"As part of my initiative to build Sales Culture
I'll post my thoughts on the topics of the day"
What makes a great client? What makes a client great? ( Did I just ask the same thing?) What drives the sales community to go the extra mile for a client? I am sure that we as sales professionals have had enough client interaction to have formed plenty of opinions on the best and worst traits of our clients! I can think of many clients in the past who were amazing to deal with. That motivated me to work harder on their behalf and do more-because it felt right and it was the right thing to do. I am not saying it is right to to be less sensitive to your difficult clients, ...
The last few days I have been reflecting on the upcoming Labor Day holiday. I did some research on the meaning and origin of the holiday and here is what I found...."Labor Day is a... holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many." Interesting and clearly the holiday had noble beginnings and intentions. I am not a huge fan of Labor Day only because it reminds me that my favorite season is ending. ...
OK..I need to have a small "rant" for a moment or two. I think the one thing that could earn ejection from the sales community is not having a healthy respect for time! Time is respect. Period. If you make an appointment, be on time. Plan it well and think about the things that will make you late.....traffic, AIR TRAVEL delays (especially in Philadelphia!) weather etc.... There is nothing worse than showing up late for an appointment and being late with no explanations. Nothing screams disrespect more than a disrespect for peoples time! I am just amazed at how this continues to be a problem in the sales community. If ...
Cheesy title-granted, but it was what just came to mind when I was reading some responses to my earlier blog on Great Sales Leaders. One of our sales community members was remarking about managing a team of people when none of that team actually report to him. This is one version of the classic matrix organization which is a challenge to understand and "get" and takes skill to manage. Personally I have worked for several matrix organizations and it is a unique way to work. It is of course funny to me when I bring this up to different sales professionals and I get a blank stare and some of them think ...
Last night I had the honor and privilege to be a guest lecturer at Peirce College in downtown Philadelphia. I had a very exciting opportunity to speak to a marketing class on one of my very favorite topics "Everyone is in Sales." This class was comprised of bright working adults getting their degrees. They are all working and planning to get to the next level in their professional lives. We covered this topic with four main concepts...we talked about the intersection of marketing and sales, then we discussed the core idea that we are ALL in sales, from there we segued into a lively conversation on the need to develop a professional value proposition, and ...
I am really curious what this sales community thinks a great sales leader is? What defines that person to you? I have written my column this week on sales leaders and offer some of my initial thoughts on what a great sales leader should look like. As sales professionals we have all worked under a variety of leaders and as a result have been shaped and sharpened by those experiences. I think about my sales career and how much influence some really great sales leaders have had on me. Of course, that works both ways and I can also point to areas that have not been as...hmm..should I say not as ...
I had an interesting email the other day from a member of our sales community. She asked me if it is "normal" to not leave brochures with a client. Now, apart for the general fact that I don't think we can decide what is normal, I responded that I have several schools of though on this. My thinking is part of how I was raised in sales. Brochures and other documentation are a part of any sales call. They do not replace the sales rep and are not to be overly relied on! I firmly believe that as we move from tactical to more solution oriented and complex selling, the brochure becomes less relevant and ...
I was finishing my morning walk and stopped in to the local Starbucks and saw some people having a heated discussion where one person was obviously trying to convince the other to adopt his view on whatever it was they were talking about. The discussion was very emotional ( and quite passionate) and it started me thinking about how we as a sales community use our emotions in the course of selling. There is a difference between being emotional and passionate and it can be a fine line. Thats a subject for another time...... When you are working with clients or prospects, do you let your emotions get in the way? I can say that ...
I was just reading an email from a gentleman who is changing his profession and becoming a member of the sales community. He is a police officer and has just committed himself to a new career as an insurance salesperson! Wow! So, I want to offer my congratulations to him. I applaud not only his resolve in making a change but for doing it in a demanding and tough field. Time will tell if he will be successful. I think he will be. So, to the newest member of the sales community, I offer a collective and warm welcome to our world! You have many sales professionals rooting for your ...
I recently attended a networking seminar (actually an informal gathering of bright people) that was inspired by the Seth Godin book "Purple Cow". It was a fun and interesting event punctuated by excited folks sharing their entrepreneurial ideas and...you guessed it- great networking! What struck me the most was the amazing cross section of people, what they do for a living and the ideas they brought to the seminar to pitch. The concept is simple: you pitch to the group your idea and ask for feedback and advice. It is fun and energizing. Everyone I met I now consider a part of my expanding network and some have joined the ToddCohen.com ...
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