Todd Cohen

Customer Intimacy

I heard a really great term this week. "Customer Intimacy". Now I know this is not an original term, nor is it new, so I did a quick Google search and of course I received about a million hits on the term, so allow me to share with the ToddCohen.com sales community my "in the moment" thoughts on customer intimacy. I have written many times about the idea that we as members of the sales community must create awesome relationships with clients and prospects. I have also postulated that this is perhaps the most important part of being a great sales professional. In a recent conversation with a sales professional he used the term customer intimacy ...

Do Natural Born Salespeople Exist?

Dear Sales Community Members, Time for the age old question of whether or whether not sales people are naturally born or are created? I have written this weeks column on this topic, but I really want to know what you think-the opinions on this one vary from end to end! Here is a snippet from my column:

"A question that I have discussed for years is whether sales people are born or made. In other words, is there such a thing as a natural born sales person? This is a term that has been bandied about for years and I think that a case can be made for both sides of the argument. I

PhindMe Found Me!

Dear Sales Community, Social Networking is all the rage..and I am getting involved! Read on.. "Philadelphia-based senior sales leader Todd Cohen, a consultant on successful sales strategies, has been named executive advisor in sales and marketing by technology start-up PhindMe (www.phindme.mobi). In his consulting position with the firm, Cohen provides counsel and direction for PhindMe's sales and marketing efforts. PhindMe is developing mobile marketing technologies that will enable local businesses to reach customers through cell phone-based and online content. PhindMe offers its clients easy to use content management, customer relationship management and social networking tools......." I am honored by the trust that PhindMe has placed in me. I will report back to the ToddCohen.com Sales Community from time to ...

Humility Counts.

Hello ToddCohen.com Sales Community... I am back after a week of dealing with the typical change of season cold....and thank you to those of you who wrote to me and asked when the blogging would continue! Your kindness touched me and I am grateful. On another note, my colleague, Dr. Janice Presser,and I both had articles published in the Business World Times last month. Her article was on the topic of humility, an area that also I speak about in my recent white paper. I am passionate on this point that great sales professionals have deep and sustaining humility. This is what I said:

"Humility is at the heart of lasting sales success. Genuine

More Sales Through More Referrals!

As a sales professional, you own your business-this is your territory, your area, your vertical market or whatever patch of earth you call you area to get out there and sell! As sales professionals, you (hopefully) are spending a great deal of time prospecting and developing clients and then CLOSING them! That also means that along the way you have developed a good relationship with your clients! So, let me ask you this....are you leveraging your relationships within your client base to ask for referrals to new prospects so that you can earn more business? Are you networking inside your satisfied clients and finding new opportunities?...Great sales professionals are always doing this! Further to the ...

5, 4, 3, 2, 1….Liftoff to a STRONG Q4 Close!

I was reading the local paper this morning and there was a headline that read "Stock Market Soars to Record Close to Kick off the Fourth Quarter". This made me think about the fact that we are now in the last 3 months of the year and its make or break for us in the sales community! Yes, the final push is ON. Are you positioned now to close the business and beat your plan? In my last Newsletter, I asked the sales community where you will be on the last day of the year? Relaxing or standing a lonely vigil at the fax waiting for the final orders to come in? There are some basic things ...

Speaking about Sales!

Yesterday was a fun day...I had a wonderful time speaking to the sales community-in this case a group of consultants from Deloitte Consulting. I was graciously invited to speak at a staff meeting they were conducting; the topic was based on my recent white paper "Understanding Successful Sales Performance: The Sales Success Triad" and how great professional consultants are great sales professionals! That is an easy bridge to build and one that is fulfilling to cross. They were a receptive audience who understood that much of what they do every day is some form of sales activity and that reflects why Deloitte is a great firm. I was impressed with how much focus Deloitte ...

“The Sales Success Triad”

"What separates the successful salesperson from the other members of the sales community? Ask a dozen salespeople and you’ll most likely get back a dozen different responses. Is it the ability to create great leads that makes you successful, or is it a winning personality? If you’re looking at things like your charm or the size of your client lists, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Look at the basics – the simple stuff that sales professionals overlook from time to time. Things like your ability to listen carefully, respond correctly and approach clients not as a sale but as people you want to know and help solve problems. These are the things you need to focus on in

Time to Focus on the BIG CLOSE!

Good Morning Sales Community- Greetings from Philadelphia at 4:34 am! Let me ask you a question-Are you FOCUSED on CLOSING DEALS as we rush to the end of Q3 and the beginning Q4 of 2007? In other words, are you focusing your talents and efforts on the highest value clients and the ones most likely to close for you? One thing I have seen at this time of the year is that sales reps need to get hyper focused NOW on the deals in the pipeline that have a 75% or better chance to close. Don't get distracted! As a sales professional and as part of the sales community, we are trained that our responsibility is to make ...

Does “No” always mean “No”?

When does "No" mean "No"? is No alway the end of your sales campaign? When you hear "no" should you pack up and just move to the next client or prospect? Has your network failed you? I have been thinking about this because lately I have been fielding some interesting calls from the sales community about what to do here. Now, I cannot speak to each of them in great detail because I was not there, but I have always held the firm belief, that the word "no" is actually a step forward in closing the sales campaign! To many sales campaign get mired down and sometimes we just need to hear "no" to know ...