3 Top Hacks for Your Sales Pipeline During an Economic Downturn

I have gone through two economic downturns, the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2000 and the financial crisis in 2008. So, what are my top tips or hacks for managing your sales pipeline in an uncertain economic environment?

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D2C Is the Only Time I Want to Be Sold

I never spent any time in D2C sales. As a consumer, though, I have experience, and I find some aspects appalling, others irritating, and a few fascinating. Since direct-to-consumer sales is a business model based on the sale of products to the end customer without intermediaries, I get to interact directly with the producer or manufacturer, either in person or through their own eCommerce channel.

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‘Rock Star’ and Other Meaningless Labels

This commercial is taking aim at those in corporate America who throw around the term ‘rock star’ a little too loosely. Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, and Gary Clark Jr. take offense to the casual use of their professional designation by office workers.

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The Customer Is Always Right

The vast majority of products and services in B2B address a need that is already addressed. The customer is spending on a solution today, their current ‘habit.’ And the job of a salesperson is to change this habit. It requires the proverbial ‘better mousetrap’ or at least the appearance of a better mousetrap.

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Standing on Top of a Mountain and Calling a Taxi

But there are no shortcuts in sales. What produces success in sales is: Working hard and smart. Following a process. Using data. Being persistent. Win fast, lose faster. Multiple channels. A lot of blocking and tackling.

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How SaaS Companies Can Embrace Evangelist-Led Growth

By embracing evangelist-led growth. This strategy develops and leverages the enthusiasm and advocacy of a company's most passionate users to eventually drive new customer acquisition. These "evangelists" are customers who are highly satisfied with a company's product or service and are willing to recommend it to others.

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Don’t Fumble This Question

“How is DEI addressed in your company?” That was the question I was asked by the leadership team of a DEI Consulting Firm when they were interviewing us for a possible engagement. I fumbled…

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The Perils of the People Business

When Founders, Owners, or CEOs comment that their Fractional Executive did not work out, when they complain equally about hiring and firing salespeople because they didn’t perform, or when the average tenure of their first full-time sales leader is somewhere between 12 and 18 months, it often goes back to not selecting the perfect match.

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10 Hacks to Increase Productivity in Sales

Sales productivity is typically measured in sales revenue per salesperson, individually and as an average over a team. This is a straightforward approach that can be further enhanced by including factors like e.g. hours worked, profitability, percent of target, or lead conversation.

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