Are your sellers looking for a competitive edge? Sure they are! And, the answer is right under their noses. In this episode of the Sales Management Minute, learn how to take what is perceived as a task and turn it into opportunity. Michael has been chasing the account for six months and he's feeling pretty optimistic as the. buying process comes to a conclusion. The company is considering his firm plus two others. The competition is fierce, but he feels like he has a leg up. At 11am, the Procurement Agent asks for three references to be provided to her by the end of the day. Validation! MORE >>

Invariably, as a professional sales person, you will run across that prospective customer who is only concerned with the price. am talking about that buyer who can only see how much the product or service costs and nothing else, including quality, service, longevity, reputation, or even the value of YOU. This prospect usually leaves you with only two options: 1. Lower yourself, your company and what you offer, to the level the prospect demands. Walk away. In my opinion, in most cases, you should walk away from the price only prospect (P.O.P.) and here are just a few reasons why. No Loyalty. MORE >>

I commented on the results reported in IBM’s outstanding  survey of CMO’s. The absence of concern about aligning and working with sales was alarming.  It generated a lot of discussion an comments.  My friend Bob Thompson at CustomerThink commented that absent anything else it would take 10-20 years for marketing and sales to get aligned.  He suggested the only other alternative was a strong CEO, taking action to align the functions. agree with Bob–perhaps I am more pessimistic.  Each has had a different function, each has performed those functions.  This is a critical issue.  MORE >>

In order to be most productive with the  sales opportunities in your pipeline there are a number of people you need to know well. These people affect your chances of bringing deals to closure every day. Since a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, you may have 3 of these people covered, but that fourth one is going to do you in. You’re done in by lost sales, missed opportunities, misaligned goals, and “no’s” toward the end of a prospective customer’s long buying cycle. Who are these people? Some are obvious. All are important. Your prospect. It is job #1. MORE >>

The finalist stage of the process is an exciting time, but there is work to be done to develop the winning strategy. In this episode of the Sales Management Minute, learn the SIX QUESTIONS that shape your finalist strategy presentation. The day started just like any other day for Lisa. Then, the call came! It was ABC Company's Procurement Officer telling her that he loved the RFP response, selected her as a finalist for their account and invited her firm to make a presentation to their leadership team. She thanked the Procurement Officer a thousand times and rushed off the phone. Uh oh! MORE >>