by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 27, 2026 | Podcasts
Failure can be a powerful influence in building our character. In this podcast, we look at a couple notable failures and consider the relationship between failure and the powerful character traits of pride and humility. If we choose to, we can learn more from...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 20, 2026 | Podcasts
Author/consultant/ceo Justin Price shares some innovative ideas for growing your business. If your sales & marketing efforts have gone stale, tune in. ********************************************************************* ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 13, 2026 | Podcasts
One of the primary differences between the successful companies (and individuals) and the mediocre, is the ability to learn, change and grow. Successful companies build that into their cultures and disciplines, while mediocre companies (and individuals) do not....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 6, 2026 | Podcasts
Goal setting is one of those hallowed practices that belong in every leader’s arsenal. We’ve all heard that people who set goals are far more successful than those who don’t. And every well-run business has a policy and a practice of setting...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 30, 2025 | Podcasts
Salespeople are sick of hearing “Your price is too high.” But, what if the real issue isn’t the price? Here’s a secret that almost nobody knows, including all those gurus telling you to sell value. They don’t always buy...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 23, 2025 | Podcasts
If you want to improve your sales results, first focus on the quantity and quality of sales calls. While this may sound blatantly obvious, it’s often neglected, and more rarely ever the focus of an organization’s efforts. Yet, it’s the keystone...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 16, 2025 | Podcasts
Interested in improving the productivity of your sales force? Investing in training and developing your salespeople is always a good idea. But it isn’t the entire solution for many organizations. Often, enormous improvements in sales productivity can...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 9, 2025 | Podcasts
In our surveys, CEOs indicate “on the job” training as the predominant method of developing salespeople. If everyone is doing it, it must be OK, right? Maybe not. Let’s look a little closer. The Excellence & Influence Course for Sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 2, 2025 | Podcasts
Relationships are the key to B2B sales. But implementing a process to dramatically enhance those relationships is another story. That’s where entertaining comes in. Many salespeople never consider it. Yet, it can, and has, provided a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 25, 2025 | Podcasts
Our culture promotes finding the easiest solution. That often means that we don’t develop the skills, attitudes and character traits necessary for a successful life. Easy, as manifested by A.I., is a slippery slope that too often thwarts our...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 18, 2025 | Podcasts
It’s more about elminating the negatives then emphasizing the positives. That’s Matt Sucha’s premise as he presents something truely new in selling! This interview can transform your sales results!...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 11, 2025 | Podcasts
Building rapport with any and all customers is a fundamental sales skill. Yet, few salespeople have been trained in the specific tactics to do so. In this piece, I share seven specific and proven techniques you can use to build rapport....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 28, 2025 | Podcasts
There is a lot of advice out there on how to be a success. “”Think big,” “Give first,” “Create goals,”” “Be vulnerable,” “Create relationship,” The list goes on. It’s all...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 21, 2025 | Podcasts
Who could or should buy this? That’s one of key decisions a businessperson makes when initiating a new effort or new product. The answer may not be as simple as it seems. Use some nuances to sharpen your sales efforts and generate better results....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 14, 2025 | Podcasts
: Sales managers are familiar with goal setting with their sales team, but what about goals for themselves? In this podcast, I drill down deeply into that issue, providing a playbook for sales managers to create goals for themselves....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 7, 2025 | Podcasts
In our surveys, CEOs indicate “on the job” training as the predominant method of developing salespeople. If everyone is doing it, it must be OK, right? Maybe not. Let’s look a little closer....
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 30, 2025 | Podcasts
Why do we make mistakes? One reason has to do with our natural human tendency to use ‘fast’ thinking in situations calling for ‘slow’ thinking. If we can easily recognize those situations that call for slow thinking we’ll go a long...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 23, 2025 | Podcasts
How do you build a business when you have little money for sales and marketing? That’s a question I field in this piece. Most small businesses fail because they don’t do sales well. Join me as we look into this....
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 16, 2025 | Podcasts
Improve teamwork, unleash the potential of your sales team! That just a couple of the good things that will happen when you embrace servant leadership. Join me as I interview Max Cates, the expert on servant leadership for sales managers about his new book. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 9, 2025 | Podcasts
In this Q&A from a sales rep, I respond to a question about the fairness of the compensation plan. My response may not be what you’d expect. Dave Kahle’s goal is to provide sales leaders and small businesspeople with...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 2, 2025 | Podcasts
We’ve all heard about the importance of acquiring the right people, and putting them in the right places. But, is that the whole story to building a successful business? My experience has led me to a different conclusion. Join with me as we take a deep...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 26, 2025 | Podcasts
I know you are concerned with sales. It’s easy to determine how well your people are selling to your customers. But your customers are more concerned with how well they are being served by your salespeople....
