by Dave Kahle | Jan 29, 2026 | Growth-Significance
by Dave Kahle A recent article by Peter Leyden (1) made the case that this political and economic turmoil we are experiencing is part of a very predictable 80-year cycle. It seems that every 80 years or so, the US goes through a time of shaking and re-setting,...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 22, 2026 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In my twenty plus years of educating sales people, I have encountered tens of thousands of sales people. The vast majority of them want to do better. They want the benefits of greater success: ...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 22, 2026 | Leadership-Business
by Dave Kahle In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. In this, and the next few posts, I’m going to share those qualities...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 16, 2026 | Christian-Business, Christian-Kingdom issues, Christian-Leadership, Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle When we hear the word “belief” we commonly jump to ideas about big picture concepts. Do we believe in God, for example, or are we atheists and don’t believe? But our beliefs can be much...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 8, 2026 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle See if this doesn’t sound familiar.If you want to be considered a “first class” Christian, you must be active and visible in programs organized by the church. And, of course, there is some special, exalted roll in God’s eyes for those...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 1, 2026 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Ok, let’s say that you have created a customer, you’ve actually sold something, and you have some money in the bank.Before you become too enraptured with yourself, let me remind that you are not finished. There is a greater goal, and a larger and more...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 1, 2026 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Q. How do you handle a customer who won’t stop talking? A. Your question reminds me of an ex-neighbor – the ultimate non-stop talker. A single guy, he had...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 1, 2026 | Thinking Better, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Have you seen the advertisements describing the ”Easy Button?” Hit the button and your solution will be easy. Someone will take care of it for you. ...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle This is such an important practice that I have named it one of my top eleven time management strategies. If you have the book, 11 Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople, you’ll see that it is secret number nine. I had to learn this the hard...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I am constantly amazed at the number of salespeople who never take notes during or after the visit with a customer, thinking, I suppose, that they will remember everything important. Or worse, that nothing is important enough to actually remember....
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle On first glance, this looks like a bit unrelated to the day-to-day challenges of an effective salesperson. What has this to do with your interactions with your customers? Consider the issue of “sales time.” Sales time is the time that you...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I just rode with two salespeople for one of my clients. One of them went off with only the address of the company in his head. He took nothing into the sales call and took no notes afterward. The other had looked up each call in the...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Every now and then, I run across an idea which makes a significant impact on me. One such was the idea (I wish I could remember who first said it) that the surest indicator of success was the ability to deal effectively with adversity. ...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle “Mañana.” It will wait until tomorrow. There are times when it is so tempting to tell yourself that, and to actually believe it. Clearly, sometimes it is true. However, when we continually put off for tomorrow those things...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The job of the salesperson is always a bit of a balancing act. On one hand, we continually cruise our territory to see what opportunities look the most promising. We’re constantly scanning the account base to identify that to which we should...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle It continues to amaze me that so many salespeople shuffle into most of their sales calls with very little, if any, prior planning. I suppose that is why this is one of the practices of the best. Most surveys of how field sales people really spend...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The best salespeople earn that designation because they write more business than the mass of salespeople. They get the order! One of the practices that contributes to that success is that of “closing the sale”. Unfortunately, there...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Most time studies of field salespeople reveal that the typical salesperson only spends 25 to 30 percent of his/her work week actually talking with customers and prospects. Much of the remainder of that time is spent alone. That isolation can...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The best salespeople understand that their company has assembled a collection of resources into which they can tap in order to further their sales success. One such resource is your sales manager. Now, I understand that the quality of sales...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The best salespeople understand that the more comfortable the customer is with their company, the less risk the customer perceives there to be in dealing with them, and the more likely it is that the customer will prefer their company as a...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 12, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Situations in which you must deal with a lot of people always bring with them a great deal of temptation to take unethical short cuts. Situations in which you deal with a lot of money always bring with them a great deal of temptation to take...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 11, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle It’s going to be frustrating, time consuming, difficult, and emotionally draining with a minimal chance of success. Years ago, I created one of my first seminars: How to Find, Interview, Select and Hire a Good...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 4, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle “When you change the structure, you change the behavior of those people who work within that structure.” That observation has been a bed rock foundation to my work as...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 20, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Too many people focus on the wrong things.That’s an observation I have made over 30 years of sales consulting – working with over 500 sales organizations. In my world of B2B salespeople, sales managers, and sale executives, the pressure to produce short...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 20, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime. I remember the moment when I heard that JFK was assassinated. Sitting in a high school class, the announcement came over the PA System. I watched the Viet Nam war and all the protests, including the Kent State...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 20, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle While I have my opinions, I try to stay away from the political fray. I’m registered as an independent and try to stay that way. While it has its advantages, it also has disadvantages.For example, I did not know who Charlie Kirk was, and I had never...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 23, 2025 | Christian-Significance
by Dave Kahle “I hate myself. I hate my life. I hate everything about me. I wish I were dead.” That thought is clearly not from God. It is, however, the refrain that the forces of evil plant in my mind to attack me. I’ve heard it regularly for years. It is a most...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
Question and Answer By Dave Kahle I work with a number of people who have little sense of professional treatment and courtesy for internal customers. The behavior is now escalating to a higher level to the customers, and is giving our showroom a bad rap. How do I...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 2, 2025 | Thinking Better, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Whenwe are confronted with a problem, our knee-jerk reaction is to fix it. I’m not talking about common day-to-day problems – a faucet begins to leak, we run out of milk, etc.—but rather significant business and career issues. These are problems...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 2, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Almost every professional B2B sales person comes to grips with one of the challenges of penetrating key accounts. Key accounts are different than the ordinary, and require some more...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 2, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Begin with the right mindset “This is going to be tricky.” That what I thought when I was hired for my first B2B salesperson as a new Christian....
