Sales people MUST possess an upbeat and powerful attitude all the time. But, managers must also have the ability to focus, coach, and develop each rep's attitude as an element of their job! Why, because so often our attitudes affect the way we learn, how we are perceived, and ultimately how we approach our job day to day!

My sales staff hates to role-play: WHO CARES

Skills do NOT get better on their own, rather managers need to facilitate the dreaded role-play sessions! But why not make them fun and challenge sales people's competitive juices. Facilitate coaching sessions whereby reps role-play and score on another and than rotate partners. At the end the person with the highest scores will win an award.

Here is an audio overview to help you understand the use of this type of question to drive sales staff performance:

This was a question presented to me by a client. I really had to take a step back and think about it for a minute.

Okay, I hope I have your attention with this weird title but selling still needs to get to the basics. Recently I encountered a really interesting interaction with a client's sales person. I asked the rep "Why do you feel you lost the deal?". He started to tell his product was perfect for the client and he seemed almost at a loss to why. I asked him a great coaching question "what problem or..

Success can ONLY occur if you make a decision thats what you want. Recently I met with a sales person at a client site where he continually demonstrated how he had not yet made a decision to be successful. Here is an audio narration of that dialogue:

The economy is coming back and now we may have the urge to raise prices or say no to price concession requests from clients. We have to be careful.

2011 is upon us and the last two years have been great years to challenge us as sales professionals. So how did you do? If you were not as successful what specific changes are you implementing to create success. We as sales people have to own our challenges and NOT simply subscribe to the excuses "Its not me, its the economy". On the other hand if sales are up is it you or the economy getting..

Price objections- a salesperson's worst nightmare. Handling price objections requires confidence and sales know-how. It is a skill that needs to be practiced over and over before it can ever be truly effective. Inexperienced reps usually cave and offer a lower price, while others run to the manager to ask for advice. Great salespeople know that instead of jumping immediately to reduction of..