Category Archives: Sales Culture
Building Financial Acumen as a Sales Professional
“I just closed a deal with a 60 percent gross margin!” a new sales hire proudly told me early in my sales management career. I nodded and said, “That’s great. What’s the net margin? The salesperson looked confused and asked, “Net margin, what’s the difference?” I laughed and said, “Gross margin is like your commission […]
Quiet Quitting in the Sales Department
There’s a common sales challenge that is rarely discussed. The popular term is called quiet quitting. It’s not a new phenomenon. Back in the day, we called it “slacking,” “checked out,” or “burned-out.” What it means is a sales rep is doing the bare minimum to maintain employment. Whatever you call it, since the “Great […]
Sales Lessons From a Neighborhood Lemonade Stand
Recently, I learned a few valuable lessons about selling from a neighbor’s lemonade stand. As a sales trainer, getting schooled in sales by three eight-year-old girls was not on my schedule, but these lemonade stand entrepreneurs reminded me why I love sales. This article explores these timeless sales principles that even kids understand are important. […]
Sales Lessons from Jerry Jones and His Dallas Cowboys
The most profitable team in the most competitive sport is the Dallas Cowboys. The success of the Cowboys is not just a story of wins and Super Bowls. It’s a story about salesmanship, partnerships, and profits. Love them or hate them, after 33 years, Jerry Jones built the most valuable sports franchise in the world. […]
Eliminating Unproductive Sales Meetings
Most sales reps groan, “Here we go again” at the thought of another sales meeting. “Another sales meeting? We just had one on Monday. How much has changed since our last meeting?” Yet again, another hour that will be lost forever once the sales meeting finally concludes. Unproductive sales meetings cause both sales leaders and […]
Leveraging Your Personal Brand With In-Person Events
In November I wrote How to Navigate Sales and Tradeshows Post-COVID, outlining the importance of in-person events for companies in a post-Covid environment. Back then, companies were coming out of lockdowns, jobs were in demand, and inflation was under control. Today, sales professionals are facing unprecedented inflation, which means price increases for customers. There is […]
What a Rideshare Driver Taught Me About Sales
Uber drivers are not internationally known for teaching sales lessons. But recently, I’ve been riding with Uber for business travel and have discovered a sales lesson from each Uber trip. The broad range of personalities, talents, and approaches reminded me of the diverse sales teams we have trained over the years. Each Uber driver had […]
Leveraging Humor in Sales
Early in my sales career, I was told that “Everybody loves a clown, but nobody buys from one.” That’s something I still agree with, but it does not mean you cannot have a sense of humor about sales. If we agree that selling is about establishing trust, developing a relationship, and forming a connection, then […]
What Modern Sales Has in Common With Sports
What is your definition of sales? If you ask ten sales reps, that question will get you ten different answers. The dictionary defines sales as “the exchange of a commodity for money.” That definition makes us wonder if Webster spent any time actually trying to sell their dictionaries. In the real-world, sales is a complex and […]