by Dave Kahle | Oct 2, 2025 | Growth-Miscellaneous, Christian-Business, Christian-Leadership, Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle In a recent conversation with one of my CBIG (Christian Business Impact Group) members, the conversation went to traveling. In my career, I’ve traveled extensively, averaging 250 – 300 flights per year for many years. I remarked that I have...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 25, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Most Christians are familiar with this verse: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 18, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development, Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle One of the most destructive beliefs that hinder a person’s development.Over my 30+ year career, I’ve presented hundreds, maybe even thousands of seminars, and interacted with tens of thousands of salespeople. I’ve learned some things. One is this:...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 11, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. I am an inside sales person who does most of my selling over the phone and internet. How can I be more effective and persuasive when I may never even meet my customers? 1. How can I use the cone of experience when I sit behind a desk, on...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 11, 2025 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle We’re all aware, it’s the Information Age. We see evidence of that everywhere we look. There is one place, however, the Information Age seems to have skipped – the routines...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 21, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle One of The 25 Most Important Things I’ve Learned Most people operate in the Fuzzy zone. Learning to focus can make everything better. That is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned....
by Dave Kahle | Aug 14, 2025 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle One of the 25 Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned What one thing in your sales efforts that, if changed and improved, would make the quickest and biggest improvement in your sales revenue? ...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 14, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 3:15 NIV In this simple verse at the very beginning of man’s tenure on earth, God sets a precedent for all of mankind who will follow Adam. ...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 7, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The world is changing today at a pace which is unprecedented in human history. Whole industries are disrupted by new technologies, AI looks like it may invade everyone’s life and job, and the institutions and values we held closely just a few years ago...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 31, 2025 | Leadership-Business
by Dave Kahle Does Managing Change Need to be Slow and Methodical? One of The 25 Most Important Things I’ve Learned “I don’t want to ask my team to make too many changes at once. We need to manage change slowly and methodically.” ...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 10, 2025 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one. As I was just beginning to build my consulting practice, I...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 19, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned in my 30 years of consulting experience. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one. Fixing things isn’t always the...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 19, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development, Growth-Significance, Christian-Leadership
by Dave Kahle Thinking about your spirituality? Wondering if there is something deeper and more meaningful for your life? You’re not alone. George Barna, the researcher, has unearthed a condition of modern American life: “…recent studies at our Barna Research...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 5, 2025 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. How much time should you expect from a customer for an appointment? A. This is one of those many questions about sales issues for which the answer always begins with “It depends.” It depends, first of all, if this is a prospect...
by Dave Kahle | May 22, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one.Everyone wants a simple quick solution. Few value a...
by Dave Kahle | May 15, 2025 | Thinking Better, Christian-Significance, Growth-Personal Development, Christian-Business, Christian-Kingdom issues
by Dave Kahle This must be one of the saddest of all situations; You have a business or a career forwhich God has great plans, but those plans are never realized because youlimited God’s involvement in them. You end your career with just a fraction of the impact...
by Dave Kahle | May 8, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle Ever feel like you are living in a culture that is antagonistic towards your Christian faith? While it may feel like we are all along, God provided the story of Daniel as an encouragement and game plan for...
by Dave Kahle | May 1, 2025 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one. Most people don’t think...
by Dave Kahle | May 1, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, an acquaintance of mine resigned his job go into ‘full time ministry.” He had been a very good salesperson who was respected by his customers and valued by his employer. “What a shame,” I thought Here was a person...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 24, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle Last week, I received a call from a prospect I hadn’t thought about for years. He had an issue, he said, and within a 45-minute conversation we had an agreement for a consulting engagement to help him with the issue. Years ago, I would have...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 17, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle Most of the Christians I meet in the marketplace sincerely want to be a force for the Kingdom in their jobs. Yet most of us are not nearly as fruitful as we could be. There are lots of reasons for that. I see two that rise to the...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 10, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle One of the characteristics that distinguish a Biblical business from its competitors is the degree to which the executives of Biblical businesses embed prayer into the fabric of the business. This is an uncomfortable thought to many Christian...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 3, 2025 | Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Here’s an issue sales managers confront all too frequently. You just introduced a new product. At the sales meeting, the salespeople seemed excited. Yet, it is three months later, and nothing’s been sold. What’s up? Or you work...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 3, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Here’s a story to which many of you can relate. We had an opening for an inside salesperson and took a chance on a young man who appeared to have the necessary aptitude and character, but who lacked any experience. He had been a social...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 20, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle One of the 25 Most important ThingsI’ve LearnedRecently, one of the members of my CBIG groups suggested I make a list of the 20 most important things I’ve learned in my 30 years of experience working with B2B sales organizations. I was...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 6, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Chances are, if your business is at all successful, you are going to be presented with the opportunity to borrow. At some point, you’ll need a larger space, more computers, more sophisticated software, and more equipment. You’ll have to buy raw...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 27, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle I know it feels like you are the only one – like you are being singled out and dumped on. Intellectually, you understand that lots of others have been in similar situations and felt like you do. But at this point, you don’t care about others, the problem...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 20, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle As a college student, I supported myself by working in a relatively expensive men’s clothing store. It was a small local chain, with five stores around town – one big headquarters store downtown, and four suburban stores in shopping centers. One of...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 13, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Do you remember that from your childhood? It was a response from our parents when we were verbally attacked, criticized, or otherwise made to feel bad by what someone said to us. It...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 6, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle I recently came across this statement, which should shake the foundations of your life and your career: Based on a study conducted by Arizona Christian University during 2020 – 2023, born again Christians deeply committed to practicing their faith fell...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 30, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle For many Christian professionals and businesspeople, the prospect of practicing our faith in the marketplace is overwhelming. It’s easy to remain paralyzed in the face of so many things calling for our time and attention. In the face of...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 27, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle My wife is a crisis counselor. One of her biggest eye-openers occurred when she realized she was counseling the same people over and over again. You would think that a crisis was an isolated event. Maybe for most of the population. But some lurch from...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 27, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one.The pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 26, 2025 | Miscellaneous
