Doreen Tusick Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet It requires empathy to convince someone that your stance on an issue is worthy. We tend to communicate messages the way we like to hear them, without realizing how our listener might hear them. As a result, messages are often not understood as intended. Asking the other person to explain first, and listening for how they try to persuade you, provides clues about how they interpret what they hear from you. …
Until you get paid, contracts are just promissory notes. You deliver the product or do the work based on a promise of payment. Your customer likely expects to pay you. Use these 3 tips to help them keep their part of the deal: Don’t extend credit to new customers without an assessment: If an order will have a large impact on your bottom line, run a credit check before signing a contract, and seek a …
Discovering why a prospect needs a remedy is what makes the difference between a single commodity sales transaction and a comprehensive solution that produces sustainable value and launches enduring relationships. The most compelling solutions help the prospect overcome constraints that are hindering goal achievement. Why is identifying obstacles the most vital part of the discovery process? Productive sales discovery begins by clarifying a prospect’s current circumstances and stated needs. With the starting point identified, the …
One of the more challenging customer conversations every salesperson faces is the negotiation discussion. It’s almost inevitable that the climax of this dialogue will be the customer’s request for a concession. What’s the most effective way to manage this conversation to ensure that both parties win? The first step in a successful customer negotiation is planning. What factors favor you vs. which favor the customer? What additional information is needed from the customer to better …
A new year approaches, a chance to start anew To overcome barriers, and achieve a breakthrough. To develop new plans, and consider new dreams A fresh start to ponder, new goals to achieve. Invest more energy with your people this year There’s much to learn from what you’ll hear. Your advantage they are, there’s more you can gain With less focus on “things,” rewards to be sustained. New years come and new years go But …
In this dynamic marketplace, how can you move faster? How can you accelerate your time to market? How can you react faster to opportunities? How can moving faster help you grow, or save you time and money? Moving faster primarily involves your decision-making process. Here are 3 ways to move faster: Accelerate decision-making. First, you must choose to decide. Ask yourself if waiting to decide will generate any more useful information. If the answer is …
Leaders seeking higher levels of engagement have learned that clarifying the purpose of their business (the reason they exist in the marketplace), enabling their people to increase their autonomy, and encouraging the development of mastery in the workplace have increased collaboration and commitment among the workforce, producing higher profit. Of these 3 components, the pursuit of mastery, the drive to get better at something, can be most challenging. The definition of “mastery” continues to evolve, …
WIRE-Net Seminars, presented by U.S. Bank, are affordable, convenient, and timely—keeping you up to date with the latest trends. You can learn from industry professionals with first-hand knowledge of current best practices and trends in areas that matter most to manufacturers. Register Here! Are Your “Peddlers” Killing Your Business? Customers have many options available to fill their needs. It’s easier to treat every possible supplier like a commodity. When your sales people respond to inquiries …
“Our customers buy only on price. If we don’t offer the lowest price, they go elsewhere. They don’t care about anything else…it’s just price. That’s the way our industry works.” Annie was reacting to my challenge that acting like a commodity is a choice you make. “So is your key strategy to always offer the lowest price…in every circumstance, for every customer?” When Annie replied, “Not really,” I asked: “Why do customers contact you?” Annie …
When we arrived at the “gamma” letter, the word was quite obvious. We want to reflect on “woman” as a point of focus in considering business and career issues. Let’s make a bold call: this will be the century of women. There are some excellent reasons behind this: Education: ■Woman now outnumber (demographically) all men in every strata of education and educational attainment ■Law schools and Medical schools now produce 50%+ graduates from the ranks …
