In problem solving terms, the rule is when you are confused about the next course of action you always start with, “How did we get here? ” As we look at sales forces all over the world, we see problems like:  * Closing percentages are low* Difficulty finding and getting in touch with buyers* Every part of the sales process gets commoditized* The sales process lasts way too long. View Details

Not everyone comes into work with the same level of engagement, motivation, and passion each day. But if more than a few of your employees are making a habit out of being tired, stressed, and unmotivated, you might have a problem on your hands.   A recent study by Dale Carnegie Training showed that nearly three-quarters of employees aren’t fully engaged at their jobs. View Details

Being a salesperson is tough – finding a great one to hire is even tougher.   But what makes a top performing salesperson? There are certain qualities that leads to one excelling at sales – being results-driven, persistent, and having a strong ego, amongst others, for example. View Details

Many firms will face the situation when one of their valued employees walks into the office and says they are leaving to take up a job with another employer. The question is, what do you do? Should you make a counter offer? And if you do make one, how should you do it? View Details

Effective leadership requires verbal discipline.  Leaders need to care about and practice the quality, specificity, and power of their language.   Not enough of them do.  Communication is particularly crucial to entrepreneurs. A founder’s individual vision and presence is vital to his or her organization’s sense of itself and its direction.   There are several ways a leader can immediately improve his or her language and communication. View Details

In my first enterprise software company we developed a methodology for sales that we called PUCCKA.   This post is about the “P” or pain.   The point of PUCCKA was to develop a common methodology to make sure our whole team approaches sales with the same mindset and to give us a language to talk with each other about our prospects, as in, “have you identified your customers pain point yet? View Details

I was talking to friend recently and she explained how although she enjoyed her job and was working in the field she desired, one aspect was a sore spot: her micro manager.   Everyday her manager hovered over her shoulder, seeing what she was working on and ensuring she was doing work “correctly. ” This manager was constantly looking over her shoulder, critiquing this and that, and it was starting to take its toll on my friend. View Details

How many hours will you spend in meetings today? This week? This month? For many of us, the sum total can be scary.   While group communication is critical in any organization, unproductive meetings can create a spiral of frustration and inefficiency. In the extreme cases, poor meeting management can decrease moral and result in finger pointing, backstabbing and an ocean of excuses for past misses instead of explanations and strategies for the future. View Details

Presentations are more persuasive when they touch both mind and heart at multiple levels.   The point of a presentation is to convince decision-makers to make a public commitment to whatever you're selling, according to G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa, co-authors of the excellent book The Art of Woo. Here's how:  1. Make it vivid. View Details

Our current climate is characterized by: radical change, new technologies, a multi-generational workplace, globalization and the rise of the BRIC economies, which have all led to extraordinary levels of competition in the consumer, commercial and candidate marketplace.   These forces are placing significant and varied demands on workers and professionals, and to thrive, survive, and deliver within the workplace, professionals must evolve and develop new skills and qualities. View Details

A study at The British Institute of Psychiatry showed that checking your email while performing another creative task decreases your IQ in the moment by 10 points. That is the equivalent of not sleeping for 36 hours. This mundane task is just one of many everyday work habits that may be standing in the way of your company’s efforts to boost productivity and increase sales. View Details

Employers may think they hold all the cards when it comes to interviewing job candidates, but they too can do things that will scare off would-be workers. That may not matter if it’s a low-level position the company is seeking to fill, but if its top talent the company is after, then interviewers have to tread carefully during the interview process. View Details

A study of next-generation leaders shows that managers have several concerns about the young people they employ. One of these concerns is that young people aren't getting the coaching and mentoring they need to equip them to lead in complex environments.   Many business owners don't have a strategy for preparing these future leaders.  Research shows that only one in eight companies have a written plan for leadership continuity. View Details

Your top sales rep is one of the best hires you have made, and you are rightly proud of the relationship that has developed out of this collaboration. What would happen, though, if your top sales rep were to leave without warning? Actually, even top sales reps who are attempting to leave quietly aren’t generally successful, and will give at least one or two warning signs. Here’s what to look out for.   1. View Details

 “Bob, can I talk to you in my office? ”  While terminating employees is one of the more unpleasant tasks that owners and managers have to carry out, it is a necessary part of doing business.   If you’re not careful, however, mistakes committed during the firing process can come back to haunt you by way of legal action. Learn the most common mistakes made when giving workers the boot.   1. View Details