A guest article by Mark Virkler.Did you know that you can receive creative architectural designs through divine revelation? King David did. Check it out:“Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses,...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 23, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle For 30 years I’ve been training B2B sales forces to sell better. I’ve noticed this – that any group of salespeople, 20% to 30% are eager to learn and enthusiastic about trying some of the practices I teach. Of the remainer, some will try to...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 23, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The term ‘Kingdom business’ conjures up all kinds of ideas. Some imagine businesses that put gospel tracks with their invoices and checks. Others think of the original “business as mission” idea of businesses which are just really disguised...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 16, 2025 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle How familiar does this sound? You have an opportunity that looks like it could be huge for your personal life or your business. You’ve studied it, done your homework, and are convinced that this would be the next major step for you. You...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 9, 2025 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle When I was doing the research for The Good Book on Business, I discovered how important businesses are in the Bible. Appearing throughout the Bible, God used them for a number of His purposes. Things like providing economic security to the servants...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 2, 2025 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Over the past 30+ years, I’ve worked with over 500 B2B salesforces, training them in the best practices of their profession. I’ve learned that in spite of all the excitement and good feelings generated at a training session – typically a number of...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 26, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Relationships are the key to B2B sales. We all know that. But implementing a process to dramatically enhance those relationships is another story. That’s where entertaining comes in. Many salespeople...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 19, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Is there anyone who doesn’t recognize that the current state of our country – and the world – is a mess of almost unprecedented proportions? While we can theorize about the causes of this collapse in the collective condition, I’d like to submit one...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 13, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle It’s the natural, predictable step along the way to a sale. You have met with the right people, helped them achieve a degree of comfort with you, uncovered the opportunity, presented your solution and asked for their commitment. But wait, they are...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 5, 2024 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle I was in the first year of my first management job and experiencing growing frustration. I was continually disappointed in what I perceived as a lack of motivation in my charges. Not only that, but they just didn’t have the same degree of...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 28, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle “We need two cases of widgets.” Here’s how the average salesperson responds to that request. “I have them in stock. It’ll be $300 each case.” Ah, but the superstars have a different approach. “OK. Can I ask why you need...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 21, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives
by Dave Kahle Recently, one of my clients recommended that I compile a series of posts on the most important lessons I’ve learned over my 30-year career as a consultant, working with over 500 different organizations. This is one of those lessons: For the...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 14, 2024 | Leadership-Business
by Dave Kahle The recent election may have set the record for the amount of emotional reaction it has generated. It seems like everyone has an emotional response, from the dispirited folks who say they are leaving the country on one side, to those set on retribution...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 14, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I had just switched jobs, going from a salary, bonus and company car to a 100 percent commission position. It was a big risk, but I had calculated the amount of existing business in my new territory, and calculated that, if I could double it, I’d be...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 14, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle As a young man, I faced a career decision that set the path for the rest of my life. I found myself in a place where I had three choices for employment: After a few years as a teacher, I could return to education. Or I could enter into the world of...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 7, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. What is the best way to deal with a customer who only wants to hear lower prices? A. First, let me question the accuracy of your interpretation. There are very few customers who only want lower prices. One of the reasons why we hear...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 1, 2024 | sale
Managing time effectively is a skill that can significantly impact your success as a sales professional. Salespeople often face tight schedules, juggling multiple clients and tasks simultaneously, making it easy to get overwhelmed. But what if there was a way to...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 31, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The sales presentation is a necessary part of every sales process, of every sales call, and of every sales system. A sales presentation is what we call that portion of the sales process in which you communicate your product or service to the...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 31, 2024 | Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord andencouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. Acts 9:31 (NIV) ...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 24, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I believe in forms! I know, that makes me a pariah among salespeople. More paperwork! Are you crazy?No. I’m experienced. Here’s the thing about a well-designed form – it forces you to think thoroughly and methodically. And thinking thoroughly and...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 3, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Recently, one of my clients recommended that I compile a series of posts on the most important lessons I’ve learned over my 30-year career as a consultant, working with over 500 different organizations. This is one of those lessons: Most people would...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 26, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
As someone who has spent decades in sales leadership, I know firsthand the challenges that come with leading a sales team. That’s why I’ve developed the sales leader’s course—a comprehensive program designed to help leaders, like you, achieve long-term success. This...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 24, 2024 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In my earlier life, I had seven sales positions during the time from age 18 to 34. The last was selling for a hospital supplies distributor. I was given a territory that had about $10,000 in existing business, and 77 accounts. Every year...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 24, 2024 | Leadership-Sales Systems
In today’s competitive market, it’s not just about knowing how to sell—it’s about honing the skills that will keep you ahead. That’s why I strongly recommend attending sales seminars for professionals. As someone who has spent decades training salespeople, I’ve seen...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 19, 2024 | Leadership-Sales Force, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I have a notoriously bad memory, to the point where I am often the butt of incredulous comments from my spouse and grown kids. “Don’t you remember when we did this?” they’ll ask. “No” I respond.And yet, remarkably, I can remember each of the seven...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 29, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle For much of my career, I’ve been cognizant of the threat posed by the rapid pace of change. Simply put, the world is changing around us at a pace that is unprecedented in human history, and unless we change ourselves and our organizations at least as...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 26, 2024 | sale
You’ve invested in a crack sales team, a well-defined target market, and a killer product. But are you overlooking a crucial element: B2B sales tools for business? Sales tools are everywhere these days. CRMs, automation platforms, social selling tools – the list...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 24, 2024 | sale
Let me tell you, being a sales leader is no walk in the park. You’re the quarterback, the cheerleader, and the strategist, all rolled into one. You juggle motivating your team, hitting ambitious quotas, and navigating a market that changes faster than a...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 23, 2024 | sale
Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? You’re not alone. Salespeople juggle a million tasks: prospecting, following up with leads, crafting proposals, attending meetings – the list goes on. No wonder time management feels like a constant...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 20, 2024 | sale
Sales improvement strategies are essential for staying competitive and achieving sustained growth. From my experience, effective strategies are not just about closing more deals but about creating a robust sales framework that ensures long-term success. Here, I’ll...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 8, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Listen to this post's Podcast We all try to make sense of the world and our lives within it by forming conclusions about the world. For example, we have probably all concluded that the sun rises in the East every morning, and that our mothers love us....
