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'How important is it for you to succeed? The answer to that question will determine how you approach a difficult business decision you might face if someone you work with is also a friend. This question not only applies to someone in management that has people reporting to them. It also applies sales professionals who have developed great friendships with clients that are no longer additive to their book of business.
'A/B testing is fun. With so many easy-to-use tools around, anyone can (and should) do it. However, there’s actually more to it than just setting up a test. Tons of companies are wasting their time and money by making these 12 mistakes. Here are the top mistakes I see again and again. Are you guilty of making these mistakes? Read and find out. #1: A/B tests are called early.
'Sometimes the most obvious is ignored especially when it comes to sales and overall business growth. The focus becomes so much on the desired results the emotions, the personal connectivity is lost or becomes the means to the end. Happy is not a word usually used within sales training. Even though people buy on emotions justified by logic, this emotion of happy is ignored and that is a potentially fatal mistake.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan This kind of story doesn''t happen every day. One of Objective Management Group''s (OMG) most successful partners had an opportunity to work with young business leaders that had never sold. They were assessed with OMG''s tools, and assembled into 5 teams, all selling the exact same product. They had to go door-to-door, sell an overpriced luxury item, in the same market, over a 3-day period. 5 people were placed on each team based on the following car
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.
'Data shows 53% of customer loyalty is a result of their personal experiences in the buying process. This means the value we, sales professionals, create in the buying process is critical to our ability to win. What are you doing to differentiated yourself? What are you doing to make yourself and the value you create unique to the customer? Some defined that value in relationships developed with customers–but the wrong kind–you know what I mean, “When the going gets tough, t
'Many of you reading this would say I’m venturing into risky territory by talking about this, but I’m willing to discuss the elephant in the room. This question comes up a lot when I’m talking with both sales leaders and salespeople. The interesting thing about this issue is how little there is in actual writing about it. I find that interesting since the question comes up a lot.
'There is a great deal of talk these days about metrics for success. Companies hire consultants, spend time brain-storming in board rooms, go to seminars, read books and mastermind the various ways to measure success in selling. I understand why. In the sales consulting world, we attempt to make a science out of the profession of sales and sales management.
'There is a great deal of talk these days about metrics for success. Companies hire consultants, spend time brain-storming in board rooms, go to seminars, read books and mastermind the various ways to measure success in selling. I understand why. In the sales consulting world, we attempt to make a science out of the profession of sales and sales management.
'“ How do I come up with a unique value proposition? What I sell isn’t unique. ” If you’re working on improving your business, you know there’s no shortage about why you need a unique value proposition. You’ve probably even seen a handful of solid examples, but when you go to write your own, you hit a wall. You’ve got too many competitors, they’re selling the same stuff, and it looks like all the good value propositions are taken.
'Your CRM is a tool. That’s all. And, like most tools, you have to us it correctly if want get the most out of it. Have you ever seen a little kid use a hammer for the first time? They bang away at the nail, if you’re lucky it’s not a vase, your iPhone or the remote control, using the broad side of the hammer. If you think about it, it makes sense to a child to use the broadside, it has more surface area, it’s easier to swing and you can hit more stuff faster.
'Need some sales inspiration? A new twist on an old sales idea you’d like to do again? A quick sales jump-start this week? We’re pulling from a post originally published in November of 2008 – the ideas still stand, and there are LOTS more. The idea is to get inspired to take action. Which one does it for you? What are you already doing that IS working for you every day to be excited about contacting potential buyers?
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Global Warming is a trend. Its impact on our future and the role that humans played are both hot topics and subjects of great debate. In my opinion, the globe has been warming since the end of the ice age. Humans, with their man-made factories and ozone-depleting products, had nothing to do with the origins of global warming.
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.
'I guess it’s the new standard. Great tools end up being subverted for deceptive—or in the very least tragically bad practices. LinkedIn has increasingly been a channel for SPAM and other just bad marketing/sales approaches. I’ve learned to deal with the unwanted pitches coming through InMail, invitations, and some group communications.
'Yes, the title, "Improve Sales Forecasting to Improve Sales Performance?" is a question. It remains a question despite the millions of dollars spent on CRM, sales force automation, training and hype. I was on LinkedIn this morning and saw an ad which read, "5 Keys to Improve Pipeline Forcasting Accuracy and Reduce Revenue Risk!". A couple of things.
'Testimonials & word of mouth are the driving force behind 20-50% of all purchasing decisions , and yet only about ? of businesses are actively seeking & collecting customer reviews on an ongoing basis. If you’re not investing in testimonials right now, you need to read this. Why? Well, for starters recent behavioral research by Granify revealed that “social proof” is often more important to online buyers than “low prices.” when influencing purchasing decisions.
'You are a few weeks into the brand new year. You wrote out your goals and got all excited about your 2014 plan. I want to know. What is different about 2014? That is the question I have been asking salespeople and entrepreneurs the last few weeks. Most people look at me with a strange face and say; Oh it’s better already! Does it feel like the same old start to you?
