Practical Tips

There’s a simple truth in sales: ​Give people what they want, not what you know they need. As part of my role as a “fractional sales director”, I listen into calls consultant [...]

Our job in “sales” is to realise, we’re actually there to facilitate a buying decision. When someone is thinking about buying something, there's always stuff that can get in the way. Your [...]

We’d all love to sell the big enchilada. The big project that brings in the big bucks. But put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.  They’re likely thinking, “This is a big decision.  [...]

In my over 3 decades dealing with buyers ranging from individuals to SME owners and senior executives in large organizations, two common reasons for NOT buying stand out. The first is the [...]

I love interviewing our clients’ clients. Finding out what they love and where things could improve. And in hundreds of interviews, there’s always been something, no matter how small, that could be [...]

A concept I stress with clients who want to predictably grow sales is “Who you target is more important than the message”. A mediocre message to a prospect who’s likely to have the [...]

I was recently asked how to psych yourself up for cold calls - something most people dread. Let’s be honest, picking up the phone and talking to strangers isn’t fun for most [...]

The Two Traits of Every Great Salesperson - After decades working with salespeople, I’ve noticed two key attributes that separate the best from the rest: ​ 1️⃣ Empathy – The ability to [...]

All successful salespeople do three things well. They comprehensively understand their prospect’s issues, have deep empathy AND take the lead PRESCRIBING solutions. Your clients come to you for your insights. You need [...]

You’ve had a sales enquiry. On average, how long does it take you to respond? In the age of AI I ran a query through Perplexity. Responding within 5 minutes increases the [...]

You’ve had a sales enquiry. On average, how long does it take you to respond? In the age of AI I ran a query through Perplexity. Responding within 5 minutes increases the [...]

Barbara, editing one of my articles said, “I don’t like the word persuasion because it implies negative manipulation. I much prefer influence as a word”. While I initially disagreed, got me thinking [...]

There’s a simple truth in sales. People buy when they’re ready, not when you need to make the sale. And readiness always comes down to priorities. Theirs! Unfortunately, priorities can shift suddenly, [...]

I was speaking with a business owner recently, and I brought up the issue of client dissatisfaction, and how would he even know it was happening now. He said, look, if there [...]

What's your intent when it comes to sales? Is it about you winning the deal, or are you tuned into them and what’s in their best interest? If it's all about you, [...]

There is a big irony in sales. That is, you can’t sell anything unless your prospect wants to buy. Sure, you can badger someone into buying, but that is a) highly unlikely [...]

“Our revenue has dropped significantly. It’s getting harder to penetrate accounts. Our salespeople aren’t performing.” I hear this a lot when working with new clients. I ask how long the salespeople have [...]

I've spent decades working with professionals from various consultancy fields, such as Accountants, Financial Planners, Engineers, and IT specialists. Most loved the technical aspects of delivery. And hated having to sell those [...]