by Dave Kahle | Jul 12, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle One of the 25 most important lessons I’ve learned…. Are Your Systems Obsolete? Almost all of the policies and procedures that dictate our day-to-day efforts are vestiges of years gone by. By Dave KahleRecently, following a request made by a...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 12, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Listen to this post's Podcast HowImportant is Character to Your Success? One of the25 most important lessons I’ve learned. By Dave Kahle A refined character is theultimate path to success and fulfillment. That is one of the 25most important lessons I’ve...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 12, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Best Practices #43: Is good at managing time, and getting the greatest return for every minute of work. A study was done a number of years ago, looking at the behavioral characteristics of superstar salespeople. One of the top five behaviors...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 4, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development, Leadership-Business, Leadership-General
by Dave Kahle Listen to this post's Podcast Recently, one of the members of my CBIG groups suggested I make a list of the 20 most important things I’ve learned in my 30 years of experience working with B2B sales organizations. So, I created a list and...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 27, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Watch this post on YouTube We’ve all heard about the importance of our attitudes. Usually the directive goes like this; “XXXXXXXXXX, you need to improve your attitude!” Fortunately, there is a lot more to attitudes than just the oft-spoken refrain to...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 27, 2024 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Watch this post on YouTube Listen to this post's Podcast Over my career as a sales expert, I’ve personally and contractually worked with over 500 sales organizations. I’ve learned some things. Here’s one: Very few chief sales officers have a good...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 13, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Sometimes I am almost embarrassed to have to actually spend time describing some of these best practices. There are some that seem so blatantly obvious, so basic, that there can’t possibly be salespeople who don’t do them.Alas, no matter how basic and...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 4, 2024 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle There are certain ideas bantered about so frequently and repeated with such sincerity that no one questions their accuracy. One such idea is the issue of work/home balance. The idea...
by Dave Kahle | May 30, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development, Sales-Miscellaneous, Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle Q. Mr. Kahle, was there ever a time in your sales life that you just decided to be the best? Or was it something that you have always had? I started a business a few years ago and need to take it to the next level. A. Wow. What a good...
by Dave Kahle | May 23, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I can actually remember a time when I thought, “I don’t need to know how to use a computer, I’ll just hire people who do.”Those days are, of course, long gone. Today, I’d be lost without my laptop and cell phone. I even take my laptop on vacation. ...
by Dave Kahle | May 16, 2024 | Christian-Leadership
by Dave Kahle I’m facing a big business decision – whether to invest a significant portion of my retirement funds into a new venture whose financial success is hardly assured. At the same time, last week I worked with a friend who is faced with a very similar decision...
by Dave Kahle | May 2, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Excerpted from Chapter Seventeen, Question Your Way to Sales Successby Dave Kahle Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from QUESTION YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS © 2008 by Dave Kahle. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. 800-227-3371. All...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 11, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. How can we get inside sales to do some proactive sales activities each day? We want our inside salespeople to use some of their time to shift into the proactive mode to make outbound phone contact to existing and new business. I wish I had $5.00...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 11, 2024 | Christian-Kingdom issues
by Dave Kahle We all know that the country is more divided than at any time in recent memory. It seems like the shared values that have defined the America that used to be a light to the world are no longer in play. Listening to the legacy media leads you to the...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 11, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. I recently received an order from a new customer for 10 items. We back ordered four of the ten. My customer is quite upset with me and my company’s purchasing agents. Our relationship is strained because of someone in my company’s poor...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 5, 2024 | Leadership-Business
In our quest to forge paths of excellence and integrity within the sales industry, we’ve recognized a profound truth: leadership is not just about guiding others; it’s about nurturing growth, inspiring change, and embodying the principles we hold dear. As...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 5, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
For over a quarter of a century, my team and I have dedicated ourselves to a mission that transcends the conventional bounds of sales success. This mission, deeply imbued with Christian values, has guided us in helping professionals and small business owners not only...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 4, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
Rarely is a business2business sales call a one-call close. Our products are too varied and sophisticated, and the customer’s buying processes are too complex for that. If we see a prospect for the first time, and aren’t able to identify an opportunity or start a...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 28, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle I am in the middle of a sales manager’s training class. Inevitably, as we methodically examine the best practices of effective sales managers, someone is going to comment, “We do it like this……” and then dismiss everything we’ve just discussed. It...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 26, 2024 | Miscellaneous
As a seasoned sales professional, I’ve witnessed firsthand the allure of sticking to what’s comfortable rather than what’s strategically sound. It’s a temptation we all face, but it’s the decisions we make in those critical moments that...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 29, 2024 | Growth-Personal Development, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle The recent proliferation of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has surfaced a lingering issue: If we can create software to increase the capabilities of a computer, can we not create software to increase the capabilities of the greatest computer we know of –...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 29, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In the last 12 months, only one out of every 20 salespeople have spent $25.00 or more on their own improvement! Incredible. Let me repeat it to make sure you read it correctly: In the last 12 months, only one out of every 20 salespeople...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 29, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle It’s so easy to become complacent and satisfied with our “relational comfort zones.” Those are defined by the people with whom we have developed comfortable relationships, who can be counted upon to see us and spend some time with us. These people...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 29, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. Occasionally, customers may say they have seen or received a lower price for the same product in order to receive better pricing from us. How would you handle that type of call? A. You mean this only happens occasionally? I’ll bet thousands of my...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 22, 2024 | Leadership-General, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In this rapidly changing economy, everyone is looking for a simple fix to dealing with the uncertainty of our economic environment. It seems like few are happy with their situations. And all but a few point their fingers at the changing economy and...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 1, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle What sets the best salespeople apart from the average? For 35 years I have pursued that question. .I’ve read over 300 sales books, authored 13 of my own, worked with over 500 sales organizations, talked with thousands of sales managers and executives,...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 1, 2024 | Christian-Business
by Dave Kahle The world is full of advice for businesspeople. If you are a Christian, the challenge is to sort it out – to discard the superficial and worldly while grabbing onto that which will make a difference. I’ve been a Christian and a...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 18, 2024 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Does this sound familiar? You have more customers to take care of, a greater variety of products and services to sell, more information to manage, and more meetings to go to today than you did a year or so ago. Welcome to the compressed,...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 30, 2023 | Leadership-General
