25 Nov

Many assume that sales is a serious profession—and it certainly is. There are times when it can be very entertaining. Indeed, interacting with potential customers and learning about their company and its challenges can be enjoyable but sometimes very frustrating. Getting selected and closing a contract always gave me pleasure. Some of my buyer contacts became personal friends, many of whom I am still in contact with years after the sale.  Listed below are some of my favorite sales anecdotes: Where is the most unusual place where you have ever collected a contact from a customer?  Here are three of mine: Once,...

23 Oct

What is the “best” sales presentation? How can it be defined or characterized? Is it a flawless presentation, perhaps utilizing the most up-to-date technology designed to awe the audience? And one with no technological glitches, like a poor internet connection or mysterious pauses? Or one with large, readable graphics? Or the slickest? Or one in which the presenter was the most charismatic and articulate? Maybe it would be like the presentations that Steve Jobs used to give at the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference or for new product introductions. Or is it the one that best addresses the buyer’s current, future, or even...

30 Sep

I have read that we must keep lowering standards, such as the educational requirements for elementary and high school kids, where graduation rates and grade point averages have risen. Still, standardized tests show declines in comprehension and academic performance. In addition, the U.S. military and police and fire departments have lowered standards. This was done mainly because not enough people have qualified for the standards in place for ages. It will hurt students later when universities or employers expect them to perform at the levels that they supposedly achieved. There is also strong evidence that there has been inflation in the...

20 Sep

I am often asked this question, and the answer isn't straightforward. Even the most skilled sales managers can attest to the challenge of finding and hiring exceptional salespeople. High-performing salespeople are rare and in great demand. There isn’t a simple answer that applies to every company. My first question in response is, “Are you interested in hiring ‘proven’ salespeople—or in finding and developing salespeople?”  This is a fundamental choice that the company and hiring manager must make. Each has advantages and disadvantages. It also matters whether you intend to utilize a recruiter. Let’s review some of the differences. If you find and hire...

09 Sep

Recently, my electric garage door opener malfunctioned. I called Bob, a repairman I had used before, who diagnosed the problem over the telephone as a bad torsion spring. When Bob arrived, he checked the door and confirmed that the torsion soil spring needed to be replaced. Bob asked me how long I planned to live in my current house.  Was I planning on selling the home soon? I told him we planned to stay in the house as long as my wife and I could live independently, which I hoped would be a very long time, hopefully, many years.  That was a...

06 Aug

Recently, an interviewer asked me what the best advice I had ever received was and, on the contrary, what the worst was.  These were very challenging questions, and I had to ponder for quite a while to determine thoughtful answers.  It was easy to think of some that were not very serious.  Much of what I have been told by trusted relatives, friends, and teachers was well-meaning but not very beneficial. For example, many told me to behave better and not to talk so much in school, which seemed unachievable.  Not everybody who gives you advice has the best intentions;...

09 Jul

Pausing AI Development Is Not Feasible Many in politics, academia, technology, and the media have recently called for a cessation or pause in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. Their concern is that AI can be so disruptive that it can harm people’s lives, especially regarding employment.  Perhaps robots and computers will cost people’s jobs.  And they are alarmed that the technology is moving too quickly. Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, “issued a warning against artificial intelligence . . . , saying in a statement it should be used in ‘service of humanity’ and warning to be vigilant of the ‘rapidly increasing...

23 Apr

My latest book, Above Quota Sales Management, has been published by Armin Lear Press and is available on Amazom.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Here is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Above-Quota-Sales-Management-Techniques/dp/196327105X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2H3YJCJUCYJ78&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K_4_4T0BF1S7HRvC6pufcqmtuy_tgN8ieKomqmfZPcVzKTXUkoyezqjeoVXsc_UdHCQRZlFV My first book, Above Quota Performance , was targeted at sales professionals with the goal of improving their performance by following the hundreds of tips and techniques that were covered in the book. It has been well received by readers, many of whom have given it a perfect 5-star review on Amazon so far. Above Quota Sales Management follows a style similar to my previous book but targets sales managers. The book covers many critical...

11 Mar

It’s my observation that sales is a career that offers excellent opportunities for women and is primarily egalitarian.  I say it’s almost egalitarian mainly because the company must hire a woman before she can take advantage of her sales career, and that may still be challenging, especially for women just starting out in her career or for those women who took time off to raise a family and have returned to the workforce. Prejudices still exist that may result in ill-informed managers not hiring some very capable women in sales.  Those existing prejudice challenges still prevent some women from being hired...

06 Mar

Early in my sales career, I called on a very large well-known furniture manufacturer that was headquartered in Western Michigan. They were looking for solutions to automate their in-house built general ledger accounting functions. After several telephone conversations with both accounting and information technology (IT) people, they invited me to present our solution. They also invited our major competitor as well. There were about fifteen people in the room who were very engaged and had a lot of questions, especially from the IT people, when I presented. I felt that the sales presentation went reasonably well. The Manager of Accounting...