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'In a previous blog, I talked about my own motivation as it related to my athletic career. In an earlier earlier post (yes, I typed it twice to make the point that it was even earlier than the first), I wrote about my motivation today to drive revenue to Anthony Cole Training Group – to build a sustainable business so that those who depend on us (our clients, development experts, and employees) would not have to worry about the future of the company.
'For those of you who follow this blog, you know that every once in a while I take a break to take on race in this country. Considering what’s happening in Ferguson, I wanted to take a sales time out to break down for all ya’ll why Ferguson is happening, because as much as you’d like to think you know, you don’t. You have no clue.
'Social CRM and social selling are two terms which I have seen go from obscurity to mainstream business topics in the past 24 months. Jon Ferrara CEO and Founder of Nimble , an early innovator in social CRM and social selling technology, took time out of his schedule to share with us the latest innovations in the space. “Social selling is about inspiring and educating the customer as a trusted advisor.” - Jon Ferrara , CEO and Founder of Nimble.
'Some of you out there may find this Google Analytics feature overview to be mostly review. That’s awesome! That means you’re really taking ownership of your data. However, if you’ve never used any of these features, only experimented with them a little, or aren’t sure you’re using them correctly, you should read on. From the time you set up your account and put your tracking code on your site, Google Analytics, starts to capture and display a lot of data.
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.
'Yes, it’s true. On Monday, March 3, I will be shaving my head for cancer research. Salespeople love a great sales pitch. I heard one, couldn’t resist seeing if I could be involved, and offered to participate too. I was at one of my clients’ offices this week, Granite LLC , coaching sales team members and meeting with sales leaders – and heard about the massive undertaking that will be happening on Monday.
'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.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Can you name 10 Core Competencies of a great salesperson? Let''s see, there''s prospecting, qualifying and closing, and then there''s.wow, this is difficult! For the past 20 years, every Objective Management Group (OMG) sales force evaluation and sales candidate assessment has been tied to 21 Sales Core Competencies.
'Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan Can you name 10 Core Competencies of a great salesperson? Let''s see, there''s prospecting, qualifying and closing, and then there''s.wow, this is difficult! For the past 20 years, every Objective Management Group (OMG) sales force evaluation and sales candidate assessment has been tied to 21 Sales Core Competencies.
'If you’re like most salespeople, you probably dread at least one essential sales process such as prospecting. You’re not alone, no matter how much you love your job or your position, there is almost always that one task or process that you avoid as much as possible. If you continuously push back important tasks, your results […].
'Over the last 5 years, when conducting keynote sessions or workshops, presidents and senior sales executives overwhelmingly want to know – How do I motivate my sales people and keep them motivated? The answer that I give them is one they never like, but they soon understand: You cannot motivate them nor can you keep them motivated. Let me make this clear; I am not a student of motivation.
'I started this series - 5 Keys To Building Successful Sales Teams with this post: 5 Keys to Building a Successful Sales Team/Career. I finished that post with the following statement: I believe that, with all the variables that contribute to the outcome of a sales team, there are 1) just a few that really matter, 2) just a few that you can really control, 3) some that you can manage, 4) some that you can improve and 5) some that you have to ignore.
'Guest Post By Walt Gerano, Sales Development Expert. When working with prospects and clients, I’m generally a couple of moves ahead; I think well on my feet and I know what to say next. But, I must admit, that sometimes, I get excited or upset during a sales call because I get caught off guard by with a question or response from a prospect. When was the last time you asked yourself , “Why did I do that?
Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Global Sales and David Phelan, Account Executive
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.
'Guest Blog By Mark Trinkle, Sales Development Expert. How smart are you? Actually, how well do you know your smart numbers? I’m always amazed at the number of sales people I meet who either have no idea what their key indicators or smart numbers are or who have no idea why tracking them is important to begin with. By smart numbers I mean those activities that are essential to your sales success and that, when done consistently, predict new business.
'Managing a sales team can be described as complicated, difficult, tough, impossible, thankless, endless. OR. you could make a case for and describe it as rewarding, exciting, challenging, critical for success, important, simple. So. which is it? From my experience, your answer will depend on: Your experience. Your bias towards the work required for success.
