How To Get To the Decision Maker(1/22/2014)-Are you struggling with how to get to the decision maker when you make prospecting calls? If you're getting blocked by gatekeepers and finding yourself tongue-tied when asked, "What's this about?", this sales tactic will help. One of the top… Continue Reading →
Why Your Prospects Say “No” So Quickly(1/23/2014)-Prospects Say No, No, No--you tried prospecting, but cold calling is not working. You can reach decision makers, but the conversation fizzles and never gets started. "I'm not interested," you hear again and again. It's demoralizing. What's going wrong? Why… Continue Reading →
“Why Didn’t They Buy? We Had Such a Great Conversation!”(1/25/2014)-"Why didn't they buy?" After meeting with President Kennedy to request support for some legislation, a visitor was disappointed when JFK later did not approve of it. The visitor asked the person who had been the referral to meeting with… Continue Reading →
“Who’s In Charge Around Here?!”: Why Presentations Fail(1/26/2014)-How many times have you gotten in front of an excited prospect and delivered your presentation? Sales managers typically insist that you whip out your presentation or demonstration as soon as possible. After all, it's your chance to show someone… Continue Reading →
Does Cold Calling Put You In a Bad Position?(1/27/2014)-One of my personal favorite rebuttals about making prospecting calls--frequently made by experts in fields other than sales training--is: "Cold calling puts you in a bad position." It does? I must have missed that memo. I guess if you don't… Continue Reading →
Starting a Sales Conversation Is Like Baking Bread(1/28/2014)-Starting a sales conversation can be tough. You'll hear people say, "Selling is part art, part science." My experience has made me believe it's far more science. And the very beginning of selling, starting a conversation, is like the science… Continue Reading →
Be Willing to Begin Badly [And Here’s Why](1/29/2014)-Many people are unwilling to begin badly. "Oh, I could never make calls" they say, "until I get my script down perfectly." They have to know exactly what to say before they pick up the phone. Unfortunately, this means they… Continue Reading →
Managing Sales People — Busy Or Effective?(1/30/2014)-Managing sales people -- busy or effective? I work with many presidents, and vice presidents, and they tell me one thing consistently: They don't work day-to-day with their front line salespeople. They're not familiar with the precise problems that their… Continue Reading →
How to Be a Salesman(1/31/2014)-What does it mean to be a salesman or saleswoman in our new era? The requirements of how to be a salesman have changed. While they may remain the same as 20 years ago in individual companies, what being a… Continue Reading →
How To Sell In the New Economy(2/1/2014)-This is an era of cautiousness, and that has changed how to sell in the new economy. Deals are bigger than before--buyers are packaging things together, sourcing different services they would previously have gotten separately now from one vendor to… Continue Reading →
The Power of Open Ended Sales Questions In Starting Conversations(2/2/2014)-Open ended sales questions are a powerful qualifying tool. However, a typical prospecting conversation begins this way: Salesperson: "Are you in the market for a new CRM?" Suspect: "No." Game Over. This how nearly all initial prospecting conversations are carried… Continue Reading →
So You Think You Know Your Sales Process – SalesTactics.org(2/3/2014)-Sometimes I get feedback that makes me do a double-take. Feedback like, "This is Sales 101. I must be much farther ahead than most people." I have to tell you: the evidence is heavily against that being the case. Sales… Continue Reading →
The Death of “Closing Techniques”?(2/4/2014)-The Ben Franklin. The Alternate Advance. The Puppy Dog. All closing techniques. All still valid? Let's look at three things of note about these closes. First of all, prospects are "on" to them. These closing techniques have been around a… Continue Reading →
How To Succeed In Sales(2/5/2014)-Ready to unravel the mystery of how to succeed in sales? Unless you are working for yourself, many key factors of your success in sales are out of your control. You should know that up front. For instance, if you're… Continue Reading →
Your Sales Motivation(2/6/2014)-Sales motivation is a key success factor that has several powerful advantages if you clarify it for yourself. For many salespeople, their reason for bringing the product or service they offer in front of their customer is unclear. "We do… Continue Reading →
What Is Inside Sales(2/8/2014)-What is inside sales? This is a common question for people new to the business world, or just joining the workforce. Fortunately, the answer is as straightforward as the name: Inside Sales is a role in which the salesperson stays… Continue Reading →
Improve Sales Performance with CSO Insights Report(2/9/2014)-CSO Insights released their 2014 Sales Performance Optimization report. Their intention is to highlight key sales problems so companies can improve sales performance. The results match up clearly with the symptoms of sales problems I have been sharing for years.… Continue Reading →
Selling 101 – Effective Questioning(2/10/2014)-Part of Selling 101 is effective questioning. Salespeople believe because they have a brain and a mouth, they must have good questioning skills. Unfortunately, this is frequently not true. When we look back at the Sales Board's study results, we… Continue Reading →
What Is the Best Sales Approach?(2/11/2014)-Have you thought about your sales approach? What's the best fit for you? We all grew up with the image of selling as a fast-talking, pushy, greedy affair. Many of us never moved beyond that negative mental image. I didn't… Continue Reading →
2014 Ice Storm: Back To the Future(2/14/2014)-The 2014 Ice Storm was the very first I personally had to sit through. We'll get to one I had a peripheral involvement in over a decade and a half ago, but first: yes, that is 3/8" of ice on… Continue Reading →