by Dave Kahle Are You Ready for The Age of Turmoil?The biggest challenge for the rest of your career Do you have a sense that the world is changing around you at a pace that is upsetting and in ways that are uncomfortable? If so, then you are not alone. And...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 30, 2023 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Question and Answer Q. In your seminar on handling objections, you talked about using “Proof” like letters of recommendation and testimonials. How do you get them? A. The short answer is that you ask for them. That’s overly simple,...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 30, 2023 | Leadership-Sales Management
by Dave Kahle “Ready, shoot, aim.”Unfortunately, that’s the approach many salespeople take to task of determining how to best invest their sales time. It leads to squandered sales time, unproductive days, and results which are far less than they could be. The best...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 21, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
Q. Dave, I’m interested in what you would recommend for a subscription to a monthly sales magazine and a sales improvement seminar. A. You have touched one of my hot-buttons with this question. ...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 8, 2023 | Sales-Wholesale Distributor
This webinar was hosted by Frank Monterrosa, Product Specialist and Dave Kahle, Speaker, Author and Consultant on the topic, “The Top 10 Questions Sales Managers Ask About Wholesale Distributor Sales Teams” Dive into the dynamic world of wholesale distribution and...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 7, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Every day, salespeople are confronted with the necessity to make these three time management decisions well: Where to go? Who to see? What to do? The master salesperson understands that consistently making thosedecisions well...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 27, 2023 | Leadership-General
Create a set of committed relationships to help navigate yourway through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world We all know that we find ourselves in an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing and information-saturated world....
by Dave Kahle | Nov 16, 2023 | Leadership-Sales Systems
Excerpted from Take Your Sales Performance Up a Notch, by Dave Kahle As sales people, we love to complain about the competition. Unfortunately, complaining doesn’t do us any good. A better approach is to create a system to learn about the competition. Knowledge of...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 2, 2023 | Growth-Miscellaneous, Growth-Personal Development, Christian-Miscellaneous
In a recent training session, I recommended to a group of sales managers that they hire their next salesperson on the basis of that person’s character, rather than his/her skill, experience or knowledge. A couple of them looked like Bambi being...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 2, 2023 | Miscellaneous
Q. Being a branch manager and having six reps and no sales manager, how do you delegate some of their requests back to them without discouraging their efforts? A. Begin with clear expectations. What you expect the sales person to do ought not to be a...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 19, 2023 | Miscellaneous
Q. How do I get to see new prospects who won’t return voice mail? A. Since this continues to be one of the most asked-questions I receive, I’ve decided to spend several months on this question. In an earlier article, I talked about creating a powerful,...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 12, 2023 | Miscellaneous
Q. Here’s an issue that I confront with my salespeople all of the time. They are afraid to press for the next step, because they don’t want to experience the rejection of hearing a “NO.” So, they try to keep the sale alive by not asking for resolution. This keeps...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 12, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
Sales is, at its most basic level, a relatively simple process. I recall one of my clients showing me the flow-chart of his sales process. Twenty six steps. That level of detail may be appropriate for that specific situation, but it is an overkill when...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 12, 2023 | Miscellaneous
Nervous about Traveling? Relax, God Has You Does God really care for me? How do I know? Those are two questions that Christians often ask. One way to answer them is to reflect on the occasions when God has intervened in our lives. I recently had an...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 12, 2023 | Miscellaneous
They are all NFL quarterbacks. But more importantly, they have all unabashedly and publicly proclaimed their faith in God. Dan Orlovsky, in his role as NFL game commentor, in a moment of pending catastrophe openly and spontaneously prayed on the air in...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 5, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
The single most powerful tool that a sales person has is a well-phrased, appropriately asked question. Nothing else compares to the impact a good question can have on the customer and the sales process. ...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 21, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
Remember John Delorean? He was the superstar General Motors executive who started the Delorean Motor Company. When the company began to falter, he was arrested and charged with complicity in a drug deal that some speculated was an attempt to raise money...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 16, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
Excerpted from Take Your Sales Performance Up-a-Notch Most sales people love to be active — out in our territories, seeing people, solving problems, putting deals together. This activity-orientation is one of the characteristics of a sales personality. A...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 14, 2023 | Miscellaneous
I was in the third year in a very fulfilling and lucrative sales position. I was good at it, was well-respected in the market and inside the company, and was enjoying an excellent income. The company I worked for, however, had a reputation for being...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 1, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
It is so easy to do that which is comfortable and easy as opposed to that which is smart. It’s a common temptation to which every sales person succumbs at least some of the time. This applies most dramatically to the fundamental decisions that every sales...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 1, 2023 | Miscellaneous
You or Him?Insights into the greatest conundrum for Christian businesspeople“How much should I expect God to do, and how much should I do?” I just fielded that question from one of my CBIG members. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that question, and I had...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 24, 2023 | Miscellaneous
In recent months I’ve become acutely aware of our unlimited capacity to live in self-delusion, and the specter of catastrophe that accompanies it. It’s not like I didn’t know that before. But it was relegated to that realm of below -the-conscious...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 17, 2023 | Miscellaneous
If there’s one thought that is almost universally nurtured by Christian business people, it is probably this one. It excuses all kinds of behavior, or more accurately, lack of behavior.The consequences of that thought are immeasurable. Because most of us grasp onto...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 17, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
Reprinted with permission of the publisher from HOW TO SELL ANYTHING TO ANYONE ANYTIME©2011 Dave KahlePublished by Career Press, Pompton Plains, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved. One of the most powerful one-on-one sales calls you can make is what I call the...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 10, 2023 | Miscellaneous
The Edelman Trust Barometer just released it’s 2023 report. Based on interviews with 32,000 people across 28 countries, it found that people trusted business more than the media, government and NGOs.(1)According to author Dave Samson, “According to this year’s Trust...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 10, 2023 | Sales-B2B
Sales training for my first professional sales position consisted of memorizing two four-page, single-spaced presentations – word for word – and then presenting them to a group consisting of the other sales trainees as well as various executives. The presentations...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 8, 2023 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In the book, “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” authors Jim Collins and Jerry Porras offered the notion of a BHAG – a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. It is a long-term goal (10 years or more) that challenges the company, by motivating...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 6, 2023 | Leadership-Management Principles & Practices, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Every now and then I encounter a salesperson who believes that it is to his advantage to have all the calls and requests from the customer go to him personally. Picture a salesperson with his arms wide open, trying to encircle and control every...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 6, 2023 | Leadership-Management Principles & Practices
by Dave Kahle Mediocre sales people are content to react to the requests of their customers, and focus on maintaining the relationships in order to solidify the business they enjoy. The best sales people understand that, while some of the above is necessary, they...
