The world is a competitive place and we are often put in situations where we are put up against a competitor. In the world of sales and client relations, this happens all of the time. Often I get asked, “When can I tell my client how awful the competition is?” When I was younger and in competitive sports, we once had a team in our league that I can honestly say we hated. Our teams were intense rivals and both teams took every opportunity to attack the other team, either on the field or off. Both teams felt a palpable dislike for each other. And we all felt...

When we look around us, the dirty word of prejudice is everywhere. The problem is that it is even more rampant than most of us believe it is. It is simple to see the obvious list of what most of us view as prejudicial behaviors: race, creed, gender, etc. Add to that dislikes against those who are disabled and the new term of ageism where we don’t like people due to their specific age. And, we all have prejudices that are much more subtle. We don’t like a person for their speech, their mannerisms, their name, and many more. We make instant decisions on whether we like someone...

Imagine walking into a new car dealership. You are looking around the showroom, trying to discreetly look at the prices posted on the windows to find the car you can afford, hoping two things: one, that the one that grabs your attention immediately is also in that range and two, that no sales person will approach you. Unfortunately, often the case is you don’t get either of those two options. You stop and stare at the vehicle you really want, knowing it is slightly (or not) out of your budget and the minute you stop moving you are approached by the most assertive rep in the showroom. Now...

The Harvard Business Review had an interesting article on a great sales team vs, a great sales manager. Like in sports, you can have a great team and poor coaching and go no where. Conversely, you can have a great leader on an ok team that can over achieve and ultimately succeed. There are numerous examples of that happening. Read the article for more... https://hbr.org/2012/07/to-build-a-great-sales-team-yo Bill Leesman Director PEO Canada 403-705-2342

I know the title will be hard for many to relate to but - “sales” is hard. No... it is not a complex job. Certainly, as many will believe, there are times that some of the activities involved in sales can be enjoyable. Going to a “function” seems easier than working on some spreadsheet report where you cannot make the numbers work. Taking a client for lunch certainly must be more enjoyable than trudging your way your paper bag lunch at your desk. And most definitely participating in a business golf tournament is miles ahead on the fun factor than eight hours in the office. Maybe, but… Those...

I once had a sales rep respond, when we told them that we were investing in on-going education for them, “can you please teach us something new”? I am not sure what the team expected as an answer. Were they expecting some panacea, some hidden secret that will get them to success? Certainly there are a lot of people coming into a sales career, or who are struggling in the sales position, that a whole industry has arisen about “secrets to success”. The amount of literature on successful sales is enormous and people in sales should continue to hone their skills and knowledge through reading, seminars, and continuing...

Keeping your sales team motivated enhances productivity, engagement, and in turn, results. People are motivated by incentives, challenging goals, recognition, and compensation, usually in varying mixes depending on the person. Building a business and personal rapport with members and your sales team allows a Sales Manager to better understand individual strengths and opportunities for improvement. Recognizing these individual differences allows a Sales Manager to accurately align motivational drivers, which maximizes the effect of their efforts. http://www.sideroad.com/Sales_Management/sales-team-success.html Written By: Saveria Sabatini, District Sales Manager

In times of tougher sales, those moments when clients are not jumping the queue to buy your service, what is your sales team selling? Are they constantly looking for negotiating with you to provide a better discount for their prospective clients? This appears to be a growing trend with many sales teams, particularly those new to the career that is sales. The trap many fall into is believing their prospects will only buy based on the "best price". They believe the marketing that we are bombarded with by big retailers who focus on low price and big volume. That methodology works fine if you are in the business...

When you began that new job, were you nervous? Did you know what to do? Sure you will be toured around your office. You will meet a lot of people whose names you will forget the minute you leave their desk. You will be told who you report to, where your desk is, and most importantly, where the lunch room and washrooms are. But then what? No problem they say. You are in sales – go out and sell. You will figure it out if you are any good. And why wouldn’t you be good, you sold them on giving you the job right? That is when many...

The sales profession is perhaps the most misunderstood profession on the planet. Too many of these great people get the label that “he/she is just a sales person” as if being in sales is a bad thing. Yet, real professional sales people are the movers and shakers of all businesses and industry. Without them, the world economy eventually grinds to a halt. Why is that? Because, what makes a great sales professional is also what drives their spouses, friends, relatives and everyone else around them crazy. They are independent, passionate, focused, assertive, and confident. And they have one of the most difficult (yet not complex) jobs to do....