Selling to Generation Y: Does Your Sales Training Need a Revamp?(2/15/2014)-Selling to Generation Y is a concept almost completely overlooked today. Yet Gen Y has attitudes, beliefs and challenges not present for the generations before it. Eddy Ricci, Jr., founder of The Growth Game and called "the emerging expert in… Continue Reading →
Door to Door Sales: How To?(2/16/2014)-Door to door sales have gotten a bad rap over the years. The reason is simple: because the salesperson is right there in front of you, it's a lot harder for most people to get rid of them than the… Continue Reading →
Don’t Have Time for Sales Training?(2/17/2014)-Do you find yourself saying things like, "We don't have time for sales training"? "We're too busy"? A writer recently recognized just that. Lest you begin to believe the field of sales is dominated entirely by men, Monika D'Agostino is… Continue Reading →
Sales Compensation Plan: Careful With That(2/19/2014)-Itching to change your sales compensation plan? Every so often I get a call or an email from someone who is bursting at the seams with the thought. They believe altering their sales compensation plan is going to solve all… Continue Reading →
What Is a Unique Selling Proposition(2/20/2014)-What is a Unique Selling Proposition? I'll tell you a secret: most people get this wrong. They think it's about themselves. Or even worse, they think it's about price. Throw that thinking out right now. Neither your thinking nor your… Continue Reading →
The First 90 Days of Selling(2/21/2014)-The first 90 days of selling are critical. I don't know how many people I've encountered who wanted to have their own business, or took on a new sales role, but didn't last. Why not? Their expectations are poor or… Continue Reading →
How Badly Do You Want It: A Lesson from Saturday Cartoons(2/22/2014)-It's Saturday morning. So I'm going to talk about cartoons. One cartoon, actually, and the antagonist of that story. Oh boy--I've wanted to write about this one for a long time. The big 4-0 is staring me in the face… Continue Reading →
What If Sales Training Doesn’t Work? And I Asked for It?(2/23/2014)-What if sales training doesn't work? And you advocated it? "Is Advocating Sales Training a Career Risk?" asked sales training program developer Richard Ruff a few days back. His answer--"No!", qualified with an advisement that sales training effectiveness studies are… Continue Reading →
I’m Afraid of Cold Calling(2/24/2014)-"I'm afraid of cold calling!" is one of the most common cries by people in Sales. Rationally, this fear seems incredibly silly. All you're doing is talking with another person. "But the rejection!" the salesperson comes back with. I have… Continue Reading →
Winning People Over(2/25/2014)-"Winning People Over is a horrible sales strategy," writes sales trainer Bill Caskey. And I agree. "After 22 years in the sales training business, I conclude that strategy is hopeless," he continues. Why? Are we not frequently taught to: *… Continue Reading →
Your Sales Numbers: Do You Know Them?(2/26/2014)-Your sales numbers--do you know them? Let's start with that. Many small business owners I speak with don't have a revenue target at all, and so have no idea how they'd get there. In larger companies we usually have a… Continue Reading →
Most Popular Feb Posts at SalesTactics.org(3/1/2014)-The most popular Feb posts here on SalesTactics.org were all about how to sell today, and what it takes to do so. Why am I reviewing these? I get the impression that many people believe once an article, book or… Continue Reading →
Sales Tips for Tech from PC Retail(3/2/2014)-Sales tips for tech--six of them--come to us from PC Retail (UK) online magazine. Reviewing these is worth it to see the state of sales competency in the industry. I have helped hundreds of tech firms, from web designers to… Continue Reading →
What Is a Buyer Persona(3/3/2014)-What is a buyer persona? The guy who wrote the book on buyer personas, Tony Zambito, has a definition: Buyer personas are research-based archetypal (modeled) representations of who buyers are, what they are trying to accomplish, what goals drive their… Continue Reading →
Buyer Profile VS Buyer Persona: What’s the Difference?(3/4/2014)-Buyer Profile VS Buyer Persona: What's the Difference? Today we're continuing our look at Buyer Personas. They are a valuable tool that helps us understand and predict buying behavior. Buyer Personas aren't just for the big players anymore; now, you… Continue Reading →
Buyer Persona and Sales Call Plan: Surprise!(3/6/2014)-Buyer Persona and Sales Call Plan: there's a surprising connection. We'll round out our look at Buyer Personas with a recent realization expert Tony Zambito had on the topic. He was helping the top sales boss for an Inc. 500… Continue Reading →
Pain Points: Back to the Basics(3/8/2014)-Pain Points are a straightforward yet vital tool to sale success. When a sale has been achieved but the salesperson is unsure why, you can be certain at least one pain point was accidentally hit upon and was responsible. We've… Continue Reading →
Foot In The Door Technique Is Terrible Advice(3/13/2014)-Foot In The Door Technique is one recommended by many so-called "experts". Essentially, the idea is to use a small sale to develop a relationship, trust and experience with a new customer so that you can sell them something larger… Continue Reading →
Buyer Preferences Kill Sales!(3/14/2014)-Buyer preferences are the beliefs you or your prospect have about how you make a purchase. Yesterday we looked at the Foot In The Door technique, and I noted how it shows more about the head trash of the salesperson… Continue Reading →
What Do Objections Show – Evidence from the Car Industry(3/15/2014)-What do objections show us? Joe Verde Sales & Management Training, Inc. released some stats a few days ago about objections. They got responses from 153 auto salespeople about what the most common objections they encountered are. The results are… Continue Reading →