by Dave Kahle | May 4, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle There are several very common temptations that routinely present themselves to the field salesperson. One is to become too reactive. When you succumb to this temptation, you eventually default to a...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 15, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle The best salespeople are habitual goal-setters. There’s a good reason for that. When you set a goal, you survey the world of all possible things that you could possibly do, and decide which of those things are the most important. You then turn that...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 15, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. Dave, I have read your comments about the value of entertaining, and I agree with you. But, I have a problem. I still find a percentage of customers who keep me at “arms length.” How do I overcome this attitude from the select few of my...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 9, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle There is, in the world of professional salespeople, a significant group of salespeople who cringe at the prospect of someone working with them, and who shun every such opportunity. These salespeople are more comfortable in anonymity. They...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 2, 2023 | Growth-Significance
by Dave Kahle For most of my life, I’ve been driven by a desire to make a difference. For most of my life that motivation was lurking below the surface, taking up significant space in my sub-conscious and subliminally prodding my thoughts and actions. Sometimes that...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 1, 2023 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I’ve trained B2B sales forces for 30 years. In that time, I’ve had ample opportunity to interact with literally thousands of sales managers. The position is often the least well organized in the entire sales department. Job descriptions are sketchy,...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 5, 2023 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle A best practice for salespeople by Dave Kahle Best Practice #25: Maintains good records about customers by using an ‘account profile’ and ‘personal profiles’ for every account. It is the Information Age. And that means that wise and effective...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 5, 2023 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Question and Answer:Manage A Salesforce that is Not Manageable? Q. I’m frustrated. My sales force just doesn’t seem to be motivated. They agree with me at sales meetings, but then don’t follow through. Any ideas? A. Yes. I just had a...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 22, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Q. How do you make in-roads with a prospect who is happy with another supplier, who is providing a similar product at a lower price? Product is lower quality, but perceived as the same. ...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 17, 2022 | Growth-Significance, Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle We’ve all heard the numbers: Consumer confidence is down, retail sales are dismal, unemployment is up. The housing market is iffy. And for many of us, the markets we serve are down as well. There is an important relationship to note here. Confidence...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 17, 2022 | Leadership-Management Principles & Practices
by Dave Kahle Every business wants to grow their sales, and every businessperson has visions of an organization growing in size, profitability and influence. For most situations, it is the essential step to reaching their goals. The important question that most...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle We’ve all squirmed uncomfortably watching some talentless candidate audition for American Idol. After they are told by the judges they have no talent, they either fall into tearful disappointment, or defiantly challenge the motivation,...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2022 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Are you looking for a way to unite your team, to unleash their potential, to shape your culture and to move your business or department up to a higher level of performance? Consider adopting a manifesto. What’s a manifesto? ...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Only one out of every twenty salespeople has invested $20.00 or more of their own money on their improvement in the last twelve months. Amazing, isn’t it? In a world that demands ever-improving productivity, the overwhelming majority of...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle Q. Dave, I have been a fan for a number of years, and have a number of your books. In the last couple of years, I have grown increasingly frustrated. Why won’t people respond to my emails, return my voice mails, or even see me when I show up in...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 16, 2022 | Christian-Personal Development
by Dave Kahle “In your training, do you focus on instilling new skills, or do you try to remove the hindrances to people using their existing skills?” That was one of the best questions I have ever been asked. I recall it clearly. I was having lunch with...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 15, 2022 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle “We’re doing OK.” That’s a thought shared by thousands of executives I have encountered over the years. It also resides in the minds of the majority of B2B salespeople with whom I’ve worked. “OK” for a business often means that the company...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 11, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle A best practice for salespeople by Dave Kahle Best Practice # 22: Has a system for selling any product or service that we present. The best salespeople are systematic in their approach to their job, while ordinary salespeople are haphazard. ...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 5, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Question and Answer Q. How do you sell when you don’t have all the tools you should have? A. I’m not sure there is a sales person on the planet who thinks he has all the tools necessary to do the job. Here’s a list of some of the tools...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 26, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Question and Answer By Dave Kahle Q. What is the worst single piece of advice to a sales person you have ever heard? A. Wow. I love this question. I don’t think I...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 20, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Nine tips for dealing with angry or difficult customers. No one looks forward to an encounter with an angry or difficult customer. Most of us can’t help but feel...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 19, 2022 | Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle By now, most people are aware of the “Disney Debacle.” Here’s a quick review: The Florida legislature passed the Parental Rights In Education bill. Here’s what the bill said: “(The Bill)…reinforces fundamental right of parents to make...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 13, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle The best sales people have created a system to consistently acquire appointments with prospects, and continually work to improve that system.All routine, sophisticated work is most effectively accomplished by implementing a system. That’s one of the...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 6, 2022 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
Watch this post on YouTube Listen to this post's Podcast by Dave Kahle If you’re paying your sales reps straight commission, you’re using an obsolete formula.If you’re paying your sales reps a straight salary, you’re also using an obsolete...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 5, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-B2B
by Dave Kahle Q. Dave, on several occasions you have said that our customers want us to understand their business. How do we do that when we call on lots of different types of businesses? How do we become experts in everything? A. Unless you are a real...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 1, 2022 | Growth-Miscellaneous, Growth-Personal Development, Leadership-General
“My whole life, I was told that we were one of the richest nations on earth, but now I see that we are one of the poorest. It’s like my whole life has been wasted.” That comment marked one of the saddest and most poignant moments of my life. Here’s the...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 1, 2022 | Miscellaneous
by Dave...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 15, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous, Sales-Wholesale Distributor, Miscellaneous, Sales-B2B
Systematically Identifying New ProspectsBy Dave Kahle Your business, like every other one, needs a constant stream of new customers if it is going to remain viable. The constant churn in the market place means that some of your customers will be...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 1, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Discouragement must be one of Satan’s primary tools. By generating discouragement in the hearts of Christians he effectively places them on the bench in the great contest between Satan and God. Here’s an antidote for it. Do Your Expectations Have You Discouraged? By...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 6, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Excerpted from Chapter 13 of Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century, by Dave Kahle One of the higher-order sales leader’s initiatives is this: To encourage your sales team to strive for mastery. The dictionary defines mastery as this: to become an expert...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 5, 2022 | Sales-Miscellaneous
