Tag Archives: Planning

The Gap Between Mind And Mouth

March 28, 2011 – 8:14 am

Make no mistake.  There is a gap between your mind and your mouth.  Neglect filling that gap before making the call or presentation and guarantee less than optimal results.
Here’s yet another example from just last week.  First some background.  The meeting was of a small, hand-picked group of the company’s top sales pros and managers.  [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Best Practices | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Shut Up & Do Your Forecast!

March 1, 2011 – 8:17 am

Let me first state a few aspects of my opinion about sales forecasts:

They are the only rational basis for setting the priority of items on your ToDo list
They are therefore indispensably essential
They must be updated continuously; by every sales rep, manager and executive
If you whine about submitting your forecast and/or tell me it’s not possible [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Best Practices | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

On Funnels, Incubators & Out-Of-Context Metaphors

January 11, 2011 – 6:59 am

I’ve been in a running debate with my colleague, Stone Payton, for about a year now regarding the value and continuing applicability of the “funnel” metaphor for B2B sales.  Stone emphatically states, “Forget the funnel!”  (See this post, especially point #5 and the comments.)  I just as emphatically disagree!
And I think I finally understand the [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Process Thinking | Also tagged , , , | Comments (8)

Plan Every Sales Call In Writing!

September 25, 2010 – 6:58 pm

Sometimes, stating the obvious is nothing more than that; merely verbalizing what everybody in the audience already knows.  Sometimes, something is obvious to the speaker/writer, but is genuinely a novel concept for the audience.  Sometimes, everybody already knows, but only a few actually practice the best practice.

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By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Planning | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Shut Up And Do Your Forecast

September 2, 2010 – 12:10 pm

The best of the sales managers and executives I’ve had the pleasure to work with tend to demand very few things. They expect a lot in terms of results, but are generally reluctant to lay out a long list of specific requirements. The single most common demand of the top-notch sales leader? [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Process Thinking | Also tagged , | Comments (5)

Are You In Group 1, 2, Or 3?

August 30, 2010 – 5:47 am

(Note:  If you happen to be a mentor or sales manager, please do your “mentee” or team a favor and pass this along.)
Sometimes, stating the obvious is nothing more than that; merely verbalizing what everybody in the audience already knows.  Sometimes, something is obvious to the speaker/writer, but is genuinely a novel concept for the [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Planning | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

“Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.”

July 13, 2010 – 7:02 pm

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.

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By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Best Practices | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

“Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.”

May 22, 2010 – 4:16 pm

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 [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Learn!, Process Thinking | Also tagged , | Comments (0)