The Real Reason Salespeople Fail to Hit Their Targets(3/16/2014)-The real reason salespeople fail is they don't know what they're doing. And it gets worse. Company leaders are not committed to ongoing sales education and reinforcement. In tough times, the very times the edge is especially needed, education and… Continue Reading →
Sales Manager Skills are Hard to Find(3/17/2014)-Sales Manager candidates are frequently promoted from within. An above-average salesperson is tasked with the role of improving the performance of not just themselves, but the entire team. Just as often, this decision leads to disaster. Consider first: if the… Continue Reading →
Productivity and Sales(3/20/2014)-Productivity and Sales typically don't hang out together. And there's a simple reason why: Sales is messy. Google "productivity and sales" and you'll find a cluster of articles about sales tools--CRMs, time management devices, reminder alarms, apps that shut off… Continue Reading →
How To Make a Good Elevator Pitch(3/21/2014)-How to make a good elevator pitch is one of the basic questions I get. And with a networking event coming up fast, it's on my mind. An elevator pitch is also called a 30-second commercial, or in my lingo,… Continue Reading →
Successful Women In Sales: Characteristics(3/24/2014)-Successful women in sales usually have to fight to get there. I remember the first high-performing saleswoman I met. It was just heading into the later 1990s at the start of my career. She was a rep for a generator… Continue Reading →
How to See Bigger Opportunities In Business(3/25/2014)-I'm ill, but it was worth it. I learned how to see bigger opportunities in business. This past weekend I went to a networking event. It was for a group of about 300, but there were only 7 or 8… Continue Reading →
What NOT to Do In Sales: Two Terrible Examples(3/31/2014)-What NOT to do in sales is just as valuable to know as what TO do. Yet sales leaders are not always in agreement about the best way to move ahead. Recently I found two articles that share, in my… Continue Reading →
Most Popular Mar Posts at SalesTactics.org(4/1/2014)-The most popular Mar posts here at SalesTactics.org were all about how to start a conversation. Since many people say they can sell, if only they can get the conversation, this isn't surprising. The reality is often a little different,… Continue Reading →
What Is a Key Account: Qualifying 101(4/6/2014)-What is a key account? Many salespeople are focused on the "now", and believe a key account is one that gives you the most money right now. So they spend their effort there. But this is not the best strategy,… Continue Reading →
Qualifying Before You Get There: Qualifying 101(4/7/2014)-Qualifying before you get there--before you begin the conversation with the prospect--is an easy but overlooked part of the sales process. Everyone wants to know, "What secret techniques do you use to get them to buy?" when you've got them… Continue Reading →
Your Customer’s Budget: Qualifying 101(4/12/2014)-Your customer's budget creates a banana bunch of big qualification questions. Can they pay? How much should we ask for? What do we do when they come back with, "That's too much!"? Unfortunately for salespeople, these are all the wrong… Continue Reading →
A Lesson In Process and Outsourcing(4/15/2014)-I have a lesson in process and outsourcing to share with you today. As many of you know, I'm also a copywriter. Sales training and copywriting are the two main things I do for money. Lately I've been working on… Continue Reading →
The Problem with Closing(4/18/2014)-The problem with closing is that it's a lousy word for it. Who else agrees with me? Charles Lytle, founder of Sparque, Inc., and author of The Accidental Salesperson & The Accidental Sales Manager. "KILLER WANTED" was the Wanted Ad… Continue Reading →
How To Sell More Girl Scout Cookies(4/21/2014)-You should see the relentless marketing machine behind how to sell more Girl Scout Cookies. I read a recent article that mentioned how well the Girl Scouts have mapped out their sales process. All those litte salespeople need training and… Continue Reading →
You Choose Your Customers(4/24/2014)-You choose your customers. Let me tell you that this is a mystery to nearly all small business owners. They're trying to get "everyone" to buy. And that is wrong. If you believe "everyone" is your customer, you are not… Continue Reading →
Negotiating Is Bad And Here’s Why(4/28/2014)-Negotiating is bad. And here's why. In selling, if you have to negotiate, it means you screwed up. Somewhere in the process, you lost your prospect. They don't see you as different. They don't see how you could be different.… Continue Reading →
What Matters When Hiring Salespeople(5/1/2014)-What matters when hiring salespeople? Recently I was asked this question on Quora. (The exact question was "What qualities should I look for in a B2B sales person for a startup?") A couple other people responded, talking about firm handshakes… Continue Reading →
Sales Productivity Tools Are Unproductive!(5/8/2014)-Sales productivity tools have exploded along with technology over the past decade and a half. But metric leader CSO Insights reports that productivity in selling has actually gone down: 1 on 1 selling time has dropped from 47% in 1998… Continue Reading →
Most Popular Apr Posts at SalesTactics.org(5/16/2014)-The most popular Apr posts here at SalesTactics.org begin with a bit of an anomaly. A post on the potential price of success that had been fairly popular since its publication in February was listed on Reddit. This lead to… Continue Reading →
Where Is Sales Training Headed?(5/22/2014)-Where IS sales training headed? Articles from trainers in the UK, North America and Australia demonstrate underlying trends that they're all agreed upon. The idea that sales is about convincing, persuading, pushing and even features and benefits is outmoded. Most… Continue Reading →