'As I have written before, I grew up on a farm in Hammonton, NJ., the Blueberry Capital of the World. As a matter of fact, come this next Monday, I was born there 60 years ago at 7:14am on a Wednesday morning at the Esposito Home (A small, privately-run hospital). When growing up on a farm, it is beneficial to learn how to use certain tools. Learning what the tools are at an early age was extremely helpful especially when dad (Ray) was working underneath a pickup truck or in the middle of a trac
'The obvious gut reaction answer is …both. However, if you HAD to choose, it would be a dilemma similar to the age old “Which came first - the chicken or the egg?” And, you know, I have never been able to answer that question. I honestly don’t know that there is a RIGHT answer to the question I’ve posed today, but if you held a gun to my head and demanded an answer – not that you would have to go to that extreme to get an answer from me – I would have to say start with the behaviors.
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
'Once again, I’m flooded with stuff happening around me that has nothing or very little to do directly with sales… and I cannot help myself but to connect these thoughts and events to what I love to do – coach and teach sales and sales management. I think it was 1992 when Pat Riley, as part of a speaker’s event, came to Cincinnati and spoke at the convention center.
'I’ve been in the sales and sales management consulting business for 21 years. Prior to that, I was an insurance wholesaler, an insurance agent, a Nautilus Regional Sales Manager, a Nautilus Regional Sales Rep and collegiate athletic coach. During my 30 year professional career, I’ve read a lot of books, met with lots of keynote speakers and listened to hours of audio recordings.
'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 was first introduced to goal setting in sales when I was an insurance agent with National Life of Vermont. The General Agent was Dave and his manager was Bob. The company subscribed to the “Al Grannum” school of 10-3-1 - see 10 people, 3 will be qualified buyers, 1 will buy. Based on that equation, the established goal was to write 100 lives. You do the math.
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.
'Well…I already blew my goal to blog every day that I work in December. That happened when I failed to do so yesterday, December 1 st. But, I didn’t blow my commitment to making phone calls to prospects every day I work in December. As a rainmaker for Anthony Cole Training Group , I have a responsibility to keep an active pipeline of prospects. I made a choice.
'If you have followed my blog, read our sales newsletters or listened to our audio sales brews , then you’ve heard me talk about success formulas. The concept that is, if you follow the steps and execute the required activities to the required standards, you will be successful. Well, guess what? It doesn’t always work that way. if you are missing critical pieces of the process.
'A guest blog by Walt Gerano, Sales Development Expert. Welcome to the final in the series, Tale of the Fail. Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”. Well, he was right. Welcome to my train wreck. If you have been following the last couple of blogs posts, you have seen Tony and Mark talk about the reasons we let one get away from time to time.
'I don’t remember how old I was. I couldn’t have been more than 9 or so, but I remember I asked my dad for a quarter to buy some candy. He gave me the quarter. We were at my brother Ray’s football game and so I went to the concession stand, looked at the prices of candy and bought 5 – yes, count them – 5 Three Musketeers candy bars. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same!
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.
'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.
'I’ve been trying to find a way to tie cooking to sales management. I love to cook (and eat) and I love selling and coaching sales management. I often tie sports stories, analogies and themes to sales and sales management, and I generally have at least one in the crowd that doesn’t/cannot relate because they have not played sports or are just simply not into sports.
'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.
'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.
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 Tale of the Fail - I have to give credit to Ron S. for this phrase. Ron was a senior sales management executive for one of our clients. It was his responsibility to make sure that his sales people were always improving and it was his belief that sales people improved by reviewing their experiences and the experiences of others. So, when he conducted post-call debriefs with his sales people, he wanted to hear about 2 things - the Tale of the Sale AND the Tale of the Fail.
'Back a few years ago, when I was teaching my daughter how to drive, I tried to teach her good driving habits. One critical habit that I tried to help her recognize was to read the gauges, or what they call in aviation, complete a radial scan. I explained to her that, prior to taking off in a car, you’ve got to make sure that there isn’t a light on telling you that your air pressure is low or that there’s an engine problem.
'As I think about this concept, I realize that I may actually discuss more than just 5 keys. These elements, or contributing factors, can be called “keys” but they can just as easily be called the 5 elements of successful sales teams or the 5 contributing factors of successful sales teams. 5 Keys sounds too finite or definitive but, although I’ve never claimed to have the definitive answers to building successful sales teams, I am convinced that if you have strong Performance Management, Recruit
'Ever wonder if your sales people are really listening to you? Do they respond and react. or do they sit politely listening and then continue to do what they’ve always done? As a sales manager or sales executive, you have many roles to fill in order to get the most out of your sales team. You must coach them, you must motivate them, you must have some level of performance management and, in some way for some of them, you must mentor them.
AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.
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