Question and Answer By Dave Kahle Q. You’ve said on several occasions that the most important part of my job is interacting with the customers. How important is it to spend time with the customers out of the office, and what percentage of time should I spend doing...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 4, 2022 | Miscellaneous
I just closed a zoom meeting with one of my clients. He told me this short story. He recently took a promotion to the corporate office. Word had gotten around the new environment that he started his meetings with a prayer. Out of the blue, a co-worker asked if he...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 13, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
One of my Ezine subscribers recently sent me this question: “I really struggle with the highs and lows of field sales. Most days I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. In this economy, especially, it’s difficult to stay positive. Any suggestions?”...
by Dave Kahle | May 16, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
The sales presentation is the ultimate purpose of every sales process, of every sales call, and of every sales system. The job of the salesperson revolves around the point in time when he offers the customer something to buy. The sales presentation can take a variety...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 15, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Here is number five of my top five. See to what degree you (or your...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 1, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Here is number four of my top five. See to what degree you (or your sales force) may...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 15, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Here is number three of my top five. See to what degree you (or your sales force)...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 10, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Here’s a lesson that every salesperson needs to learn early in their career: Sales is not magic. Just the opposite; every selling situation has a very definable, step-by-step process which, when executed with expertise, almost inevitably leads to a sale. One way to...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 1, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my top five. Here’s number two, not necessarily...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 25, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my top five. Here’s number one, not necessarily...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 4, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Q: A customer (a contractor) has given me and one of my competitors five minutes to present our respective products to him. I know all the features and benefits of the product, but I don’t want to be like everyone else and give him what he’s heard before. At the same...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 28, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
“How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself from the competition when you are both selling a commodity?” That’s a question I’m often asked in my seminars. It uncovers a problem that is spreading to almost every industry. The rapid pace of...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 15, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
These are incredibly difficult times for salespeople. Competition in almost every industry continues to intensify. At the same time, customers seem to expect more and more service and demand lower margins. Most markets are rapidly changing, and it’s hard to keep up...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 3, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Management
By now, every reasonably well-informed, thoughtful adult realizes that we are in unprecedented times – and that the future of America is in jeopardy. In case you’ve missed it, here’s a bullet list of some of the currents moving through our culture that are merging to...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
[COURSE] Sales Time Management – www.thesalesresourcecenter.com/salestimemanagementcourse [BOOK] 11 Secrets of Time Management for Sales People – davekahle.pink-account.com/11-secrets-time-management [BOOK] Question Your Way to Sales Success –...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 23, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Every one of my customers is buying less this year than last year. My sales are down. What can I do? A. You really have a choice here. The first, which, unfortunately, is the solution that most companies and salespeople currently choose is this: Do nothing...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 5, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
It continues to amaze me that so many salespeople shuffle into most of their sales calls with very little, if any, prior planning. I suppose that is why this is one of the practices of the best. Typical Salespeople Most surveys of how field salespeople really spend...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
“I have great relationships with my customers.” That is one of the most debilitating myths around – one that cripples the performance of the average corporate salesperson. Yet, it is endemic within the population of salespeople. I am not sure that there is a...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
As a sales trainer, I often confront a difficult obstacle that stands in the way of developing more effective salespeople. Too often salespeople are hindered by limiting beliefs that prevent them from implementing the best practices, principles, and processes that...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world The pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world We all know that we find ourselves in an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing, and information-saturated world. Intuitively, we understand that our ability to navigate...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Thinking Better, Growth-Miscellaneous, Growth-Personal Development, Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world The pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world We all know that we find ourselves in an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing, and information-saturated world. Intuitively, we understand that our ability to navigate...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world We all know that we find ourselves in an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing, and information-saturated world. Intuitively, we understand that our ability to navigate...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world The pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Miscellaneous
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world In my previous posts, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing, and information-saturated world in which we find...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world This is the third of a series of posts recommending and describing a series of disciplines, processes, practices and character traits we need to build into our lives and our...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 24, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
Navigating your way through complexity in a rapidly changing, information-saturated world In my previous post, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing, and information-saturated world in which we find...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 22, 2021 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Management
Q. We are intent on revising our decades-old sales force compensation plan. Management is divided. One half favors straight commission, and the other doesn’t. What are your thoughts? A. In my work as a sales consultant, I am routinely involved in helping my clients...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 8, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
As a veteran sales trainer, I’ve often wrestled with this question: Why is it that some salespeople do so much better, in the long run than others of equal skill and competency? I’ve identified a number of reasons for that. Probably the most powerful and pervasive...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 3, 2021 | Leadership-General
Why is it so difficult for us to do what we want to do? I believe there are two primary forces: Habit and Self-Image. Q. My salespeople all acknowledge the wisdom of spending more time in their high potential accounts, but they don’t do it. How can I get them to...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 1, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: When we get through to the person we want to talk to, we most often hear that they are happy with their current supplier. How can we overcome that? Answer: You are encountering the classic B2B prospect put-off. There are a number of ways to deal with this. ...
