How to Run a Bulletproof Negotiation

Negotiation is one of the most difficult, and in my opinion, poorly understood aspects of the sales process.  If there's at least one thing I've learned about leading sales reps, epecially less experiences ones, they do not know how to negotiate effectively.  Even if they run a flawless sales process, they give up loads of value after having created so much in everything they did prior.  While the customer ultimately gets the better end of this deal, it's not effective for building a business over the long term.  Heavy discounting erodes margin and eliminates a business's ability to invest back into their own people, which in turn, limits the quality of the total customer experience.   

Three of the Most Effective Closing Techniques for Sales Reps

I've been doing and observing closing techniques for sales reps for over four years now and want to share some things I've learned with you on how to close a sale. 

How Do I Break Up with My Prospect? [4 Free Email Template Examples]

You know those prospects who just "yes" you to do, then tell you they need a few days to think about it?  The ones that give you buying signs the entire way through your mutual exploration and then... they just go dark? 

Say "Goodbye" Outside Sales!  The 4 Reasons Outside Sales Is Dying

The Outside Sales Rep - While Not Extinct - Is Officially On the Endangered Species List. But Why? 

Why You Need to Know People.AI, and How They Solve (at least) Four Big Sales Problems

Imagine the following world if you're a sales leader: 

How to Improve Your Team's Connect Calls: Two Pro Tips for Sales Managers and VPs

I was just talking with my manager -- our Sr. Director at HubSpot -- about an age old challenge that anyone practicing inside sales or inbound selling faces.  The CONNECT call.  Many new reps struggle to build a healthy pipeline because they cannot even get someone to answer the phone for the first time, or agree to take a call with them.  

Why Do Sales Reps Fail?

As a sales leader I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes some sales reps successful, and makes others fail.  Having managed my own team for quite some time now, I've made good hires and bad hires and any sales leader will tell you that they're always on the lookout for new "A Players".  Well, it's easier said than done. 

The One Lesson I Apply to Sales Every Day (that I Learned through Playing Baseball)

Before you swipe to the next article, I know what you’re thinking… “Ugh, something about baseball.  SO boring.”  Well this article isn’t really about baseball, it’s about a single lesson I learned through playing baseball over 20 years that I now apply to sales every day.  I’ll go ahead and take the rabbit out of the hat now.  That lesson is, “ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE.”

Has the Sales World Changed?  We think so

If you've been working in sales at all for the past few years, you've probably noticed that the sales environment is more challenging than ever.   And if you've been working in the sales world for ten years or more, you know the traditional model has been completely stood on its head.  Buyers are in control today!  

As we know from Corporate Executive Board research,  over 60% of the buying process has already been completed before a company speaks with a sales rep.   If this statistic is old news to you, here are a few more data points for you to chew on. 

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