Michael Jackson Is Still Selling; What’s Your Excuse?(5/24/2014)-Michael Jackson is still selling. Last Sunday his "hologram" appeared at the Billboard Music Awards. His image sang, danced and earned a highly charged emotional response from much of the audience. The creators of the performance gave a suggested price… Continue Reading →
Business Unleashed Interviews Sales Trainer Jason Kanigan(5/29/2014)-Jason Kanigan gives us a bit of a role reversal today: instead of interviewing another expert, he's been interviewed by the UK's Business Unleashed. This Q&A is all about starting your own business. So if you're a budding or aspiring… Continue Reading →
Do Classic Sales Methods Still Work?(6/2/2014)-Do classic sales methods still work? I have to admit, I was all ready to get uppity about this article because of its title. Turned out, though, author Gregg Schwartz of lead generation firm Strategic Sales & Marketing, Inc., had… Continue Reading →
SREDIM and Selling(6/6/2014)-SREDIM and Selling: What's the Connection? Like most people in the field of selling, I am trained in another specialization. From 1994 to 1996 I took 10 and 11 courses a term, double the maximum recommended university courseload, in the… Continue Reading →
Most Popular May Posts(6/18/2014)-Most Popular May Posts at SalesTactics.org The most popular May posts lead with the copywriting case study of a $400,000 target project that generated $600,000 in the one week the offer was open. So far, almost a thousand people have… Continue Reading →
The Dummy Curve In Selling(6/28/2014)-The Dummy Curve is a curious concept most salespeople have never heard of. Yet it is extremely effective in lowering the natural skepticism and other barriers of the prospect. We must accomplish this during the complex sale if we're going… Continue Reading →
Buyers are Liars(7/3/2014)-Buyers are Liars is a common phrase in sales training. Of course, buyers--or prospects, as we should be correctly terming them--have their own point of view: that salespeople are also liars who will say anything to get the order. Sherlock… Continue Reading →
Follow Up Messages: Where’s the Problem?(7/4/2014)-Follow Up messages, and how to write them effectively, was recently posed as a question on an expert platform I'm a member of. Here's my reply: I am going to begin my answer to this question not talking about writing… Continue Reading →
Jason Kanigan Huffington Post Quote In Success Article(7/7/2014)-Jason Kanigan Huffington Post Quote In Lifestyle Fanatics Article Sales On Fire president Jason Kanigan was quoted alongside 16 other business owners in the Huffington Post's "17 Lifestyle Fanatics Share Their Secrets to Success". The article comprises the outstanding advice… Continue Reading →
Curse of Knowledge: How Is It Hurting Your Sales?(7/10/2014)-Curse of Knowledge is a sales killer. It affects every salesperson who has been in their role for awhile, and learned the "ins and outs" of the business. How does it do that? The Curse of Knowledge means when you… Continue Reading →
Most Popular Jun Posts(7/13/2014)-Most Popular Jun Posts at SalesTactics.org The $600K copywriting case study lead the pack for a second month. People are eager to know how this feat was accomplished. What disappoints me is the constant search by lower-level copywriters for the… Continue Reading →
Sales Transformation: What Does It Mean?(7/19/2014)-Sales Transformation is one of those phrases. The kind that many people bandy about without understanding, like "optimized solution". This leads to "mutual mystification", a common problem in selling, where the two people believe the other person in the conversation… Continue Reading →
SPIN Selling for Online Sales?(7/22/2014)-SPIN Selling for online sales? Does it work? HOW does it work? What are the benefits? And the challenges? This is the topic posed by copywriter Corey Pemberton in his article How to Use the SPIN Selling Approach to Close… Continue Reading →
Tony Gambone Interviews Jason Kanigan on Cold Calling(7/24/2014)-Tony Gambone Interviews Jason Kanigan on the Tough Talk Radio show in this 25-minute discussion on why cold calling is almost always ineffective. Jason shares the reason why: phone prospecting is frequently executed in a clumsy way and with the… Continue Reading →
Pricing: The Inner Game(8/2/2014)-Pricing has an inner game you as the salesperson are playing and frequently losing. Two sales pros, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale, bring their sales expertise on pricing to the fore with their weekly Advanced Selling Podcast. We've seen Caskey's… Continue Reading →
Improving Sales Performance–Not As Easy As You Think!(8/16/2014)-Improving sales performance is often thought of as a pushbutton solution by sales training clients. We'll just buy the training, the clients believe, and everything will turn out great. The cautionary truth is the results are often lackluster. And there's… Continue Reading →
Does Sales Training Really Work?(8/25/2014)-Does sales training really work? Can you figure out an ROI on the investment? Rapid Learning Institute CEO Stephen Meyer says in Forbes you might as well have asked "to prove unicorns don't exist." Among other credentials, I have a… Continue Reading →
Jason Kanigan On Job Hunting(8/29/2014)-Why Jason Kanigan on Job Hunting? Like most things, job hunting is a mental game. You want to know the critical "secret" to getting a job? Refuse to continue being unemployed! Yes! Get mad! No longer accept being without work.… Continue Reading →
Simple Plan for Sales Success(9/2/2014)-Simple Plan for Sales Success - Not Always So Simple This morning a Facebook friend's status appeared in my feed. I've had some dealings with this person and know he's a good guy who is working to uplift others. But… Continue Reading →
Taking Action Is Stupid(10/4/2014)-Taking action is stupid. Okay, okay, I have to add a modifier to that sentence in all fairness, but we'll get to that in a moment. For now, let's clarify what I'm talking about: the “TAKE MASSIVE ACTION!” roar you'll… Continue Reading →
Information Interviews [How To](11/1/2014)-Information interviews are the key when you're confused about... ...what job to pursue, at what companies... ...when you want to know what your target market is interested in concerning your offer... ...when you want to make sales but don't know… Continue Reading →