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
'The first word you should say after you give your proposal? NOTHING! That’s right! You shouldn’t say one word at all. Use silence to your advantage. Too many salespeople sabotage their profit by wavering on their confidence in their price. To see what I mean, check out this video: Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. .
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan It’s an interesting question and one that has more than one answer. I wrote an article back in September of 2013 that asked the question, Are Sales and Sales Management Candidates Getting Worse? Consider the way that most companies hire people for sales roles. They skim through resumes, select only those that have the experience they look for, do some preliminary phone interviewing, and bring in the best for a series of face-to-face interviews.
'I read a great post in HBR, If You’re Not Helping People Develop, You’re Not Management Material. It’s a fantastic article, definitely a must read for managers and non-managers alike. The job of the manager is to get things done through people! The best managers focus on maximizing the performance of each individual and of their teams–both in their current roles and developing them to grow and contribute further.
'Desire is critical for great success in sales and in all walks of life and endeavors. I’m not sure that’s a fact, but it’s certainly my strong opinion. I don’t know how anyone can deal with the challenges and obstacles to great success without a burning passion to succeed. But, then again, that’s just my opinion. I walked off of a football field for the very first time in my hometown of Hammonton, NJ.
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.
'Most people shop online to find lower prices, right? I mean, let’s look at the research. A study from eMarketer.com suggests that 38% of people shop online because of lower prices. Forrester also found that 27% of consumers will sacrifice their shopping cart in the name of a better deal. If competitor’s prices have been dropping & your cart abandonment rates have been getting higher, don’t panic.
'There, I said it. Your message stinks. Technology has made it cheaper and faster to get in front of prospects, but somebody forgot to make sure you understood that what you say and how you say it wins the e-ticket ride to the next step in the sales process – OR NOT. Competition for your prospects attention is tougher than ever. You know that.
'Last August I wrote a blog for Top Sales World titled “Lead Generation Hogwash: The Top 7 Lies.”. I detailed 7 lies to be aware of to avoid a lead generation disaster (read the blog for the specifics): Any list will do. Voicemails are a waste of time. Outbound calling is interruption marketing. Write it and they will come. Automated systems accurately score (prioritize) leads.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan According to FreeDictionary.com , the original definition of Methodology is, "the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge." Over time, the definition has changed and one present day version is, "A body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline.".
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.
'Maureen Blanford challenged me with an interesting question, “What do you do with a person that consistently makes their numbers, but refuses to use the process?” It’s a great question, here’s my take. First, some set up. The sales process represents our organization’s best practices in winning business. We develop the sales process by looking at what our top performers consistently do to win deals, analyzing past wins and losses, and making sure what we do throu
'This kind of story doesn''t happen every day. One of Objective Management Group’s (OMG) partners, Market Sense, in Austin, Texas, had an opportunity to work with 15 MBA students that had never sold. They were evaluated with OMG''s sales person assessment, and assembled into 5 teams, all selling the exact same product. Over a 3-day period, they had to go door-to-door in the same market and sell an overpriced luxury item.
'You’re working to increase your online profits, and you do conversion optimization. That’s great. But it’s not enough. Even the terminology is off. I’m not alone in this – most optimizers I know dislike the term ‘conversion optimization’, and want to replace it with something else. Even the guys who invented the terminology.
'Every time I ask a V.P. of Sales/CSO or even a sales manager if they have coaching methodology in place, I always get a similar answer; “Yes, we do them once or twice a year.” I then ask, are those your “performance reviews” and of course, the answer is yes. Let me help everyone out — doing performance reviews is NOT coaching.
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.
'We’ve all blown it at one time or another. We’ve made negotiating mistakes that cost us more than we could have imagined. It’s time we get them out on the table, and hopefully as a result, we can avoid making these negotiating mistakes in the future. Are you making these 6 negotiating mistakes? 1. Not knowing when to walk away. If we don’t know at what point it makes sense to walk away, then we’re destined to make a commitment that simply does not make sense.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan. This is the 10th article in a January series on the Architecture of the Sales Force. Here are the others: Organic Sales Growth and Its Impact on Sales Architecture. Overlooked Conversation Between Sales Managers and Salespeople. Do Technical Salespeople Need Sales Training? Why Doesn''t Sales Methodology Get More Attention?
'“Well duuuhhh, Dave, thanks for that great insight!” As obvious as it sounds, one of the fastest ways to improve organizational or individual performance is to stop trying to sell where you lose. Yet, as obvious as it sounds, too many of the behaviors I see are focused exactly on that–selling where we lose. The problem is, too often we blindly chase after bad deals.
'It’s not! Let me clarify. CRM, as a sales enablement tool IS NOT SO important to sales success even though it does contribute, aid, help and enable sales people to manage prospects and accounts. But, clearly it has little or nothing to do with the execution of the sales process - from finding prospects to getting them to make a decision to buy from you.
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.
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