Summer Reading for Sales Pros
Read my CBS MoneyWatch blog “Summer Reading for Sales Pros“
Latest "Seasonal Topic" Posts
Get New Customers: Tricks from the Greenmarket
At weekend markets, some farm stands have lines out the booth, while others remain deserted. See what the winners are getting right. Read my Inc blog “Get New Customers: Tricks from the Greenmarket“
How to Sell in the Summer
Summer is the most difficult time to prospect and land deals. Get ahead of the game now to max out your sales productivity. Read my Inc.com blog: How to Sell in the Summer
The Best “Biggest Sales” Stories of 2010.
Where’s our chance to brag? Those of us that are united by the desire to land that huge sale, compete against companies much bigger than ourselves and come out on top, to take the big swing rather than going for the easy single or double- where’s our parade? I want our awards show! We deserve a chance to showcase our biggest and best sales stories of 2010 and I am going provide that place right here-
The top 5 stories will receive full profiles in my future blogs – including deal details, company highlights and podcast interviews with the winners.
Here’s what I need you to do:
Post up, right here and now, your biggest deal profile from 2010. This is your chance to shine, so don’t be shy. Answer a few key pieces:
- What made the sale big?
- What did you do differently?
- What one tip would give someone else to land a big sale like you did?
I want to get this bragging opportunity to at least 1,000 people, so post this link into LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you interact with people who are part of this community of hunters: http://tinyurl.com/beststoriesof2010
I want to get 200 comments from coast to coast. I can’t do this without you so post your comment below right now.
Do this fast- We’re already into 2011 and I want to make certain that we get your glory now so you can take the lessons from the stories for your next biggest deal.
Holiday Cards and Presents, Really?
I’m already late…I should have the database cleaned out for the Holiday Cards by now. We should have picked out the card, the greeting, scanned in our personal signatures for printing by now. And, of course, we should have set the budget for gifts by now- grading our clients and partners in the “A”, “B” and “C” budget categories as well as “Card Only” for gifts this season.
I’m late. It’s my fault. I struggle with this ritual every year. I have taken every approach I think at this, but I’m looking for fresh ideas for what to give for the Holidays to clients, prospects and vendors. Please share your ideas with me and everyone else. I don’t need just good ideas, or new ideas- I just want to know what you and your company are doing.
Here are the categories I have used in the past:
- Food – Simple, easy to order – take care of an entire list of higher-end clients in one sitting with a catalog, a credit card, a list of addresses, handful of seasonal wishes written down so I don’t forget them, and a bottle of red wine- (wine is optional, but I find it an excellent shopping lubricant). Of course the challenge – it’s not memorable or meaningful.
- Iconic – Much harder, have to pack in a lot of meaning, thought and something that is not offensive. My best ever was a glass prism used in olden times on boats for lighting lower decks by being embedded in the floors of decks above them and allowing light into the lower decks.
