I read a lot. In my view, all business people must read a lot. I seek out the opinions of others a lot. In my view, all business people must seek out the opinions of others a lot. New facts and perspectives, combined with all the facts and perspectives already in our heads are the [...]
Here’s my contention: Finding yourself frequently acknowledging, “I don’t know,” is a signal that you have become a superior sales rep.
Huh?
Before you conclude I’ve finally lost it completely, listen and see if you agree…
It’s a Saturday. It’s past 5:00 PM. I’ve been locked up in an orchestra rehearsal room with eight other unpaid compatriots for the last seven hours. That was after two hours of prep at home this morning. It was an “extra” meeting of the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees. We’re in the midst of [...]
I’ll never forget my grandfather’s reaction just after I graduated from college when I told him I had gotten a job with IBM. He was thrilled! Thrilled and impressed that I had be able to land such a fabulous entry level job. Then he asked, “Doing what?” My answer literally devastated him. “Sales? You mean [...]
To get into the proper mindset, re-read the title of this post in the most weepy, whiney tone you can imagine. Got that annoying eeeesssssshhhhhh feeling? Good.
Because that’s the feeling I invariably get from sales managers and reps when discussing E-Rep for the first time. That’s “E” as in “Electronic.” Every “H” or “Human” rep [...]
Five years or so into my sales career I learned a lesson that still looms large in my brain. Here it is:
The best way to learn something is to be responsible for teaching it to someone else.
This is especially true when you don’t know squat about the subject in question. At the time, I was [...]
It took me just over a year to realize I was being coached. That’s how good Bob Barham was. Frankly, I didn’t think I needed coaching at the time. I was 42 years old, and for the 20 years of my career up to that point, I had steadily climbed up the [...]
Who am I to argue with General Dwight D. Eisenhower? He made the comment in this post’s title regarding the Normandy invasion. He was reflecting upon how little the actual battle resembled the D-Day plan; a plan that resulted from a truly stupendous effort on the part of the Allies.
What makes the quotation profound is [...]
Guest post by Rick Howe, CEO of The Knotts Company
Be a Why-ner!
What is your best question when you are engaging a customer through your selling process and their buying process? Even though I am no longer on the front lines selling, I am still a salesman at heart and when I listen to salespeople [...]
I just learned what I know is an important lesson. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what it is though, and what to do with it. First, some background…
My extra-business passion is trying to make Acworth, my adopted home town in Cobb County GA, the coolest community there is. I’ve chosen to help do [...]
