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 [...]
Let’s look at a key component in every sale – trust. Why? Because at the core of every sale lies fear, uncertainty, and doubt. As buyers, we’re often thinking: “Am I making [...]
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 [...]
You’ve had a sales enquiry. On average, how long does it take you to respond? You’ve had a sales enquiry. On average, how long does it take you to respond? [...]
Have you ever noticed that all marketing and sales training emphasises creating both scarcity and urgency in a prospect’s mind hoping to convince them to buy now? The question is... does it [...]
Ever asked a prospect a “Why” question, only to sense a shift—maybe even defensiveness? It happens more than you think. And it might be costing you opportunities without you even realizing it. [...]
In sales, pain is a far stronger motivator than aspiration. That’s why most salespeople are trained to uncover pain points. However, the instinctive next step to immediately pitching your solution is often [...]
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 [...]
What will 2025 hold for you? As business owners we want to increase revenue (and personal wealth) while reducing expenses and risk. And if you have a team, improving performance and engagement. [...]
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, [...]
Love him or loath him, Trump pulled off a remarkable victory. I thought there are some great sales lessons in how he did it. ABC’s Global Affairs Editor, John Lyons thinks Trump’s [...]
Simon Senek popularised the whole concept of begin with your why. Why your organization exists. Why you do what you do etc. But you know what? I don’t generally give a toss [...]
I recently heard about Alaska’s Fat Bear competition – where people voted on the best prepared (read “fat”) bear preparing for hibernation. You can watch a live stream of bears standing in [...]
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 [...]
Got a meeting with a potential prospect? You show up on time, but they keep you waiting. When you finally sit down, you realize your hour-long meeting is now just 30 minutes. [...]
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 [...]
Business posture means you have a firm unshakable belief that you provide real value and deserve to be respected by your clients. Positioning involves being seen as a credible authority in your [...]
I’ve just started swimming again. Or should I say, attempting to . The last time I was in a pool was decades ago. I’ve always had trouble breathing so getting [...]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship rocket exploded. Maybe not quite the result they’d want. What’s enlightening is their reframe. The SpaceX engineers class the mission a success. They test early and often. They’re [...]
What are your clients really buying? It’s tempting to say your product or service. But is that really true? Sure, your product or service has to fulfil a need. Provide an outcome [...]
As buyers when dealing with an unknown vendor, most of us most of us have a natural level of suspiciousness. Unless we know the brand’s positive reputation or we’ve received a recommendation [...]
The art of true leadership is developing a framework that has people genuinely wanting to come with you on your journey. It's not about coercion, which only breeds resistance and resentment. Let's [...]
In sales one size definitely doesn’t fit all! Every organisation is different. So who you initially target is critical. There are two schools of thought. The first is to target the highest [...]
One of the fundamentals in any sales conversation is your own conviction, and your own passion for what you do. Because passion and conviction and enthusiasm are infectious. And while [...]
We’re all taught to play to our strengths. However, a strength overdone often becomes a weakness. Take empathy. In sales, empathy is extolled as a strength. “Get into your clients’ shoes” “Understand [...]
Given a binary choice – be liked or respected, which would you choose? Could choosing one over the other enhance or hinder your professional results – both from a leadership or sales [...]
Recently watched the movie “The current war” about the competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse around the viability of DC and AC current. Westinghouse made a profound observation. “The value of [...]
One of the things that saddens me is seeing great technological innovations fail, mainly due to a lack of marketing and sales. I've seen that happen in many guises from inventors tightly [...]
Which would you prefer? Having to constantly prospect for new business, have lots of meetings and hopefully win some business. OR Have your ideal clients come to you asking how you can [...]
We all have competition. How do you stand out? Why would someone come to you over everyone else? Research from Harvard Business Review revealed potential clients are 57% of the way through [...]
“For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider [...]