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 19, 2025 | Podcasts
Over the past 30 years, as I have worked with tens of thousands of B2B salespeople, I’ve noticed that certain beliefs hinder a salesperson’s development. One of the most common and most destructive is the belief that “I knew that.” Let me...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 12, 2025 | Podcasts
A client described this situation: Business is flat, and he’s unable to get his sales force to promote the lines that he wants to promote, he’s unable to get them to use some of the new technology that the company wants them to use, and he’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 5, 2025 | Podcasts
Becoming a learning organization – gaining the ability for an organization and its people to change in response to the changing world around them – is the ultimate success skill for the Information Age. Join with me in a deep dive into how to lead this ultimate...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 29, 2025 | Podcasts
How do you know if you are investing in sales and marketing appropriately? Because of my work with sales forces and sales systems, I’ve created a formula to measure the productivity of a salesperson, a sales team, and the company’s sales and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 22, 2025 | Podcasts
“How do I get my team to call on key accounts?” — That’s the question from a frustrated sales leader. Join me as I tap into 30 years of experience to respond. It may not be the answer you’d expect....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 15, 2025 | Podcasts
In these turbulent times, the world is changing at an unprecedent pace. Those who survive and thrive in this world will commit to ‘two jobs’ strategy to prepare themselves for the opportunities that accompany our changing...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 8, 2025 | Podcasts
We al struggle to overcome the issues we encountered in our childhood. Among other things, they form our attitudes towards money. IN this revealing interview, Author Doug Lynam shares insights on how we formulate our “money monsters,” and how...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 1, 2025 | Podcasts
In this piece, I field two questions from frustrated sales managers on motivating their teams. Where do you start? If you have ever been frustrated, check this out. *************************************************************************...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 24, 2025 | Podcasts
What are the characteristics of a professional? There are many, but one is ‘the tendency to take risks.” Join me as I unpack this and measure yourself against this standard....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 17, 2025 | Podcasts
Andee Hart is a successful entrepreneur with practical advice for others. Listen as I interview and dig into her successful business. ******************************************************************** Dave...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 10, 2025 | Podcasts
They aren’t me! That was a realization I came to in my first management job. It transformed my career by changing my expectations. It could be the same for you. Let’s unpack that. **********************************************************************...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 3, 2025 | Podcasts
Our world is moving so fast that many businesses are suffering because of practices that were fine in the past, but are now obsolete. Check out these common practices and their more effective alternatives....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 27, 2025 | Podcasts
Wouldn’t it be great if your reactive people could make some out-bound proactive calls? That’s the situation a listeners described in a Q&A from a sales leader. My response may surprise you....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 20, 2025 | Podcasts
You have an experienced salesperson who seems to have lost interest in the job. What do you do? That’s the question asked by a sales manager. Listen to my response — four specific possibilities....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 13, 2025 | Podcasts
How do I make service more tangible to our customers? That’s a question I received from a sales manager. My response is a step by step process. *************************************************************************** Dave Kahle’s goal is to...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 6, 2025 | Podcasts
Entrepreneur Mark Gerson maintains, in his new book, “God Was Right” that the first five books of the Bible — the Torah — contain all the information one needs to be successful in life and in business. Join me as I explore this with him, and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 29, 2025 | Podcasts
Chances are, if your business is at all successful, you are going to the issue of funding your business growth: a larger space, more computers, more sophisticated software, and more equipment. You’ll have to buy raw materials, build your inventory and hire...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 22, 2025 | Podcasts
In a world characterized by over whelming distractions and the constant temptation to a transactional view of sales, “getting important” can provide focus, purpose and incredible rewards for those who can execute. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 15, 2025 | Podcasts
Sooner or later, almost every B2B salesperson slides, often unknowingly, into comfort zones. They find themselves doing the same things, almost mindlessly, because they have become comfortable. Here’s how to deal with this, from a sales manager’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 8, 2025 | Podcasts
Here’s a question I received from a sales manager — Q. I wanted to do some sales training last year, but it just wasn’t the right time for it. We had too many things on our plate. Looking at our calendar this year, I am coming to the same...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 1, 2025 | Podcasts
Sooner or later, almost every sales manager must face the difficult decision as to whether or not to terminate the employment of a salesperson. In this podcast, I provide some principles to help you with that decision....
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 25, 2025 | Podcasts
One of the best ways to supercharge your personal development is to set goals. In this post, I reply to a question about goal setting for personal improvement, with guidelines for every sales executive. ***********************************************************...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 18, 2025 | Podcasts
Every professional and field salesperson must deal with discouragement when something goes poorly. The challenge is to keep motivated, even in the face of adversity. Here’s a proven three-step process to help you....
