Here where we live the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, agriculture is thriving on small family farms. Some are modern and some are still farmed using horses by Old Order Mennonites. Corn and soybeans are grown, poultry raised and dairy cows milked. Plus organic vegetables of all sorts for the local food-to-table market. Think about how…
Do you measure your goal achieving time? Are you always stressed about not getting enough done? When did you last look at how you spend your day? Does your time investment match your plan to reach your goals? Two Kinds Of Time Many years ago I heard Earl Nightingale speak on time management. I’ll never…
Are you asking good questions to keep the sales process moving forward? Do you use active listening responding to the answers? When seeking information from your prospect do you use open-ended questions? Better To Listen Than Speak I have often heard it said: “God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much…
Do you use a purpose driven sales call process? Or make a sales call to just check in with a prospect or customer? “Hi Carly Customer I’d like to stop by to just touch base with you.” Does this sound like your approach to scheduling a sales call? Don’t just touch base. Stretch for the…
Have you ever had a perfect sales call? One where everything went just like you planned? Spoiler alert: There is no perfect sales call. But with planning and preparation great salespeople achieve their sales call goals every time. Do You Plan Your Sales Calls? I’ve been reading The Seller’s Challenge by Thomas Williams & Thomas…
Do you have a mobile device? Of course you. Do you use it to make telephone calls? I hope so. The telephone is a salesperson’s most valuable tool. Mobile Devices – Not Just For Surfing The Web Yes, today’s mobile devices are more powerful than computers were just a few short years ago. But for…
Are all of your customers the “Best Customers”? Of course not! If you have a typical sales territory, a few customers provide most of your business. And you devote most of your selling time to them, right? Who Are Your Best Customers? Take a look back over the recent 12 months. Which customers have given…
What do you know about your customer’s business? Do you know how their products are made and used? Who are their customers? What are the challenges for the market they are in? Why Care About Your Customer’s Business? Great salespeople understand the business model of their customers. They know what drives their business decisions. They…
Do you flit from one task to another? Are you easily distracted? When you set goals are they actionable and achievable? Great sales people focus on their goals and do the activities necessary to achieve their dream. Three Steps To Achieving Great Things In a previous post, Manage Your Day In Sales, I listed these…
Are you a planner? Do you set goals for each day? Or are you one to just “wing it”? To be the best you need to manage your day in sales. Are You Just Average? Is this you? Hop in your car. Stop at the end of the driveway. Wonder whether to turn left to…