"As part of my initiative to build Sales Culture
I'll post my thoughts on the topics of the day"
ToddCohen.com Sales Community, I was in a meeting yesterday with a client and we were having a spirited and engaging conversation around the topic of sales and marketing working as a team. Now to great sales professionals this is a basic tenet of our job. To be a great sales culture, sales and marketing need to be aligned, on the same page, in synch or whatever saying you prefer - you get the idea. Wait, not everyone does though....the conversation yesterday was with people who DO get it, but I am still amazed at the people who cant get this fact and think that sales and marketing is actually sales vs. marketing. Its NOT. Wake up! We ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
"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
...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 ...
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. ...
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 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 ...
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