What Product Should I Make?(11/11/2014)-What product should I make? I'm frequently asked this question, whether privately, on forums, or expert platforms. Those asking usually but not always have some technical expertise. They can make something. But they're just not sure what. Know why they… Continue Reading →
Done For You: No Thanks(11/23/2014)-Done For You sounds great, doesn't it. You pay a chunk of money, probably well into five figures, and for that hefty investment someone else sets up your entire business. They probably choose the product for you. They certainly set… Continue Reading →
How To Quit Working: Book Review(12/13/2014)-How To Quit Working: A Simple Plan to Leave Your Job for a Life of Freedom is the number one business book I recommend. Whether you're thinking about making the leap from corporate drone to self-employed owner or realize you… Continue Reading →
2014 In Selling(12/31/2014)-2014 In Selling was all about transformation. Most of the people who visited SalesTactics.org, however, were looking for advice on how to sell. Proven methods. Here are the five most popular posts at SalesTactics.org in 2014: Copywriting Case Study: $600K… Continue Reading →
Join the Chamber of Commerce?(1/4/2015)-Join the Chamber of Commerce: are you considering this? Yesterday on an expert platform I answered the question, "Is it necessary to join the Chamber of Commerce?" The person asking wanted to connect with established professionals. Should You Join the… Continue Reading →
Sales On Fire Fireside Chat No. 1(1/19/2015)-One of my fellow Coastal Carolina Network tv producers has been pushing me to make a Sales On Fire “Fireside Chat”. We did this as a proof of concept for a branding piece we've been kicking around for many months,… Continue Reading →
How Do I Build a List(2/2/2015)-How Do I Build a List? I see this question frequently in business forums and on expert platforms. Business owners and salespeople are wondering how to generate a prospect list, and what to do with it. The process is much… Continue Reading →
How To Set Sales Targets(2/21/2015)-How to set sales targets was a recent question from a new business owner. I appreciate that no one wants to pull a number out of the air. But how do you develop a revenue target that makes sense? Is… Continue Reading →
State of Sales(3/27/2015)-State of Sales: I was recently asked on an expert platform what selling techniques, tools or trends we'll be seeing. State of Sales Trend Number One: Personal Selling Skills are King Personal selling skills, that is: an individual's ability to… Continue Reading →
How To Choose a Product [Business Newbie Guide Part 1](4/2/2015)-How to choose a product or service to offer is often the most daunting question for newbies to business. This straightforward-sounding issue leads to more newbies giving up than any other. After months of paralyzing indecision and 'analysis paralysis', alongside… Continue Reading →
Chronic Marketer by Brad Gosse – Review by Jason Kanigan(4/3/2015)-Chronic Marketer by Brad Gosse is foremost the personal story of how this internet marketer built his business. Nothing beats a "How To" that's a real life story. Too many internet marketers' books are theoretical, how things 'should' work: Brad's… Continue Reading →
Where to Market [Business Newbie Guide Part 4](4/19/2015)-Where to market? So you've made a critical marketing piece: now where do you put it? Just like a website without traffic, a report without readers or a video without viewers is a billboard in the desert. You need multiple… Continue Reading →
Owner Looking for Commission Sales Rep(5/14/2015)-Owner Looking for Commission Sales Rep: Where do I find one? This is a common question I see from "Doer" business owners. If you see yourself as the Creative of your one-person organization, it can be a challenge to also… Continue Reading →
What Is a Funnel?(6/6/2015)-What is a funnel? In sales and marketing terminology, a funnel is a series of steps to filter and bring your many prospects to becoming a few qualified buyers. That's it, at the funnel's most basic level. We can add… Continue Reading →
How To Be a Local Startup Agent(6/25/2015)-An expert platform member asked how to be a local startup agent for an out-of-country parent company they would like to represent. Whether the parent company is out of town or out of country, the essence of your goal is… Continue Reading →
How SaaS Vendors Get It Wrong(7/8/2015)-SaaS vendors habitually have a critical problem. And it leads them to do unproductive things in their sales and marketing process. We'll be looking at these timewasters and sales losers over the next few posts. Here's a surprise: the same… Continue Reading →
SaaS Sales Problems(7/26/2015)-SaaS sales problems can quickly kill Software-as-a-Service businesses. Take two of the most common: My prospects aren't Internet savvy My prospects don’t have enough time or interest to talk to my sales staff. These issues have been hanging around for… Continue Reading →
I’m 18, What Should I Do With My Life?(8/24/2015)-A person young in years asked "What do you wish you have known at age 18 that can contribute to more success, and invest more of your time and knowledge into?" So, basically, "I'm 18, what should I do with… Continue Reading →
Living With Uncertainty(9/8/2015)-Living with uncertainty is a fact of entrepreneurial life. It's so emotionally brutal a fact that most people can't face it. They shy away. The job road is so much easier. It has torn apart marriages, destroyed friendships, and hurt… Continue Reading →
Usage Stats Are Up!(9/26/2015)-Usage stats can be deceiving. I'm sitting here drinking amaretto-flavored coffee. A secondary flavor (almonds?) is supposedly flowing through its ground and dripped essence, but the amaretto is definitely coming through strong. I didn't ask for amaretto coffee. I would… Continue Reading →