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 11, 2025 | Podcasts
How do you sell when the competition has exactly the same product? Are you reduced to being the low price? Unfortunately, many sales people have never thought deeply about how to effectively sell commodities, and, therefore, resort to discounting. Here’s a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 4, 2025 | Podcasts
Which of these two choices is more likely to result in an effective salesperson: Hiring someone with technical expertise or industry experience and training them to become a salesperson Hiring someone with sales aptitude, and training them in the product knowledge and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 25, 2025 | Podcasts
We often get so caught up in the details of a sale and quantity of transactions that we fail to regard the value of our customers. Sales is about people, not money. By giving an economic value to every customer it lifts them up in our radar screen and provides...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 18, 2025 | Podcasts
There are lots of things you can do to improve your sales – both individually as well as corporately. However, one initiative rises to the top as the one that will make the biggest impact on a person’s and a company’s sales productivity. In this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 11, 2025 | Podcasts
I can unequivocally state that there is a 99% chance that you will have a miserable, time consuming, disappointing experience when you attempt to employ your first salesperson. In this article, I show you why, and provide some ways to improve the likelihood...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 4, 2025 | Podcasts
Many businesspeople are confused about how to invest in developing themselves and their employees. In this post, I share some out-of-the-box thinking that can provide you with a strategy for development that will change the trajectory of your business. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 28, 2025 | Podcasts
Very often, the reason we don’t meet our potential is less our lack of skills and more the internal hindrances that inhibit our performance. In this podcast, we uncover this truth, and help you apply it....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 21, 2025 | Podcasts
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 apply some of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 14, 2025 | Podcasts
“What do people think about you when you are not there?” That’s Steve’s definition of what a personal brand is. Join me as I dig into the details of creating and managing your personal brand in this interview with Steve Miler....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 7, 2025 | Podcasts
: I’ve learned some lessons in my 30+ years of sales consulting. One is this: There is almost always a bottleneck in a company’s sales systems. Typically, the executives are too involved with the trenches to take a big picture perspective and identify...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 31, 2024 | Podcasts
Sales meetings don’t have to be boring. You can organize better sales meetings with just a little bit of revised thinking. I’ll show you one way to do that in this podcast. ********************************************************************* Dave...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 17, 2024 | Podcasts
What sets the best salespeople apart from the masses? I’ve pursued that question for a lifetime. Here’s my answer. ************************************************************************ Dave Kahle’s goal is to provide sales leaders and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 10, 2024 | Podcasts
Paul Graeve, the founder of the Data Group, shares unique insights on the role of data in a business. You’ll gain some insights and ideas that may transform our business. **************************************************************** Dave...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 3, 2024 | Podcasts
The idea of entertaining your customers is often an after-thought for many entrepreneurs and salespeople. From my experience, strategically entertaining your customers is one of the best things you do. Join me to unpack this issue and gain several ‘how-to-...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 26, 2024 | Podcasts
When something needs fixing – a process, a person, a piece of hardware or software, — we often seek to fix the problem and bring that thing back to where it was before we became aware of the problem. In other words, we seek to restore the previous status...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 19, 2024 | Podcasts
Sales managers are the glue that hold sales forces together. Yet, they are often the least trained of any job title in the world of sales. Let’s do a deep dive in how important they really are....
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 12, 2024 | Podcasts
We have learned to immediately react to a problem by trying to fix it. But what if, in our rapidly changing world, fixing a problem isn’t the wisest reaction? Let’s explore another possibility. Dave Kahle’s goal is to provide sales leaders...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 5, 2024 | Podcasts
We often get so caught up in the details of a sale and quantity of transactions that we fail to regard the value of our customers. Sales is about people, not money. By putting an economic value to every customer it lifts them up in our radar screen and provides...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 29, 2024 | Podcasts
For 30 years I’ve been training B2B sales forces to sell better. I’ve made some observations about the 25 most important lessons I’ve learned. In this post, I will describe one of them: Most people don’t think deeply. Join with me as I...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 22, 2024 | Podcasts
Almost every B2B sales organization has a Primary Sales Obstacle – one place in their sales efforts where some improvement will make a disproportionately large impact on sales. In this post, I describe the reasons why the obstacle exists, identify the most...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2024 | Podcasts
Too many salespeople make the same mistakes repeatedly in their sales presentations. Unfortunately, most are not aware of those mistakes – they just don’t know what they don’t know. In this podcast, we uncover the three most common mistakes and offer...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 8, 2024 | Podcasts
If we chose to, we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Within every failure there is the seed of a lesson well learned, of a solid character trait emerging. It is our failures that contribute most intensely to our development. Let’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 1, 2024 | Podcasts
It’s human nature to resist change. But, in our rapidly changing times, mindlessly grasping onto the status quo can lead to mediocrity. If we are going to survive and thrive in these times, we need to relentlessly examine our hold on the way things...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 24, 2024 | Podcasts
There is a powerful strategy that most B2B salespeople, and B2B organizations, ignore. That’s too bad, because it is one of the most powerful ways to build long-term positive relationships. Let me show you how to leverage satisfaction. Dave Kahle’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 17, 2024 | Podcasts
Snippets are powerful tools for a professional salesperson. You can use them in multiple places in the sales process, improving every piece. This article examines the what’s how’s and why’s of using snippets. Dave Kahle’s goal is to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 10, 2024 | Podcasts
We’ve all done it. Promoted a good salesperson, often our best, to sales manager. My files are full of cases where the results were below expectations for everyone involved. Principals and CSOs are often disappointed in the lack of results, and the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 3, 2024 | Podcasts
“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...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 27, 2024 | Podcasts
There is a great lesson for businesspeople in the struggles of contestants on American Idol and Sha k Tank. .There is a fine line between perseverance and self-delusion. Understanding that difference can make a huge difference in a life and a business. Here are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 20, 2024 | Podcasts
A question from a sales manager: “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...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 13, 2024 | Podcasts
There are a lot of misconceptions about sales and what constitutes a good sales call. Whether you are a professional salesperson, or you find yourself in a situation where you must convince people to do business with you – say a solopreneur, or small business person ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 6, 2024 | Podcasts
