Should people get second chances? Sometimes, but not always. When trust is broken, it stirs up a range of emotions in people and, despite how it is processed, the one who broke the trust is now viewed to be a threat. How harshly should we treat someone who has broken the trust? Was it severe,...
Category: Business Analysis
The Trust Spectrum Of A Sales Team
Can I trust you? Sounds like a simple question that commands a simple answer. Well, it depends on what you want to trust me with, I guess. Are you sharing a secret? Do you need me to carry out a critical function? Would you like me to hold your purse or wallet? Trust is fragile;...
The Sooner You Have Goals…
Why are some companies bashful about sales goals? Did I say some? I meant lots of companies. Is it because they don’t want to scare off the new talent? Is it because they don’t really know what good goals are? Is it because we are not used to measuring our team in this way? Or...
Sales Suffering From Home Run Syndrome?
If a baseball player doesn’t hit a home run every time he steps up to bat, then what was the point of the swing? That’s a silly question for a number of reasons, but sometimes we adopt this mentality in sales. It’s called Home Run Syndrome. If we are not great every time we try,...
How To Fire A Salesperson
I don’t enjoy writing on this topic any more than you enjoy reading about it because the thought of anyone losing their job for any reason upsets my stomach. It is a highly disruptive and stressful moment in someone’s life where desperation, anxiety, and low self-esteem have a tight grip. But sometimes it’s just not...
Creating Performance Improvement Plans For Salespeople
Let’s assume that, in some way, every person desires to feel like they are successful. Most reasonable people do not pursue and accept jobs if they didn’t feel like they could be successful in it. The 2 questions are can they perform the work and will they perform the work? That’s where a performance improvement...
Hiring A New Salesperson? Try Before You Buy
Recruiting, interviewing, and selecting a new salesperson is a very tiring and stressful responsibility. There is a lot riding on this position and if you don’t get it right, you lose a significant amount of time and money. Your strategic plans depend on you getting the right person on your sales team, but you’ve done...
Identifying Good, and Not So Good Customers Using The Challenge Chart
Did you ever wonder why solving one problem for one customer while solving the same problem for a different customer can be a completely different experience? For example, one customer completely understands your proposal and quote and you can close the deal in twenty minutes. The next customer who, on the surface, is very similar...
Selling To The 5 Types of Challenging Customers
Did you ever have that one customer? You know the one that I mean. When their name appears you know that it’s going to take a little extra time, you force a smile on your face and brace yourself for something that would otherwise be a simple issue for any other customer. Let’s face it,...
Addressing The 4 ‘Misses’ Of The Customer Experience
The customer experience is as crucial to the identity of your company as is your brand. It is how we make customers feel in every way they interact with our company whether it is your employees, your website, your storefront, the billing process, and so forth. Some companies do a great job of deliberately designing...