Let’s unpack that. Most business owners think they understand what their sales department costs. You can see the salaries, commissions, and software subscriptions. It all sits neatly on a P&L. But that number is not the full story. There is a massive difference...
If you’ve been around sales and marketing for more than five minutes, you’ve heard this advice: “Define your ICP.” Good advice. Until it isn’t. Here’s what I see every day. Companies proudly holding up beautifully documented ICPs while their pipelines starve. Sellers...
In honor of Valentine’s Day this past weekend, let me ask you a personal question: do you love your sales pipeline?I don’t mean “are you glad it exists?” or “does it look respectable in a dashboard?” I mean love-love. The kind where you check in regularly, invest...
February is when reality sets in. Q1 is already moving fast, and if your sales pipeline isn’t where you expected it to be, it’s usually for one simple reason: new business development keeps getting pushed aside for “more urgent” work. The problem? What feels urgent...
Executive decision makers have until year end to make things happen before their reviews. Not only do they need to complete initiatives on their list to get their bonuses and great scores, but also, those looking for promotions must showcase themselves to management....
For many, fourth quarter can be a time to reflect on decisions made over the last year. What worked, what didn’t? What to continue doing to meet your goals and what to stop doing? As you may be embarking on this kind of reflection as well, I thought it would be...
Did you ever notice people become more serious at the beginning of September? Gone are the lazy days of summer and in front of us are four important months before year end. I call this the “Back to School Mentality.” I see it as much amongst adults as I do amongst...
I originally shared this article after Verne Harnish invited me to speak at the Fortune Magazine Scaling Up Conference in Atlanta a few years ago. When Verne called me to the stage, he asked me to share a sales tip with the audience of 1000 growth-focused business...
It can be very frustrating when prospects don't call back!Here are a few of the strategies we use which work. We email the decision maker a content rich, compelling (short) email on a Sunday night. Our email becomes one of the first, if not the first, read on Monday...
If I had a dime for every business leader who says, “When we are in front of the right prospects we close sales most of the time, we just need to get in front of more prospects!” I would be a VERY wealthy woman. Why hold off making changes or trying something new that...
April marks the anniversary of my dad’s passing. I think often about the ways he influenced me over the years. He owned his own business and was in sales for most of his entire career. One of my favorite stories about him takes place early in his career when he was...
Over the last year I’ve heard several stories about lost sales opportunities. Many occurred as a direct result of post-conference oversights that could have been avoided. It happens too often. Join me by shaking your head as you read the story below. Then, vow to...