Making A Difference, Partners In EXCELLENCE Blog

I’m venturing into a little different area than what I normally write about, but I have a real passion for software and technology.  A large number of our clients are technology companies—hardware, software, and services companies.  I’m excited about what they do and how they present themselves to t

When I was a young sales manager, my manager had a big candy jar on his desk filled with dollar bills.  In my first meeting, I learned its purpose.  I was presenting where my group was year to date, what our plans were, and the support (read funding) we needed to move forward.  We finished [...]

Often, when I get involved with a new client, I seek out their “laziest” sales people.  You know the one’s I’m talking about.  There’s always someone that hides away.  He keeps a low profile, probably stays out of the office, never volunteers to do things, but always seems to make the number. Perhap

There have been some interesting comments about my post, If You Are Learning Your Customers’ Needs You Are Too Late.  Both Andy Rudin and Tony Zambito had great insights at Sales Edge One.  The discussion made me realize how too many sales people and managers are caught in an old paradigm.  We were

Those of us who  sell complex B2B solutions to large companies live in a world that is increasingly complex.  Our customers face very challenging problems.  Our solutions are very complex.  Gone are the days when a sales person could handle everything with the customer herself.  The days of knowing

Classically, as we qualified and engaged our customers in solving their problems, sales people focused on understanding our customers’ needs.  Our questioning process was focused on identifying pains, needs, and problems so we could present a justified solution addressing those issues. Don’t get me

Let’s face it, customers really hate us.  They will tolerate our marketing content—as long as it isn’t too promotional—just the facts please.  Sales people, well that’s another story, we’re really a total waste of their time, unless the are looking for lunch or a golf game.  With the exception of th

Mid-year is approaching.  I’m talking to a lot of people about where they are with quota performance.  With too many, their hands start waving around, the stories start, the excuses start. “We’re still seeing the effects of the economy, customers aren’t buying….”  I know their peers in the same comp

There are a huge number of tools available to help sales professionals be more effective and efficient.  Properly used and implemented they can have a profound impact in improving sales performance.  At the same time, used improperly, the provide the potential of causing great problems or creating c

The human brain is an awesome instrument!  One of the things it enables us to do, sometimes almost unconsciously, is to instantly recognize patterns.  We encounter a situation, in nano seconds, our brains compare the situation with others we have encountered through our life.  It quickly enables us