by Dave Kahle | May 28, 2021 | Christian-Leadership
I just received a notice to upgrade one of my software programs from version 7.9.1 to the latest – version 7.9.2. You know the drill, as it happens almost daily. Log in to your computer and you’re almost immediately confronted with the latest upgrades. ‘Click here to...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 16, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
The world is full of B2B salespeople who claim, quite proudly, to have great relationships with their customers. If that were true, it really would be great. But unfortunately, “great relationships” is too often a veil that salespeople hide behind to keep from...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 12, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Here are ten commandments that sales professionals should follow to ensure they follow ethical sales practices. 1. Ethical salespeople don’t intentionally misrepresent anything. Never, never, never lie to a customer. About anything. Ever. Period. 2. Fix any...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 6, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Any advice for a salesperson in this economy? It seems like almost every customer is saying that they are cutting back and delaying spending. How can I get them to loosen the purse strings and buy? A. Great question. I’m sure this change in the economy and...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 9, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
On a fairly regular basis, I run into a belief that limits a salesperson’s behavior. These often sound reasonable and are embraced without question. Looking a bit closer at them, however, uncovers how they limit a salesperson’s performance. One of the most common of...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 9, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the 30+ years that I have been working with B2B sales forces, I’m often asked this question: “If you could improve a salesperson in just one thing that would bring the quickest and biggest change, what would it be?” My answer: Time & territory management....
by Dave Kahle | Feb 2, 2021 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
We’re faced with many of our customers being very slow about paying their bills. What would you suggest? Should salespeople help with the collections? This is one of those times where the saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is very appropriate. Have...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 5, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
If you haven’t read the first part of this series, I’d suggest you do so first, to gain a perspective on my comments below. If you are a business owner, executive, or manager, you may want to read the second of this series, which is written specifically for you. ...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 5, 2021 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
Nervous – Part II: Q: I’m seeing a lot of anxiety and nervousness about the economy all around me. I am not sure I can thrive in this economic downturn. Do you have any thoughts on how to respond to this? To my readers… In the last post, I responded to this...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 24, 2020 | Miscellaneous
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by Dave Kahle | May 7, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Management
At its most fundamental level, business is always and only about three things: Money, people, and systems. There is a huge body of content revolving around money in business. Lots of books have been written and consultants’ careers advanced in the pursuit of...
by Dave Kahle | May 1, 2020 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
In an earlier article, I suggested some business strategies for effectively handling the changes wrought by the pandemic. My recommendation was to instill a set of practices that would keep you, personally, at the top of your game. In the second article of this...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 7, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
So, you have created a customer, you’ve actually sold something, and you have some money in the bank. Feel free to celebrate and luxuriate in the good feelings that bubble out of you. That’s one of the fringe benefits to selling – it feels great when you succeed....
by Dave Kahle | Apr 6, 2020 | Miscellaneous
We are in the middle of some difficult times. Rather than belabor that point, I’d like to come to the heart of the problem: What do we do? We need to answer that question in an immediate, urgent basis: What do we do right now? In an earlier article, I shared some...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 25, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
Navigating Difficult Times We are in the middle of some difficult times. Rather than belabor that point, I’d like to come to the heart of the problem. What do we do? We need to answer that question in an immediate, urgent basis: What do we do right now? We also need...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 19, 2020 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
Q. Is there a proactive way to implement a program from manufacturers to encourage distributors to have their sales force sell our product instead of another? My intention is to have the salesperson give quotes for our product more frequently? And how can we appeal to...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 3, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
This is one of those pieces of conventional wisdom that no one seems to question: “It’s good to be passionate about your product.” Like so many of these conventional myths that ingrain themselves into our psyche, this one has the potential for frustrating countless...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 20, 2020 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
There is not a salesperson in existence who hasn’t repeatedly heard of the need to “close the sale.” Every new sales manager must view the process of encouraging his/her sales force to “close the sale” as an initiation into the profession. If you’re going to be a...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 16, 2020 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
Q. At what point during the superstar building process can management step in and provide support for their sales staff? A. This is a great question. Forgive me if I stray a little to the theoretical side of this question. These are the kinds of questions I think...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 24, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. I’m new to sales and to business in general. I don’t want to make a “manners” or “etiquette” mistake that could cause problems. Are there any special rules for business etiquette that I should know about? A. That’s a question that I have rarely heard. But, good...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 19, 2019 | Thinking Better, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
There is probably no one area of your business that is more important for you to prioritize than your customers and prospects. Fortunately, it’s also the area of your job that will make the biggest impact on your performance. From my personal experience as a...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 10, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
How can failure be good? Remember John Delorean? He was the superstar General Motors executive who started the Delorean Motor Company. When the company began to falter, he was arrested and charged with complicity in a drug deal that some speculated was an attempt to...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 21, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Management
I just had a conversation with a sales manager at my last seminar. The gist of it is this: he has so many competing responsibilities; it is difficult to spend time with his sales team. Sound familiar? It should. I have heard that idea expressed countless times by...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 19, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
When I was 18 years old, I got a summer job working for a company then called Jewel Tea, whose business was selling groceries, housewares and kids clothing to housewives on a route. I was hired to work the routes for the vacationing sales people who owned the route....
by Dave Kahle | Oct 29, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
As a sales educator and consultant, my work has consisted of bringing about positive change in sales organizations, sales managers and sales people. While my content has always been about sales in one way or another, my actual work itself has always been to create...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Sales Success? In my twenty plus years of educating sales people, I have encountered tens of thousands of sales people. The vast majority of them want to do better. They want the benefits of greater success: Increased income, greater respect from their peers and...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 9, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Best Practices #38: Maintains an organized filing system, with all the useful information readily available. “I’m just not a very organized person.” That’s what one of my recent seminar participants said. “You’ll never be as successful as you could be until...