Qualifying Questions Explained(10/21/2015)-Qualifying questions are powerful things. They can let you blow past that beginning dance of "tell me what you want vs tell me what you've got" buyer and seller often do. Qualifying is a step frequently ignored by newbies in… Continue Reading →
Are Online Customers Difficult?(11/7/2015)-Are online customers difficult? asks a person considering creating a course to be sold and delivered on the internet. Your customer quality really depends on the level of qualification you use to choose your buyer. People think copy's purpose is… Continue Reading →
Slow Holiday Sales(12/6/2015)-Slow holiday sales is a complaint many businesses have in the Christmas and New Years period. I was asked on an expert platform what to do about the apparent slow-down in interest and sales companies experience at this time of… Continue Reading →
Comparing Yourself to the IM Greats(1/12/2016)-Comparing yourself to the IM greats is an exercise in self-torture. And yet newbie internet marketers do it all the time. It's not entirely their fault--they're encouraged to do it by the greats themselves. "Just buy this program; I walk… Continue Reading →
Creativity In Your Life(2/18/2016)-Last week I got a drawing tablet. It's kind of amusing, because I later discovered I could do quite well with my finger and a touchscreen tablet, but that's not what is most important. They key outcome is getting this… Continue Reading →
Product Mix and VARs(2/26/2016)-Product Mix and VARs (Value-Added Resellers) was a topic on an expert platform I'm a member of. We haven't discussed product mix before, so let's do that now. Product mix is generally a topic for larger organizations, like VARs, chain… Continue Reading →
Brad Gosse Interview – Entrepreneurial Mindset(3/31/2016)-Brad Gosse Interview on Entrepreneurial Mindset I haven't done interviews for awhile. Three people have been on my radar lately to talk with, and fellow business owner Brad Gosse is one of them. As a business owner and entrepreneur, I've… Continue Reading →
Figuring Things Out For Yourself(4/3/2016)-Figuring things out for yourself is, apparently, a skill many people haven't developed. Recently I saw a banjo for sale. Now, I play the keyboard and harmonica, and know I like a plucking or picking style of guitar playing. But… Continue Reading →
Does GPA Predict Entrepreneurial Performance?(5/3/2016)-Does GPA predict entrepreneurial performance? This was a question on an expert platform I'm a member of. And my answer? No. GPA, or Grade Point Average, is a performance measure for academic pursuits. Memorization, rote, and perhaps a little critical… Continue Reading →
Retail Versus B2B Sales(6/5/2016)-Retail versus B2B sales are animals of a different shade. If you try to use one skill set in a situation calling for the other, you will likely mess up the sale. Earlier this week I bought new glasses. In… Continue Reading →
Roles Can Be Dangerous(6/23/2016)-Roles can be dangerous! Especially if you're not conscious of them. A role is essentially a character you're playing in the game of life. Roles Can Be Dangerous If They Are Unconsciously Assumed A policeman is a role. So is… Continue Reading →
Change Management And The Unexpected(7/6/2016)-Change Management is a field of study that has been around for over sixty years. Yet most people outside of corporate executive roles at large companies have never heard of it. Managing change is hard. Let's get that point out… Continue Reading →
Hobby Or Business? How You Can Tell The Difference(8/22/2016)-Hobby Or Business? This is a question asked by an Australian business owner on an expert platform I'm a member of, and I'd like to share my answer here. "Is this a hobby or business?" The mentor of the questioner… Continue Reading →
How To Create A High Ticket Course(9/6/2016)-Recently I was asked on an expert platform about the way to create a high ticket course, but with a twist. "How did you create a high ticket business course, product or service without experience?" Here's my answer: There’s a… Continue Reading →
Licensing Characters for Profit: Brad Gosse Interview(9/20/2016)-Licensing characters for profit is a surprisingly straightforward business to get into. If you're an artist, or know an artist, you can create and protect content which you can then license to niche businesses to help them market their companies.… Continue Reading →
Success Mindset: Interview with Jason Kanigan(10/2/2016)-Success Mindset is a critical factor to winning in business. If you don't believe you can do the thing—or, more clearly, don't see yourself as the person who can do the thing—you won't even try. While I've interviewed many people… Continue Reading →
How To Beat The Holiday Doldrums (In Sales)(11/3/2016)-I hear a lot of complaining about the upcoming time of year regarding "holiday doldrums" sales and revenue. While I've discussed this idea before, I want to add a few action steps to the solution for you. First, let's remember… Continue Reading →
Decision Power: Mindset and Moving Forward(11/22/2016)-Decision Power can be imagined like a light switch. Like all switches, it has "Off" and "On" positions. Decision Power In The "Off" Position Here's the problem with most people: They won't DECIDE. Instead, they sit in the center of… Continue Reading →
I’ll Do It Later, When…(1/3/2017)-I'll Do It Later, When... is a refrain I've often heard in my many years of business coaching. Usually it occurs at the beginning of the process. I'm talking with someone who has come to me for help, only to… Continue Reading →
Jason Kanigan Interviewed by Dr. Kimberly McGeorge(1/12/2017)-Jason Kanigan interviewed by Dr. Kimberly McGeorge: The host of Secret To Everything interviews business strategist and conversion expert Jason Kanigan in this in-depth discussion on success mindset and leveling up in business. If you're frustrated with your results and… Continue Reading →
Super Bowl Belief(2/6/2017)-Super Bowl belief patterns are a great example for any profession. You can take some business lessons away from yesterday's Super Bowl. Yes, you can. We could talk about momentum shifts, and how critical those are. We could get into… Continue Reading →
