This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
'I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but occasionally I send out an email without the attachment. What is interesting here is that the sender replies that they didn’t get it, I deny it, go back to my email sent folder to validate that I did it and I sent it out… only to find out that Oops! I did it again. There’s no little paper clip in the corner which informs me that, once again, I failed to execute my email process completely.
'I’ve talked about the importance of creativity on this blog a bazillion times. Creativity is the killer differentiator. It’s what separates the average from the bad ass. In many cases being creative however takes guts most people don’t have. Could you do this if you were a flight attendant? A better question, would your company let you do this?
'According to the latest data by Wingify , makers of Visual Website Optimizer , almost 30% of all A/B tests their customers are running are CTA button tests. What is even more interesting, is that only one in seven A/B test campaigns produces a statistically significant improvement. But when it does produce a significant improvement; the average increase is 49%.
'We often wonder why we aren’t making progress. Our results aren’t improving, we don’t seem to be growing. We may be doing OK, but we aren’t doing great, we just get by. If we really want to excel, if we want to outperform others, we have to take risks, we have to do things we’ve not done before, we have to make mistakes.
Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy
AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.
'In the sales profession, one of the touchiest subjects is price. I rarely run into a salesperson or sales manager who does not want to discuss price. Arguments are varied, but in the end they are centered around one core contention: The price point is a big reason for lost sales. The argument of price […].
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan The Selling Power Blog published a new article of mine, The Top 10 Steps Salespeople Can Take to Improve. The article includes a really terrific video on the importance of tonality. I thought it would be helpful to expand on item #5, Persistence, because selling requires more persistence than ever before.
'Prospecting, prospecting, prospecting. I may have shared this story in the past, if so, I apologize. But it''s a very good story. I was in my second year of my insurance career with National Life of Vermont. This event took place at the Cincinnati Association of Life Underwriters Annual Recognition Holiday Dinner. It was held at Western Hills Country Club, here in Cincinnati.
'Prospecting, prospecting, prospecting. I may have shared this story in the past, if so, I apologize. But it''s a very good story. I was in my second year of my insurance career with National Life of Vermont. This event took place at the Cincinnati Association of Life Underwriters Annual Recognition Holiday Dinner. It was held at Western Hills Country Club, here in Cincinnati.
'There is an old adage that says; people don’t buy products or services, they buy you. I call bull s**t. People buy solutions, fixes and opportunities. People buy change, change that makes their world a better place. They don’t buy the people selling. But. With that said, people won’t buy from you if you’re an a **e, dishonest, inconsiderate, unprepared, unknowledgeable, selfish, curt, combative, demeaning, unhelpful, distant, self-absorbed, mean, egotistical, unfocused
'Most conversation about social media strategy sucks. Write compelling headlines, use interesting photos, follow “influencers” Pfffft… what a crock of s**t. I’m going to blow the doors wide open on why most social media marketing strategies are garbage & why even the halfway decent ones still aren’t nearly as effective as they could be.
'For those of you that know me, this won’t be a stunning confession, but I really struggle with my impatience. I try to rein it in–I’ve stopped tapping my pen, incessantly, on tables in meetings (though my legs are bouncing up and down under the table). I’ve learned to count to 10–well maybe 100, before jumping in on a review.
'Fear can often be our friend. It’s what has kept us alive as humans for many millennia. We are wired to be full of fear when we sense a threat in our environment. It’s what makes us think twice about climbing a rock face without a rope or jumping off a bridge just for the fun of it. As a sales person, a little bit of fear can give you an edge and make sure you prepare for your big presentation or pitch.
Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Global Sales and David Phelan, Account Manager
In a world where buyers are more informed and objections are more nuanced, confidence isn't optional—it’s a competitive advantage. In high-stakes conversations, knowing how to handle pushback can make or break the deal. Join industry experts Brendan Sweeney and David Phelan for a behind-the-scenes look at how teams are transforming sales coaching with real-time feedback, objection-handling role plays, and pre-call preparation that actually sticks.
'Sure, these are tips for graduating seniors. Honestly, though, I think they are tips for the rest of us as well. Here goes… 1. You will become whom you choose to associate with. The best way to be successful is to spend time with successful people. If you wanted to play football, you wouldn’t hang […].
'There are at least 2 schools of thought regarding the types of appointments sales people should set when calling prospects to set an appointment. The first school of thought follows the "mirror test" approach to prospecting - Just put a mirror under their nose, and if they fog the mirror, they are a prospect. Their thinking is this - just get in front of people.
'This is a guest post from Mark Roberge, Chief Revenue Officer at Hubspot. Mark has done some amazing things at Hubspot and the data they’ve been gathering on sales and marketing is impressive. This post on email timing is a great example of connecting with prospects. I hope you like it. Break it down Mark – This is an actual email thread I had with the VP of Global Sales Operations at a $10B+ revenue company.
'Most conversation about social media strategy sucks. Write compelling headlines, use interesting photos, follow “influencers” Pfffft… what a crock of s**t. I’m going to blow the doors wide open on why most social media marketing strategies are garbage & why even the halfway decent ones still aren’t nearly as effective as they could be.