Review my answer to this question: Here’s a question about best practices for B2B sales and sales leadership that I struggle with almost daily. I’m definitely known for having very high expectations that aren’t so easy to meet. I wondered if you...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 1, 2024 | Podcasts
Do great B2B sales people, regardless of what they sell, have any practices in common? In other words, do the best sales people all sell the same way? And, can we learn from them? Dig into this issue and develop a plan to enhance your career. Dave Kahle...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 25, 2024 | Podcasts
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 handle on the economics of the sales force. And very few...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 18, 2024 | Podcasts
Sales leaders who don’t have the ability to direct their sales force are at a strategic disadvantage. It’s hard to grow a successful business if the salespeople won’t take direction. In this post, we explore that and offer a solution....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 11, 2024 | Podcasts
There have been hundreds of books written about sales, each trying to make a case for their particular nomenclature. Yet, at the most basic level, sales is a relatively simple process. In this excerpt from one of my books, I share the simple sales process. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 27, 2024 | Podcasts
This is my answer to a question submitted by a sales manager: How many sales calls should a salesperson make? The answer may surprise you. Dave Kahle is a B2B sales expert, and a Christian Business thought leader. He has authored 13 books, presented in...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 20, 2024 | Podcasts
Probably the most common sales process in the B2B world is ‘creating a client”. That’s my terminology for influencing a customer to buy routinely and repeatedly from you. Every organization and every salesperson can do it better. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 13, 2024 | Podcasts
The decision about who to hire for a sales position is one of the riskiest and potentially costly decisions a sales manager will make. Over my 30 years as a sales consultant, I’ve learned some lessons. Here are some of the best practices to help you make it...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 6, 2024 | Podcasts
Most conversations about improving a sales team’s productivity center around the salespeople. At the same time, it is just as effective to refine your sales system’s structure. In my 30 years of sales consulting, I’ve found that the quickest...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 30, 2024 | Podcasts
For 30 years I’ve been training B2B sales forces to sell better. I ‘ve learned some things. This is one of the 25 most important lessons’ I’ve learned – that you can choose your thoughts, and thus control your attitudes, your behavior and your...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 23, 2024 | Podcasts
It seems that almost everyone wants to jump to a conclusion based on a 20-second sound bite solution, instead of taking the more time-consuming but more accurate process-oriented path. The consequences are huge, and most people have never considered them....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 16, 2024 | Podcasts
In this podcast, I respond to this question: My new sales manager is having a difficult time getting our experienced sales force to execute a number of the changes we have implemented in the past year. Any suggestions? Dave Kahle is a B2B sales expert, and a...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 9, 2024 | Podcasts
How often have you gained a good idea, decided to implement it, but failed to put it into action? Our inability to convert ideas into action is a universal part of human nature. But if you could, you’d supercharge your personal and professional growth,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 25, 2024 | Podcasts
: “I’m spending more and more time dealing with information. It’s squeezing out my selling time.” Welcome to the information age. You are not unique. This problem of information inundation is a relatively new but almost universal threat to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 18, 2024 | Podcasts
The world is changing more rapidly today than at any time in human history. Unfortunately, these forces of rapid change have brought a cloud of confusion to CEOs and sales executives trying to grow their businesses. One of the most common sales and marketing...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 11, 2024 | Podcasts
Why are most people not as successful as they could be? Their greatest obstacles reside inside themselves. They continue to look outside of themselves instead of working on internal issues. Unpack this with me. Dave Kahle is a B2B sales expert, and a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 4, 2024 | Podcasts
There is something about adversity that has the power to linger forever in our memories, shaping our character and molding our behavior for the rest of our life. We can use it to grow and become better people, if we let it. Dave Kahle is a B2B sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 2, 2024 | Podcasts
In this session, I respond to these two questions: 1. Q. Dave, I’m a sales manager, and I’m increasingly losing my patience with salespeople who constantly whine and complain. Any thoughts on how to handle the chronic whiners? 2. How do you deal...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 28, 2024 | Podcasts
I call it FIP. Fine in the Past. It refers to all the sales and marketing efforts, ideas, policies, principles, techniques, and strategies that worked well in the past, but are no longer effective. The past is everything that’s pre-2018. I still recall a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 21, 2024 | Podcasts
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 them: Most people would rather...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 14, 2024 | Podcasts
In B2B sales, you always do better narrowing your focus than expanding it. Defy conventional wisdom and your own instincts and drill down into this – one of the 30 most important lessons I’ve learned in 30+ years of sales training and consulting. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 7, 2024 | Podcasts
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. We often find ourselves overwhelmed, distracted and insecure. And unprecedented times call for...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 29, 2024 | Podcasts
Imagine what your company would be like if you had a group of sales masters. Your customers would be committed to you. Your market share would constantly grow. Your suppliers would be lining up at the door to get you on their side and to offer you special...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 22, 2024 | Podcasts
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 rapidly as the world we inhabit, we will fall behind. The implications are staggering. In this post, I share...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 15, 2024 | Podcasts
Why is it so difficult to change our behavior? Why are managers and leaders frustrated in trying to help people do better and sell better? The stealth cause is an aspect of human nature that is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely overcome. Join me in drilling...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 8, 2024 | Podcasts
From the beginning of history, wise people have recognized that success and fulfillment were a function of a refined character. In recent years, we’ve abandoned that idea and taken a step backward in the development of mankind. It is time to reverse the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 1, 2024 | Podcasts
In this session, I respond to two questions from =sales managers: 1. What about deducting commissions from a salesperson? 2. What to do about a salesperson who badmouths the company? My responses will provide you with some principles to enhance your sales team...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 25, 2024 | Podcasts
Managing change doesn’t have to be a slow and methodical process. In fact, to expect slow change is to do a disservice to the organization and its people, accepting a pace of change that actually falls behind the pace of change around us. Dave...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 18, 2024 | Podcasts
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 vibrant...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 11, 2024 | Podcasts
