sales process

An Open Letter to CEO’s and Sales Leaders

Theo Epstein did it again. In 2004, he ended the “Curse of the Bambino” and now with the Cubs winning the World Series, he just ended the longest drought in professional sports (in fact 108 years). Just how did he do it? Listen to what Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said about Theo: “He made sure I knew right away it wasn’t about one person. It was about the organization. We talked about how you treat people and the right people will create success. It takes time. It won’t come overnight. He’s honest with everybody everywhere he goes.” It’s all about the organization and people. Can you imagine the Red Sox or Cubs parting ways with Theo after 1 year or even 3 years of hiring him? So, here is some sales leader advice that will help any organization become successful: (more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago

3 Internal Questions Customers Ask Themselves During a Sales Encounter

Whether you’re in retail or outside sales, your customers/prospects go through an internal process during a sales encounter. As you present your product or service to your customer, they are observing your body language, communication style, listening skills (or lack of), knowledge of what you’re selling, and most importantly how your product/service will make their lives better.

Sometimes we as sales people are not as prepared as we should be or we start shooting from the hip if we don’t know the answer. Falling into the trap of not listening or asking questions we already know the answers to is another buzz killer during the sales call. So here are 3 internal questions customers ask themselves during your sales encounter:
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By Greg Hahn, ago

7 Negotiation Don’ts

Well, you’re at pricing. You’ve presented your product or solution. You’ve discussed the pricing and terms when you hear the infamous saying: “Let me think about it.” If you’re in sales, you know how this feels when those words come out of a prospect’s mouth. Objections can be summarized into two categories: Usage and Value (but that’s another topic for another time). But you know what? In my experience the “Let me think about it” is only a bad thing if it happens every sales call. Some people really do have to think about it. Let’s dive in further.

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By Greg Hahn, ago

How Do You Address the Competition? Tell the Story No One Else Can Tell

When it comes to your competition, how do you handle yourself during a sales call? Have you bashed them? Do you exaggerate your company? Do you argue or debate with a prospect why they should do business with your company rather than your competitor?

Unfortunately, if you’ve gone down this road, your emotions got the best of you, and you probably didn’t earn the customer’s trust or respect.

We all want to aggressively compete, but “mudslinging” your competition is not the right approach. So, how should you properly address the competition? Simple. Tell YOUR company’s story. (more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago