Blog by Marie Williams

...But you can't make him drink

This old saying dates to 1175, so this isn’t a new problem! But I use the “horse/water” metaphor because only 20% of your salespeople will drink the water you lead them to.

We’ve all racked our brains about why our salespeople don’t learn, take helpful suggestions, or t...

The new “F” word for 2023 is “Feedforward” instead of “Feedback.” 

Why it matters: You’ll save time and get more done. You’ll set strategic goals and make more money in 2023. because thinking forward is positive. And with Feedforward, you won’t repeat past mistakes. 

But first, a he...

Paul J. Meyer once said, “I’d rather be a master prospector than a wizard of speech and have no one to tell my story to.”  

Prospecting is one of the most challenging tasks salespeople face. If done right, it can be an exciting experience that polishes your sales skills and allows you to find po...

Referrals are the lifeblood of a sales business. They help bridge the trust gap between you and the referred prospect. 

According to Nielsen, people are four times more likely to buy when referred by a friend. Ninety-two percent of people trust referrals from people they know.  A referred p...

You’ve successfully completed a sales agreement so you move on to the next prospect. Finding new customers is crucial to the growth and success of your business. But a salesperson should never forget the potential for commissions in their list of existing clients. Selling to a new client cost 5...

The paperwork is signed and deposit money committed, so it’s time to celebrate that commission, right?  

Don’t celebrate your sale too soon because an important part of the close called the “button–up,” and it is often overlooked. You want to make sure your new client is happy with their de...

The closing of a sales presentation is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. All the work a salesperson has put forth will be rewarded or rejected in a matter of minutes. By answering the qualifying questions, the prospect has already made up their mind to buy. So the salesperson only needs ...

Many sales agents go into the close too soon, while others don’t close at all. Attempting to close a sale before a prospect is mentally ready can destroy the relationship. All prospects have questions as they approach a major decision; therefore, the agent must answer these questions before they can...

Average sales agents operate as tour guides who ask a few ill-prepared questions before driving around, burning gas, and hoping they’ll stumble onto something the prospect likes. This is not selling, but “buying” on behalf of the prospect. Top producers don’t work harder; they work smarter.

Once th...

As a sales team leader, do you find yourself wondering if some of your sale people may just be born to sell while others seem to struggle?  It might feel like the ability to sell is something you’re born with, but according to some researchers, everyone is technically “in sales.” The sales...

Yes, I have a better vocabulary, and using the word sucks is a way of getting your attention. Please forgive me!

My point: Your salespeople focus on what gets their attention, and studies prove that the average person has an 8.2-second attention span (goldfish have 9 seconds...

As a Sales Team Leader, your greatest challenge and opportunity is to help your salespeople focus on their Sales Skills Habits! 

Your salespeople's lives are a reflection of their HABITS! 

• If they’re successful, it’s because of their habits. 
• If they’re mediocre, it’s because of thei...

When people are held accountable for their actions, they learn to value their work, thus reducing distractions and the amount of time they spend in low-payoff activities. When done right, accountability can increase a team members' skills and confidence.

Salespeople want to make sales. They want to k...

What are Goals?  

Goals are specific, measurable objectives with a fixed time frame for achieving them. Goals become the scorecard that help measure annual and quarterly progress. They can be broken down into smaller and short terms objectives, which then become checkpoints for making sure ...

Having a purpose is one of the defining characteristics of human beings. We crave purpose, and suffer psychologically when we don’t have it. There are many definitions for purpose but the one I like is, “Purpose is an intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and contr...

FEAR is the strongest and most easily triggered of the three prime motivation sources (incentive and attitude being the others). Fear evokes deep emotions we’ve carried for the millions of years of human evolution. It occurs at a subconscious level and can be triggered in dramatic or subtle ways:

• Mee...