Almost all of the policies and procedures that dictate our day-to-day efforts are vestiges of years gone by. Unless we institute a discipline of regularly examining them, we’ll soon be rendered obsolete by the pace of change around us. Dave Kahle is a B2B sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 4, 2024 | Podcasts
Join me as I respond to a couple of questions from sales managers. One has to do with customer visits, and the other untouchable salespeople. Let’s drill deeper into both of these issues, with some practical wisdom for situations that you may encounter. . Four...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 28, 2023 | Podcasts
One can’t help but conclude that there has never been a generation of businesspeople who have had to deal with the pace of change moving as rapidly as our generation. It truly is unprecedented. The rapidly increasing pace of change is the single biggest threat...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 21, 2023 | Podcasts
Time management may be the biggest need in our frenzied culture. Yet, many people have a defective view of time management, limiting their effectiveness. In this podcast, we set that straight. Dave Kahle is a B2B sales guru and Christian business thought leader. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 14, 2023 | Podcasts
Most people are not willing to invest in themselves or pay the price of personal growth and success. For a lot of the people listening to this podcast that statement doesn’t seem quite right. You have invested in yourselves: You read the books, attend...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 7, 2023 | Podcasts
“Should salespeople be responsible for collecting?” “Should you deduct commissions from unpaid invoices?” “How many sales calls should a successful salesperson make?” In this podcast, I answer these questions from sales managers. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 30, 2023 | Podcasts
All of us have become what we are, at least in part, to the impact other people have had on us — some positive and some negative. A professional sales manager is gifted with a rare and precious opportunity — the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 23, 2023 | Podcasts
The 2020’s are without a doubt one of the most turbulent times American businesspeople have ever seen. That means that it is likely that the conclusions, paradigms and core beliefs upon which we based our decisions as recently as two years ago are likely to be...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 16, 2023 | Podcasts
“I wish I had a more professional sales force.” That’s one of the common laments I hear from sales leaders. Let’s take a look at what it really means, why it is such a common malady, and what you can do about it. The Excellence &...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 9, 2023 | Growth-Miscellaneous, Leadership-Business, Podcasts
The world is full of people who are fuzzy in their thinking. Moving from fuzzy to focused can make everything better. The XI Community Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 2, 2023 | Podcasts
When you give a proactive salesperson “other stuff” to do, the other stuff will always expand, taking more in time and energy than you anticipated, and rendering the proactive sales efforts to an unacceptable smaller part of the person’s labors....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 27, 2023 | Growth-Personal Development, Podcasts, Christian-Business
Work with a lot of people, and you have many opportunities to be unethical. Work with a lot of money and the same is true. Put those together, and you have the world of the professional salesperson. Here are ten commandments to help keep you on the straight and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 19, 2023 | Leadership-Business, Podcasts
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 handle on the economics of the sales force. And very few...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 12, 2023 | Podcasts
Rapid change is not a phase we’re passing through; it’s a process in which we’re engaged. That means it is likely that the conclusions, paradigms and core beliefs upon which we based our decisions just two or three years ago are likely to be obsolete...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 5, 2023 | Podcasts
Should your company allow every salesperson to have their own style of selling, or should you have a selling system to which everyone adheres? Let’s dig into this. How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime — Learn more here. The Excellence...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 28, 2023 | Podcasts
In the B2B world, the relationship between the customer and the vendor, and more specifically, the vendor’s salesperson, can be of utmost importance. It doesn’t take long in the business to understand that if the customer dislikes you, he is rarely going...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 21, 2023 | Podcasts
In order for an individual or a society to reach its potential, it must continuously grow and develop. That requires consistent, methodical exposure to new ideas. Unfortunately, many people have arrested their development by remaining within their status quos. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 14, 2023 | Podcasts
It’s more and more popular to blame other people, or some ‘ism’ for your own circumstances. As long as we claim to be a victim we’ll never achieve our potential. As soon as we accept personal responsibility for our own circumstances, we gain...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 7, 2023 | Podcasts
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 – our minds?...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 31, 2023 | Podcasts
With a little bit of preparation and a thoughtful approach, sales meetings can be powerful meaningful events. Here’s how to make that happen. The XI Community Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 24, 2023 | Podcasts
To grow your business, you must develop the discipline to adhere to certain regular practices. The first of these is investing your time into your business in a methodical, intentional way. Let’s examine this together. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 10, 2023 | Podcasts
: “So, what do you think you can do for us?” The CEO had finally gotten to that question after a couple of hours of introduction to his company and their specific marketing problem. They had a successful company, selling acoustic panels...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 22, 2023 | Podcasts
Growing your sales is a goal for almost every business. The challenge is so great, however, that it spawns lots of mis-guided methods. Here are the four most common mistakes sales leaders make from a consultant who has worked with hundreds of them. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 8, 2023 | Podcasts
Whether you are a small businessperson or a professional salesperson, you can utilize a powerful strategy to take your performance to dramatically higher levels — leverage. Leverage revolves around the idea of multiplying the effects of some effort to gain more...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 1, 2023 | Podcasts
In recent years I’ve seen a deeper degradation in the learning potential of the work force fueled by a growing inability to concentrate. I’m afraid that much of the adult population in this country has become so conditioned to sound bites, texts and...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 25, 2023 | Podcasts
How do you effectively and consistently grow your business? One common mistake is to pursue a strategy I call popcorn, instead of building a solid sales system. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 18, 2023 | Podcasts
Focusing on one or more target markets is one of the key processes to building a successful sales system for your business or practice. But, business people are often unsure of how to go about the process of identifying those markets that hold the greatest potential. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 11, 2023 | Podcasts
One of the biggest decisions a business makes is the decision on which market segment to focus. ‘Market segment’ is the term that describes a group of suspects and prospects who have something in common. One of the most powerful principles of effective...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 4, 2023 | Podcasts
What is it that empowers some people to change smoothly and effortlessly, while getting others to modify their behavior seems like moving a mountain? What is the fundamental building block for individuals which, more than anything else, equips them to successfully...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 27, 2023 | Podcasts
We all have a sense that things are changing rapidly these days. It is more serious than that. We have entered into the Age of Turmoil and our ability to recognize and navigate it will be the single biggest challenge for the rest of our careers. The XI Community....