Value Of Reserves: The Unexpected Problem of 100% Utilization(4/26/2017)-Value of reserves is a concept frequently missed in the real world. Think it's good to have all your resources hurtling along at 100% utilization? Think again. Sounds good, doesn't it. Everything at work on your behalf. Nothing sitting around.… Continue Reading →
My Business Is Different(9/17/2017)-Behind Dan Kennedy in videos of past group training events he has posted a sign. That puts the sign at the front of the room, where everybody can see it. Black text on a bright yellow background proclaims: "But Dan...… Continue Reading →
Two Things To Make Money(10/2/2017)-You Only Need Two Things To Make Money... In well over half a decade in online marketing I've seen newbie hopefuls be convinced into needing a never-ending stream of things to make money. "You need a website," the gurus say.… Continue Reading →
The One Right Way(12/20/2017)-The One Right Way is something everyone—even me—seeks. Let's look at a story about this idea: back in college 20 years ago, I tutored fellow students in AutoCAD. That's computer-aided design (or drafting). When I was 18 I walked into… Continue Reading →
How To Filter Out Fake Gurus(1/9/2018)-How can I filter out fake gurus? was a question asked on a forum recently. Why are guru sales videos and letters so "hard sell"? If they're so great, why do they have a program like this for sale at… Continue Reading →
Added Value: Potatoes vs Potato Chips(2/8/2018)-Added Value: let's talk about this concept. Have you ever noticed the price of potatoes versus the price of potato chips? Potatoes are one of the cheapest things under the sun. You can get an eight pound bag for a… Continue Reading →
Talent Or Skill?(5/20/2018)-Talent or Skill? Which is it, and why is the distinction important? People frequently shut themselves down because they're not great at something the first few times they try it. "I'm just not a salesperson," they say. or "I'll never… Continue Reading →
Highest Best Use(7/14/2018)-Highest Best Use is a concept best explained by analogy. So let me provide one, from my civic volunteer history. I shot a video about it: Highest Best Use Means Being The Real You As a business owner, you… Continue Reading →
Perverse Incentives And Your Business(9/25/2018)-Perverse incentives are everywhere. I guarantee you've got at least one in your business right now. ARE YOUR BUSINESS PROCESSES AS CRAZY AS THIS? I was talking about Cambodia: A Book for People Who Find Television Too Slow (NOT an… Continue Reading →
SaaS AdLabs Interview with Jason Kanigan(11/19/2018)-Interview With Jason Kanigan by Luis Camacho SaaS AdLabs hosts this interview with Jason Kanigan on the unexpected challenges of scaling tech firms. We cover: the biggest issues Cold Star sees over and over, in both small companies and larger… Continue Reading →
Head Trash and Why It Is So Important(2/21/2019)-Head Trash is the limiting beliefs you have. I have them, too. They're different from yours, but the effects are similar and bad, so we should talk about them. A limiting belief is, foremost, an unconscious belief. You are not… Continue Reading →
Why Buy Books Or Courses?(3/31/2019)-Why buy books or courses? My answer is of course my opinion, though that opinion is backed with many years of experience. And I presume you're reading my blog because you're at least interested in if not value my opinion.… Continue Reading →
Being On Mission When No One Is Watching(4/29/2019)-Being on mission is not easy. Let's get personal. Five years ago I wrote a post about how you can really paint yourself into a corner. The subject was the possible price of success, and whether you are willing to… Continue Reading →
Do Businesses Learn?(6/27/2019)-Do businesses learn anything? I was watching a video analysis of the 1986 Miami-Dade Shooting by Paul Harrell when he said something that made me really pay attention. Paul’s discussion was about the police and FBI experience with two tragedies,… Continue Reading →
Documentation Is Important: More Valuable Than You Think(8/28/2019)-Documentation is important, gosh darn it. I had a conversation with a highly experienced business owner late last week that gave me some feedback I found alarming. We were talking about process improvement, and he told me what he thought… Continue Reading →
Your Environment Is Critical To Your Problem Solving Ability(9/18/2019)-After more than two and a half decades "in the real world" I'm astonished to again be slapped in the face by an idea I profess to already understand. The environment you're operating in is absolutely critical to your ability… Continue Reading →
Six Years of Sales and Marketing Know How(12/30/2019)-Did you know that this blog was started in 2014? That in just a few days there will be SIX YEARS of sales and marketing know-how here? And yet... ...do you use it? Do you know HOW to use it?… Continue Reading →
Got Your 2020 Money Plan?(1/31/2020)-Your Money Plan is important. But if you're a small business owner, it's likely you don't have it. As the end of the year approaches, coaches start talking about planning out the next twelve months. Smart business owners take them… Continue Reading →
Long Form Content: Where the Insight Lives(6/30/2020)-Long form content--whether in the form of a lecture, book, video or article series--is something I have found most people avoid like the plague. "Just give me the short version," they say. And it's true: sometimes the insight can be… Continue Reading →
Money Tolerance And The Games We Play(7/29/2020)-Money Tolerance is a topic I'm surprised to find I haven't written much about here, given that it is such a central concept not only to the sales training I deliver but also to life. Your life. If we look… Continue Reading →
Your Value Creates Your Business Size(8/25/2020)-Your value: where does it come from? I'm speaking entirely in a business-rational point of view here: as a human being, you have infinite value independent of anything or anyone. In the marketplace, however, you do have a quantifiable value.… Continue Reading →
