From the category archives:

Preparation

Grab Their Interest Early and Don’t Let Go

June 3, 2009

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sales presentation that made you wish you were almost anywhere else?
In the business-to-business software industry where I work, we’re guilty of heinous neglect of basic communication principles.
What’s so bad about our presentations? Nothing — if you don’t mind excessive length, jam-packed PowerPoint slides, lack of [...]

Read the full article →

7 Ways to Improve Your Sales Questions Instantly

May 15, 2009

Maybe you’re not ready to wade through the 19 books that an earlier article recommended to help you ask better sales questions.
Or even to read one book, for that matter.
I know. You’re restless, and you’ve come to the right place.
So here’s a short list of seven easy improvements you can make immediately.

Read the full article →

14 Ways to Screw Up the Questions You Ask

May 11, 2009

An earlier article listed 23 ways you can use questions effectively in selling.
People often say there’s no such thing as a stupid question. That’s nice, and it may help you feel better about yourself when you ask them.
But it’s not true.
This article warns you about 14 ways you can go wrong by asking bad questions.
If [...]

Read the full article →

Approach Senior Executives Carefully

April 26, 2009

If you call high and aren’t ready for the conversation, it could end your life prematurely – at least in that account.
Have you heard about vibratory courtship?
No, this isn’t about kinky sex — at least not for humans.
It’s the way a male spider approaches a web-spinning female without being mistaken for dinner.
The male taps carefully [...]

Read the full article →

How to Control the Only Two Things You Can, and Stop Wasting Energy on What You Can’t

April 22, 2009

When you stop trying to control things you can’t, you’ll be able to focus more of your energy and attention on gaining complete control over the only things you can: your behavior and your actions.

Read the full article →

Learn to Embrace ‘No’

April 17, 2009

No may be the single most dreaded word in selling. But you can learn to appreciate it.
We’re learn from early childhood that no is a constraint on our ability to get or do what we want.

Read the full article →