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 20, 2023 | Podcasts
There are, in the world of sales and sales systems, certain practices that have such an enormous impact on the company and the market that they are in a special class of activities that call for executive involvement at the highest levels. One of that handful of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 13, 2023 | Podcasts
: For all but the new and the internally driven salespeople, straight commission plans merely reward the contented sales person to maintain the status quo. Let’s consider this together. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 6, 2023 | Podcasts
Salespeople are sick of hearing “Your price is too high.” But, what if the real issue isn’t the price? Here’s a secret that almost nobody knows, including all those gurus telling you to sell value. They don’t always buy the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 30, 2023 | Podcasts
One or more of your salespeople has leveled off. Their performance hasn’t improved much in the last few years. You know that these experienced salespeople can do better, but they seem unable or unwilling to break out of a certain level of performance. You are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 23, 2023 | Podcasts
“Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when advisers are many.” (Proverbs 15:22) This is an often-quoted verse, a piece of advice from King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. While the advice doesn’t appear...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 16, 2023 | Podcasts
What’s gunk? Any practice that detracts from the salesperson spending time with customers. In other words, other things the outside salespeople do instead of meeting with customers. Let’s drill deeper into Gunk, determine if you, or your salespeople are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 9, 2023 | Podcasts
It seems like more and more business people have lost the ability to say no. That’s too bad. Being able to say no is a higher level skill that is advantageous in both business as well as life in general. Those who don’t master the art of saying no are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 2, 2023 | Podcasts
The biggest cost in a sales team is often invisible and unacknowledged. Yet, it costs the company more in opportunities lost than any other single issue. Many sales managers aren’t even aware of it. Let’s take a look. The Kahle Way(r) B2B Selling System:...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 23, 2023 | Podcasts
Over my career, I’ve worked with hundreds, maybe even thousands of sales managers, and I’ve learned some things. Regardless of the size of business, the product sold or market to which it is sold, sales managers share some common hurdles. Here are the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 16, 2023 | Podcasts
Every sales manager wants to hire star salespeople. But few do. One reason for that is we don’t know what to look for in an interviewee. In this concluding article in a series of six, I identify the qualities of character that contribute to the make-up of a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 9, 2023 | Podcasts
Hiring a star salesperson is one of the best things you can do. But, very few people do it well. We often look for the wrong things in the interview process. We should be looking for the character of the prospect. Here’s the next in my series on the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 2, 2023 | Podcasts
We’d all like to hire great salespeople. Few of us ever do. Part of the reason may be the qualities and qualifications we look for in the interview process. In this next of a series of qualities of character of the best salespeople, I unveil the next in the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 26, 2023 | Podcasts
We’d all like to hire superstar salespeople. The problem is spotting one in the interview process. What do you look for? In this, one of a series on the qualities of character of superstar salespeople, I share my number three recommendation: Th Ability and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 19, 2023 | Podcasts
We’d all like to hire a superstar salesperson. But we often look for the wrong things in the interview process. Instead of product or industry knowledge, we should look for qualities of character. Here’s my second characteristics of superstar...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 12, 2023 | Podcasts
Companies lead by Servant Leaders more than double the return on investment when compared to other management styles. In this interview with author Max Cates, we dig into the nuts and bolts of servant leadership Serve, Lead, Succeed — Book by Max Cates The...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 5, 2023 | Podcasts
If you can hire a superstar salesperson, your life will be easier and you’ll look like a hero. Easier said than done. In this podcast, I share what to not look for, and share one of six things I look for in a sales hire. The Kahle Way B2B Selling System The...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 29, 2022 | Podcasts
Sales productivity may be a new concept for many sales executives. “Sales” is easy to understand, and “productivity” is pretty clear, but when those two words are combined the combination becomes a bit vague. What exactly is sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 22, 2022 | Podcasts
Great business leaders invariably exhibit the same qualities of character. In this first of series, I look at the qualities of character that mark great leaders, with a deep dive into the first: An unshakeable work ethic. Let’s unpack that. The Xi Community. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 15, 2022 | Podcasts
In this sixth of a series on the character traits of successful business leaders, I identify one that might be surprising. It is, however, incredibly powerful – humility. Humility is often misunderstood. In this podcast, I describe it, and show how it is a powerful...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 8, 2022 | Podcasts
The best business leaders have acquired a similar set of skills. Without this set of character traits, it is difficult to lead a growing organization. In this series, I uncover a key set of character traits for great business leaders. This is number four –...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 1, 2022 | Podcasts
Listen to my response to this question: Our “A” customers do 90% of our business. How much time or effort would you put into your “B” customers to bring them up to “A” customers? The answer will surprise you. The Kahle Way B2B...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 24, 2022 | Podcasts
More important than the business model in the long-term success of a business is the character of the CEO. In this series, I describe the top qualities of character that mark the successful business leaders. This is number two – the ability and propensity to learn....
