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April 10, 2014
There Is No One-Size-Fits-All in Selling
When people prescribe the only solution they know, a lot of malpractice is likely to occur.
We are all looking for the magic bullet.
And when we find something we like, something that seems to work, we can become rabid advocates for what we believe is the magic bullet.
But when it comes to sales methodologies, there is no magic bullet and no one-size-fits-all solution. No one training program fits every sales situation, every customer, every company or every seller. That's why we should be adapting and not adopting the latest, greatest techniques.
Recently, I surveyed...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on April 10, 2014
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April 8, 2014
How Vulnerable Are You?
28 different points of view about the importance of vulnerability in leadership.
Last year, 18 of the top 25 highest-grossing movies featured characters with super-human powers. Invincible leads like The Man of Steel, Iron Man and Thor appeal to us because we place such a high value on strength.
But there’s something different about the modern superhero. Even among the invincible, there is a decided vulnerability that we can relate to. In fact, it’s their very vulnerability that make Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, Dr. Ryan...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on April 8, 2014
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March 13, 2014
To Engage Your Buyer, Sequence Your Questions Properly
15 Questions Sales Professionals Should Be Asking
Are your questions drawing your buyer closer to you or making your buyer back away from you? It may depend on the order in which you are asking questions. Adjusting the sequence of your questions can make a difference in how the buyer responds.
Early in a buyer/seller relationship, questions that seem sales-focused cause mistrust. A buyer recoils when questions seem to be some form of entrapment. By contrast, buyers open up and trust develops when a seller starts with buyer-focused...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on March 13, 2014
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February 18, 2014
The Difference Between an Individual Contributor & a Leader
Take this self-assessment & push yourself toward leadership.
You may carry the title of a Senior Manager and yet struggle to truly get work done through others in a way that propels the team forward.
You may have the experience and authority to get compliance and yet fail to earn true commitment from the people on your team.
If you haven’t quite reached the rung of leadership in your ascent to your position, it may be because you are clinging to old, familiar behaviors that have served you well in the past. This is a common career...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on February 18, 2014
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January 21, 2014
Are Sales Enablers Disabling You?
Sales people should be selling…so why overload them with other tasks?
On average, salespeople spend less than 35% of their time actually selling.
This finding, reported in Clearslide’s "4 Reasons Why It’s Time to Reboot Technology,” is not a big surprise to most sales professionals. But it certainly gets the attention of sales managers and senior sales leaders.
No one wants it to be this way. Everyone knows that more time spent selling adds up to more goods and services being sold. More revenue. More profit. So why is this the...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on January 21, 2014
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January 12, 2014
Crafting Your Own Personal Leadership Philosophy
What It Takes To Be Credible As A Leader
“Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare
The truth thou hast, that all may share.
Be bold. Proclaim it everywhere.
They only live who dare.”
- Voltaire
To be effective and inspiring as a leader, you must do what Voltaire describes in this quatrain. Developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy (PLP) will empower you to declare YOUR truth and stand tall within it, to operate from a position of strength that ennobles you.
It is a common practice in all...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on January 12, 2014
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December 15, 2013
The Meeting You May Be Missing
5 Reasons To Conduct One-On-One Meetings With Your Employees
A lot has been written about team meetings and the different purposes for off-site retreats, strategic planning meetings, operational meetings, team effectiveness meetings, daily and weekly update meetings, and standup meetings…
But little has been written about the most important meeting of all. It's the one-on-one regular check-in meeting between you and each one of your direct reports.
The one-on-one meeting is not the annual performance review. It's not the drive-by "atta boy" or...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Management on December 15, 2013
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December 12, 2013
New Year, New You, New Sales Approach for 2014
Complacency is the enemy of high achievers. Don’t let it be yours.
As 2013 fades into 2014, what are you planning to do differently as a seller in the new year?
Nothing? That would be a mistake! The profession of selling is changing rapidly, and you need to up your game if you want to continue being successful in sales.
Sellers who stagnate find themselves struggling, often after it's too late. Don't be one of those statistics – the once great seller who can't seem to get back on top. Complacency is the enemy of high achievers. It's much easier to stay on...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on December 12, 2013
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December 2, 2013
In Sales, You've Gotta Be Soft on the Outside and Hard on the Inside
The single most important lesson any seller can learn.
You know those types of people we refer to as marshmallows? They have a tough exterior, something about them seems hardened or brusque. But when we get to know them, they turn out to be softies. Actually sweet. They have a squishy inside because they care about people. That's just not what they show at first to the outside world.
Effective sellers do well to be the opposite of these marshmallow types. If you can be soft on the outside, empathetic and compassionate and interested in your...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on December 2, 2013
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November 19, 2013
On a Power Trip? You May Find Yourself Flying Solo
3 Common Abuses of Power Made By Senior Managers
As an eighth grader, I really struggled with George Orwell's "Animal Farm." The central theme – absolute power corrupts absolutely – didn't resonate with me. Miss Lally tried, but what she described was too far removed from my own limited experiences.
Lately, though, I've been replaying those words. I'm recognizing this theme in real life. I'm keenly aware of power plays and abuses of power, more mindful of how harmful they can be as I see them affecting people I've worked with and cared...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Management on November 19, 2013
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