Speaker: Jady West, VP of Hospitality & Chris Bennett, Head of Sales & Engineering
The modern hotel room is no longer just a place to stay—it’s an experience to remember. Today’s guests expect seamless 5G connectivity, personalized comfort, and high-tech convenience. From AI-powered smart room controls to in-room entertainment and app-based services, technology is redefining hospitality from the inside out. In this new session featuring industry pros Jady West and Chris Bennett, we’ll explore how high-speed, high-bandwidth connectivity powers the innovations that are enabling
'Everyone I encounter is very busy. Virtually everyone I meet works long hours. Their schedules are filled with meetings, calls, all sorts of things. Many people seem to wear their “busyness” as a badge of honor, as if “real business people do a dozen meetings a day, handle 300 emails and make a dozen phone calls.” They seem to look down on those that don’t.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan When you speak at as many events as I have over the past 3 decades you come to expect certain things. As you consider each of the following scenarios, try to make a comparison as to how it might compare with the sales calls and presentations you make to groups: Scenario 1: When I am the keynote speaker at an event, people have much higher expectations of me as a speaker, the entertainment factor, and the potential take aways from my topic.
'Whenever a salesperson asks me about the “best” time to implement a price increase, my quick answer is, “Right now!” Of course, after I say this, the salesperson wants me to back up my response, which is a good opportunity for me to tell them that whenever they take a rate increase, how they do […].
'Ok, so are you one of those busy execs or sales people who continually conduct business or meeting while talking and driving? Well, if you are, you might be headed for a "sales collision.". If you have seen my previous messages, you know that I taught my daughter to drive. I taught her the right habits and gave her an opportunity to practice those habits.
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
'You’ve got to watch this video. Not only is it cute, but this little s**t is persistant. He just keeps coming and coming, not matter what his zoo keepers throw at him. Persistence, determination, grit, stick-tuitiveness, or what ever you want to call it, is at the core of all successful people and sales people, good sales people personify it.
'Most conversation about social media strategy sucks. Write compelling headlines, use interesting photos, follow “influencers” Pfffft… what a crock of s**t. I’m going to blow the doors wide open on why most social media marketing strategies are garbage & why even the halfway decent ones still aren’t nearly as effective as they could be.
'I wrote, How Can We Deliver Insights Without Critical Thinking Skills? Along with Mike Kunkle’s 22nd Century Selling Skills presentation, it’s stirred up some interesting discussions. My friend, Gary Hart , stirred the pot a little by posing the question, “Is there an ROI in developing critical thinking skills?” I think it’s an awesome question, I think unconsciously, that may be in the minds of many business and sales leaders as they look for solutions to help
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan HR Directors love our sales candidate assessments because when they finally learn to select the right salespeople their job becomes easier and they become heroes! Promises of great success would lead you to believe that this is not a difficult sale but it doesn''t always go that smoothly. Today there are two classes of HR Directors working at companies.
Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.
'Ready for a few quick tips to ensure you’re successful when you negotiate? I recently did a 40-minute high-profit negotiating webinar for Salesforce which you can view now at this link. Here are a couple of the things I shared: First, the level of confidence you have going into a negotiation is going to determine […].
'Let''s start today by looking at a couple findings from the Objective Management Group Sales Force Evaluation: Will Prospect. Prospects Consistently. The difference between the two findings is this: Will Prospect - this is a sales person that will prospect as long as they are managed to do so. Prospects Consistently - this is the person that realizes that hunting/prospecting IS THE JOB and they do this with or without your supervision.
'Selling is more than the numbers. It’s more than quota. It’s more than pipeline and conversion percentages. Sales is more than dollars that exchange hands. Yet we dedicate crazy amounts of time to these very things. To sell we have to connect with the pain of our buyers. To sell means we’ve connected with the challenges our prospects face.
'It’s a well known fact that most people do not buy from you on their first visit. But what exactly does “most people” mean? According to SeeWhy’s extensive research , “most people” means about 99%. Sure, they’re talking about eCommerce sites, but still, it raises a very interesting question, “If 99% of people won’t buy on the first visit… how then can we get them to return for a second visit?
B2B marketers face a number of challenges, including: continuously generating great leads converting leads to active sales prospects finding vendors that deliver real results Aggregage has proven content syndication, webinar, online advertising and intent signal marketing programs that deliver higher-quality leads. More than 700 companies have already benefited from our programs.
'The other day, Jim Keenan and I were chatting about a number of things (mostly my envy of his upcoming ski vacation at “Bump School.”) We started talking about productivity tools—some that each of us were using and some errors we see customers making. After our conversation, I started reflecting on the unintended consequences of many of our efficiency initiatives.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan I read somewhere that data was the key to boosting sales. Really? Says who? When you look into the "who" it should come as no surprise that it''s the companies that provide data analytics that say so. Don''t get me wrong - data, and especially the right data, can be very useful. But data, by itself, doesn''t boost anything.
'To win in sales you, and your company, need a recipe for success. The ingredients to win in sales must be pure and of high quality to create a great, high-end, finished product. Here is what we believe it takes to compete with a strong solid sales team that closes the right deals with great sales velocity. Keep it Simple – the very best repeatable recipes are the ones that are simple to make.
'A guest blog post by Walt Gerano, Sales Development Expert. Growing up, I remember, just before the 11o’clock news came on, there was a message on the screen that asked the question, “It’s 11 o’clock - do you know where your kids are?” Well, it’s the middle of June and my question is, “Do you know where your business plan is?" Do you know where you stand?
When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 26,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content