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 17, 2022 | Podcasts
How can I sell more when I have so much to do?” That’s a common question with lots of different answers – all having to do with better sales time management. Here’s one key to selling more, even when you are pressed for time. Focus on this one...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 10, 2022 | Podcasts
Great leaders have a number of character traits in common. This is the third in a series of posts dealing with the set of character traits that great business leaders exhibit – A continuous quest for MORE. The XI Community. Learn More Here. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 3, 2022 | Podcasts
Are outside salespeople a thing of the past? For generations, outside salespeople thrived on face-to-face relationships. Their approach to the job was to get in the car and go see people. The world is full of businesses who have grown on that sales model. Until...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 27, 2022 | Podcasts
Which is more important, the business model, or the character of the CEO? From my experience, the character of the CEO trumps everything. In this article/podcast, I dig deeply into that idea – the ultimate success formula. The Xi Community (Excellence &...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 24, 2022 | Podcasts
Great leaders have a number of character traits in common. This is the third in a series of articles dealing with the set of character traits that great business leaders exhibit – A continuous quest for MORE. The XI Community. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 20, 2022 | Podcasts
One of the fundamental concepts in B2B selling is this: There is a unique ‘best” selling process for every combination of markets, products and customers. Identifying that process, and using it to unleash the power of your sales team, is a major step in...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 13, 2022 | Podcasts
I was young, cocky and a bit full of myself when I had one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and learned a lesson that has stuck with me for decades. Personal responsibility is easy to say, but quite a bit more difficult to actually embed into your life....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 6, 2022 | Podcasts
Self-delusion is becoming more widespread today and threatens to damage our lives and retard our culture. It’s time we recognized it. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 29, 2022 | Podcasts
Getting the last look. In this response to a question, the writer of the question wants the ability to go in after the bids have been submitted, to look at the competitive bids or at least the lowest bid prices, and to change his/her prices in order to be awarded the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 22, 2022 | Podcasts
A client described this situation: Business is flat, and he’s unable to get his sales force to promote the lines that he wants to promote, he’s unable to get them to use some of the new technology that the company wants them to use, and he’s unable...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 15, 2022 | Podcasts
Sales managers, deprived of training and solid direction, typically default to one of these styles. Look at each, and the pros and cons of each and determine which applies to you. The Sales Leader’s Excellence & Influence Course Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 8, 2022 | Podcasts
Only about five percent of sales organizations invest in developing their salespeople. Those that do are often the industry leaders. Creating and managing a formal program to develop your salespeople is one of your best investments. The Excellence & Influence...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 1, 2022 | Podcasts
There are a lot of 100% commission sales compensation plans around. Should there be? Think deeply about this as I respond to two questions about sales force compensation. The New Customer Acquisition Course. The Sales Leader’s Excellence & Influence Course...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 25, 2022 | Podcasts
Join with me to examine a couple more of that series of words that a significant percentage of the population would rather not hear – humility and commitment. The Sales Leader’s Excellence & Influence Course Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 18, 2022 | Podcasts
Throughout the history of mankind, successful people have been disciplined people. At some point in their development, they have discovered the power that lies in discipline. And they chose, with an act of willfulness and intentionality, to pursue disciplines. As a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 11, 2022 | Podcasts
Higher character has been recognized, across generations and cultures, as one of the ideal qualifications for positions of leadership. Until recently. We’ve discarded the idea of higher character, and are paying the price. The Sales Leader’s Excellence...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 4, 2022 | Podcasts
The calls for “lower price” are becoming more frequent and frantic in this age of inflation. How should you handle them? Listen as I respond to three questions concerning lower prices. You may gain a perspective you’ve never had before. The Sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 28, 2022 | Podcasts
Value-added means different things to different people. If you are going to be a true value-added seller in the 21st century marketplace, you must be flexible and capable enough to offer different things to different customers, responding to the individual...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 21, 2022 | Podcasts
Our perspectives shape our behavior and set our character. We can change our perspectives and thereby change our lives. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 14, 2022 | Podcasts
Here’s my answer to two common questions: How do you sell commodities? and What do you do when the customer is only interested in low price? The Sales Leader’s Excellence and Influence Course. Learn more here. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 7, 2022 | Podcasts
It’s one of the most common laments I hear from principals and sales managers: “I wish I had a more professional sales force.” No doubt that thought has passed through your mind at some time in the recent past. You’re not alone, of course. I...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 30, 2022 | Podcasts
Here’s my response to this question: How can we get inside sales to do some proactive sales activities each day? We want our inside sales people to use some of their time to shift into the proactive mode to make outbound phone contact to existing and new...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 23, 2022 | Podcasts
Listen to my reply to this question: “Q. Dave, I’m from outside the industry, and am accustomed to what I see as a much more professional sales force than what I currently have. Am I off-base in expecting a professional group of salespeople, as opposed...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 9, 2022 | Podcasts
: “Lack of directability is one of the problems common to sales forces. That means the sales force rarely does what management wants them to do. Instead, they do what they have always done, or they work only in their own best interests instead of the interests...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 2, 2022 | Podcasts
Lots of people understand ‘productivity’, and ‘sales’ is easily understood, but when you put the two words together, the concept often becomes baffling. Sales Productivity can be the key to growing your business and taking market share. Begin...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 30, 2022 | Podcasts
