We have been well trained. We know our products and solutions well, and we believe in them. We are enthusiastic subject matter experts who understand our competitors and our competitive advantage. Given this, it’s easy to see why some of us make the classic mistake. In some situations, it’s...
This new virtual way of working is having a big impact on how many of us feel about our jobs and careers. So many of the things that attract us to sales and account management positions – things like networking, meeting and getting to know new people, uncovering opportunities to help drive...
Recently we had an opportunity to deliver a five-part webinar series on ‘Selling Effectively in a Virtual Environment’. Two of the topic areas in the series have something in common – they are derailed when we are distracted.
The first topic area is ‘Understanding Your Customer’s...
For most of us in the sales/account management profession, things have changed so much over the past couple of months. All of our work is now being done virtually – team meetings, customer research, training… Even our happy hours are being conducted over the internet.
Delivering...
As sales professionals, many of the challenges we face evolve over time. One challenge that has been remarkably constant is the presence of gatekeepers. These are people who block our access to people and our sales strategy. Passive or aggressive, rude or pleasant, their desired outcome is the...
In many of our past Tips, we have talked about Business Fit and the concept of shifting our focus from the specifications of our solutions to the business outcomes we can help create for and with our customers.
To do this, we leverage our various sources of value, including our people...
In our last Tip we talked about developing a passion for the customer and being committed to helping them drive results. We also defined what we call the Business Fit – how two companies, working together, can drive critical business outcomes for the customer.
How do you figure out the...
In a sales role, one of the greatest tools we can leverage is passion. A key question to consider is, “Passion for what?”
Many of us have passion for what we sell, and that’s good. However, not everyone will share this passion. Most people we sell to will not understand the ins-and-...
One of the most challenging situations we can find ourselves in as account managers is when there is turnover at the top of the customer’s organization and we have a new senior level decision maker. After all, they are coming into the role and want make their mark on the organization. Often that...
Over the last couple of months, these Tips have focused on ideas to make scheduling research meetings easier. Why the extra focus on this topic? Because one of the most important tactical steps we can take involves scheduling these critical meetings. Although many people reading the Tip of the...