Your LinkedIn Outreach Is Terrible (and what you can do about it)(9/30/2020)-Your LinkedIn outreach is terrible. I don’t know exactly where people are getting “advice” for how to do outreach on social media...but what they’re being told is really bad. Every day I receive dozens of LinkedIn connection requests that look… Continue Reading →
How Will You Go Into 2021 As A New Business Owner?(12/24/2020)-Blind or with Vision? The new business owner often flies blind. You see this in the questions. "What's working?" "What tool should I use?" "How do I do this?" These are the wrong questions. Oh, it's likely that someone will… Continue Reading →
Why You’re Afraid to Raise Prices(5/30/2021)-Afraid to raise prices? You're not alone. Especially if you are a consultant, you will encounter several symptoms indicating you should increase your rates such as: overwork and exhaustion disinterest in current projects concern that the future will simply be… Continue Reading →
How Much Time Should You Spend Prospecting?(6/28/2021)-How much time should you spend prospecting? Nearly any sales trainer you ask will answer, "More than you are now." And they're right. But in a quantifiable number, what does that mean? [first published April 9, 2014] Two approaches spring… Continue Reading →
Commission for Appointment Setters?(7/21/2021)-Commission for appointment setters is a common question when setting up the sales processes for new organizations. "What is the best commission model when hiring a sales person to sell digital marketing services to small businesses?" was asked on an… Continue Reading →
How To Find Pain Points(10/28/2021)-[Original 2014 Article:] How to find pain points is one of the basic sales questions we need to answer. We know what they are, and we know they are not features or benefits. But how do we get them? The… Continue Reading →
What’s Wrong With Copywriting?(11/9/2021)-I've been studying copywriting and writing for clients for 25 years. In that time, I've seen some bad things I want to share with you...and I've evolved in my point of view about the subject. You should see that evolution… Continue Reading →
Why Now Is the Best Time to Learn How To Sell(2/17/2022)-Should you learn how to sell? And if so, when? Well, let me ask you this: Do you like the idea of being automated out of that job you have? Does the thought of staying at pretty much the same… Continue Reading →
Feedback Loops: The Bane of the Experienced(3/23/2022)-Feedback Loops are the #1 challenge killing businesses I've seen in over 25+ years professionally. From startups through $100MM multinationals, feedback loops are the Achilles Heel of every organization. I have also noticed that the awareness of this issue is… Continue Reading →
Why Reinforcement Is Necessary for Sales Success(4/27/2022)-Why Reinforcement Is Necessary for Sales Success is a subject discussed by other serious sales trainers as well. It's not just me. You hear me say, "Ongoing reinforcement is needed for getting results in selling." That a one-time seminar or… Continue Reading →
Sales for NPOs and Advocacy Groups(5/11/2022)-Sales for NPOs and advocacy groups works the same way as in business. Many non-profit executives want to shrug this truth off; however, I will demonstrate selling is human interaction, and whether it's in a business or non-profit environment the… Continue Reading →
Your Barrier To Entry(6/17/2022)-What I've seen over the years here is people learn of an idea: the magic bullet (of the week). They put it into action ONCE and it doesn't work (for whatever reason...poor quality traffic; insufficient traffic--key issue, that one; lousy… Continue Reading →
Your Growth Problem(11/30/2022)-Growth problem defined: in a new sales role, especially if you are starting your own company, you are very likely to become a victim of your own thinking when sales and revenue don't ramp up as you thought they would.… Continue Reading →
Get Out of Negative Mindset: How To(12/28/2022)-Get out of Negative Mindset: How To Today's post comes from a very good question asked in a group I'm a member of that is full of personal trainers and weight loss coaches. They know the value of exercise. They… Continue Reading →
How Do I Start A Business?(1/23/2023)-How Do I Start A Business? Here is my answer to a "Can you give me a 10 minute call on How do I start a business" question, from a large group of coaches (and would-like-to-be-coaches). Maybe it'll help someone… Continue Reading →
Advice for a New Agency Founder(2/17/2023)-"Any advice for a new agency founder?" This was a real question posted in a large agency group yesterday. My Answer: Focus on REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES. Playing around with your website is not a revenue generating activity. Fiddling with your… Continue Reading →
Advice On How To Start a Business(4/26/2023)-Some further advice on how to start a business: there is no "one right way". You have to make your own choices. Are there client fields that are likely to give you a better chance for success? Sure. But nothing… Continue Reading →
Why Demos Fail to Sell(6/2/2023)-Why Demos Fail to Sell: A Question Why do SaaS (Software as a Service) B2B firms make you go through a demo? This was the question on an expert platform I'm a member of. "What's with all the secrecy?" Why… Continue Reading →
A Word About Collecting Payment and Closing Deals(8/27/2023)-If You Aren't Collecting Payment at the Time of Order, You're More Likely to "Lose the Sale" Inside an agency owners group I saw a sales discussion in which a number of people said they had problems collecting payment and… Continue Reading →
Copywriting Case Study: $600K In One Week(10/30/2023)-Copywriting Case Study for Stock Trading Software Client by Jason Kanigan Copywriting is salesmanship in print. I don't normally share case studies like these, but an expert copywriter and brand developer suggested that I do for his group. So let… Continue Reading →
