outages-still receiving. What kind of selling is that? I will tell you. Lousy selling. In fact, its not selling at all. What it is says ...

Sales Culture.

Dear Sales Community, I want to start a new conversation right now. I am always talking about and being asked my opinion on what makes a great sales culture. This is an important and critical topic for the sales community. Our profession is always changing. 2007 brought significant new advances in technology that brings new products and services....and then this brings new complexity to how we sell. This means that how well we sell is in part due to the sales culture empowering us. Right? Right! I recently posed the following question to colleagues and associates from my Linked-In network: " When you think of sales culture what is the first thing that comes ...

WHAT are you waiting for?

ToddCohen.com Sales Community, Forgive me friends for I am about to rant a little bit again. I am trying to understand why, when given a personal referral, sales professionals wait to call that warm lead? Please help me understand this one! Anyone? Hello? What am I missing? OK, I admit this is a pet peeve.  So call me a "Type A". When we are given a lead, this is a warm lead and hence needs to be addressed immediately. There is no other way. Period. There have been times when I have made personal referrals for people and I am stunned to find out that calls to follow up have not been made. Color me clueless as to why! ...

Happy New Year! Resolutions?

Sales Community! Happy New Year! Welcome to 2008 and a 12 months of sales excellence and crushing your numbers! I hope that as each of you start the new sales year today you are charged up and ready to close the business. Given the start of a new year, I admit to thinking about what my 2008 resolutions are. I know the whole resolutions thing is a bit trite and well worn, but I will take a crack anyway. So, here are my 2008 Sales Resolutions: 1-I will make every effort to take care of myself first. Take a vacation and get enough sleep. Always be thankful for my health, friends and family. Without these ...

Job for Life? Not!

One of my favorite parts of being a sales professional is that my skills ( and yours) are transportable. Like some other professions, we can take what we do and be successful in many places and industries. Essentially, as long as we continue to demonstrate that we can deliver the business, we should enjoy employment. The title of this blog reflects the fact that I believe we are always in some state of professional transition. Last weekend I gave a speech on using sales techniques to manage career transition. The first question I asked the group was "who in the room is in transition?" A few raised their hands. I asked it again, ...