Below is one of the most impactful sales tactics I’ve ever implemented. It’s wickedly simple - and it works. But first some background…

“I have something to tell you, but please keep it between you and me.” This is how a friend started our conversation the other day, pulling me to the edge of my seat. “I’m absolutely crushing my sales quota, but only working 15-20 hours per week.”

Power washers are always amazing to use. A filthy patio floor, outdoor furniture or nasty stains on the side of the house. You can try a scrub brush, special soaps, or some serious elbow grease which often doesn’t work, and is a huge pain in the neck!

In 2010 I was on a family vacation reading George W. Bush’s personal memoir, Decision Points, and was struck with an insight that I’ve carried ever since. There were plenty of topics that I found interesting in the book, including his devotion to his family, and his general climb through the world of government and politics. But what stood out to most wasn’t about politics at all - it was a simple mention that he worked out every morning before heading into the Oval Office to lead the free world. So how could I possibly justify to myself that I don’t have time to work out every day? “I’m so busy!” was my thought - or more clearly, my excuse.

I’m often asked about my favorite book on sales, and as you can imagine there is no single book. Finding success over time is about our experiences, our successes and failures, and trying a lot of things to see what works and what doesn’t. Books are always a wonderful source of new ideas, and there are plenty of lightbulb moments I’ve experienced in reading.

Negotiation is something that should happen very naturally, and occurs throughout the buying process where the seller is working to understand the clients need and what they really value, and the buyer is trying to understand what the potential supplier has to offer. Below are a couple common examples of where I see people negotiating more with themselves, and are missing out on what the client really needs and is willing to pay for.

So much of sales success comes from basic fundamentals of being a reliable person. Not magic closing moves. Not sales tech. Not some tricky way of asking questions.

The businesses that win are those with teams playing more advisory roles in client and customer relationships.

Salespeople are too often afraid of the budget convo, when really it’s just one of many key elements to having a genuine and meaningful business conversation. No reason to hold back and the sooner you have some concept of budget the better so you can make sure you aren’t wasting your time - or the clients time on an opportunity.

When I was 8-years old I played on a little league baseball team, and my Dad was one of the coaches. The head coach was former player, and was one of those parents who was a little too intense considering our age. He told his assistance coaches to work on force outs, sliding, planning for double plays, and determining the right batting order for these baseball rookies.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and they’re looking you in the eye, nodding their head in response to what you’re saying, but you can tell they’re not really paying attention? They’re hearing the words coming out of your mouth, but you can tell they’re not truly listening.

I had been pursuing a large consumer package goods company as a client for about 18-months. Our company specialized in this industry so I knew we were a perfect fit, but the client had been working with a competitor of ours for years and they were very "deep" making it hard to unseat them.

The Search for Growth is a podcast led by Alfie Marsh (a snappy last name, but no relation) and Chris Gibson, who as they call are “a sales guy and an engineer with two perspectives on life.” Alfie and Chris have spent their careers in the world of high growth startups and run this podcast to interview founders and share frameworks to help others grow.

Far too often, I see or experience salespeople that behave as though they are “less than” our customer. They put the customer on a pedestal, because the mindset is that they're depending on the customer to do business with them. This “less than” mindset comes across in how the subservient seller carries themselves. How they talk. How they write.

Networking events. Do those two words make you shiver? So many business owners and salespeople can't stand going to these events, or go because they think they should but don’t really know how to get the most out of them. While there may be other things you’d rather be doing at 6pm on a Thursday, when approached the right way, networking events can be a great way to learn something new, make new connections, and generate leads.

As your career grows, you’ll learn that top performance is more about working with others to achieve results as opposed to being a “hero” all on your own.

I grew up playing competitive golf - in middle school, high school, and then in college where we were the #3 ranked Division III team in the country. I loved the game and everything about it. Over breaks in school, I worked at a retail store selling golf equipment - I was completely in my element, and sold a whole lot of equipment as a result. It was my first taste of earning a commission check, and I liked it.

I just love watching my 13-year old daughter play basketball. At this age, there’s a wide variety of skills that you see on the court but all the girls have really taken an interest in the game after playing for many years. It’s remarkable the skill gap between players - there’s a handful who are stand out and have an unselfish (usually) way of controlling the court. They’re confident. They watch what’s happening and predict what’s going to happen next. They’re on their toes and they LEAD where the game is going.

Wow what an honor... just learned that I was selected as a "Top 25 Sales Executives to Learn From in 2023" by Demandbase! As someone who is so focused on helping others be more successful, this really means a lot and keeps me motivated to continue sharing my thoughts and stories I hear from others.

As we fully shift into the post-pandemic world of work, businesses are facing a new set of customer expectations. For the majority of those businesses - customer expectations of the buying process are changing much faster than their sales teams are adapting. The concept of “surrounding” customers with a more immersive experience is more important than ever.