The rapid change whirling around every company puts great pressure on organizations to change themselves. Not only must the organization as a whole change, but the individuals within each organization must themselves change, learn and grow more rapidly than at any...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 26, 2022 | Podcasts
: Many sales models are built on the concept of the entrepreneurial salesperson. There was a time when this model was effective, but in today’s competitive economy, there are serious difficulties with the entrepreneurial model. Let’s consider this...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 19, 2022 | Podcasts
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 formula. Both of those formulas are vestiges of an earlier, simpler times....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 12, 2022 | Podcasts
While there is a degree of significance to be achieved though one’s family, my focus in this article is on a higher level of significance. Having “notable worth or influence” implies that significance of that level is relatively rare. People take...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 5, 2022 | Podcasts
There is something incredibly compelling about being a part of an organization that aspires to something larger and more noble than others of their ilk. Something in the soul of human beings longs to be a part of something that not only strives for a better future but...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 28, 2022 | Podcasts
When budgets are limited, the single most effective use of training money is not on the salespeople, but rather the sales managers. Let’s dig into this. The XI Community Sales Leader’s Group:...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 21, 2022 | Podcasts
One of the biggest obstacles to the growth and development of a salesperson — or anyone else – is not their lack of skills and experience, but rather the internal obstacles that hinder their actions. Dig into what holds you back, so that you can break free. The...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 14, 2022 | Podcasts
Developing a handful of ‘partners’ is one of the most effective B2B sales strategies. These are customers who are so committed to you that they form the foundation of your revenue. Dig into the whys and hows of creating partners in this article. The XI...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 7, 2022 | Podcasts
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 and there is an equally impressive body of knowledge and infrastructure for the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 31, 2022 | Podcasts
Very soon we’ll be confronting the next wave of change as our companies and our jobs lurch back to something resembling pre-Covid normal. The question in the back of every executive’s mind is this:” How do we handle the post-Covid changes?” ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 24, 2022 | Podcasts
Our times are uniquely characterized by an unprecedented pace of change. If we are going to survive and thrive in this environment, we have to do some different things, and do others much better. One of these is the discipline of purposeful learning. It is the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 17, 2022 | Podcasts
Our times are uniquely characterized by an unprecedented pace of change. We need to do some things differently and some things better than ever. One of those is the discipline of purposeful learning. If we are going to survive and succeed in these turbulent times,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 10, 2022 | Podcasts
We live in a time of unprecedented change. The wise business person will put disciplines and processes in place to keep the organization ahead of what’s next. We’re recommending a SCAN meeting. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 3, 2022 | Podcasts
In today’s competitive environment, it’s important that sales organizations field a ‘directable’ sales force. The key word here is directable. It means that your sales force can be counted on to quickly, thoroughly and positively...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 22, 2022 | Podcasts
How do we handle an unethical customer? One who says he would do anything to make money on a job, or to get a job? Dave, how can a sales person have a life at night and not be reactive to customers calling at night – seven or eight per night? In regards to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 10, 2022 | Podcasts
“Sales time” is that portion of a salesperson’s work week wherein they are interacting with their customers and prospects. It can be on the phone, over an interactive webinar, or in person. It’s the heart of the job, wherein the salesperson...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 3, 2022 | Podcasts
Sales is a profession that is ripe with temptation. Salespeople deal with a lot of people, and a lot of money. Either one of those by itself presents a challenge. Add them together and it can be overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to help you stay on the right...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 31, 2022 | Podcasts
Interested in improving the productivity of your sales force? Investing in training and developing your salespeople is always a good idea. But it isn’t the entire solution for many organizations. Often, enormous improvements in sales productivity can...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 27, 2022 | Podcasts
I know you are concerned with sales. It’s easy to determine how well your people are selling to your customers. That’s what sales reports are for. But your customers are more concerned with how well they are being served by your salespeople. Why is that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 20, 2022 | Podcasts
A difficult customer – someone who is angry or upset – can be one of the most challenging and rewarding encounters for most companies. If you cam handle the situation well, you will often gain a long-term customer. Mishandle it, and you’ll watch the situation...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 13, 2022 | Podcasts
If you are like most segments of the economy, there have been more price increases announced in your industry in the last three months than in the last three years combined. Unfortunately, many sales forces are peopled with individuals who have never lived through a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 6, 2022 | Podcasts
In most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 30, 2021 | Podcasts
In most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 23, 2021 | Podcasts
Ah, if only the people around us were more professional. Our lives would be easier, our businesses would grow more effortlessly, we’d find our jobs more fulfilling…the list of dramatic benefits can go on and on. But what does it mean to be more professional?...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 16, 2021 | Podcasts
The job of the field salesperson will continue to grow more complex, more challenging and more difficult for the foreseeable future. So what does that mean to you? It means that you will need to continually change and adapt constantly. It means that you will need to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 9, 2021 | Podcasts
On-boarding a new employee typically involves someone(s) to train the new employee, and weeks training the new person. But what if you could develop a system that eliminated much of that training time? Years ago, we developed a tool that was originally conceived as a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 25, 2021 | Podcasts
Of all the things that you can do and say when you are talking with a customer, there is none that even comes close to the power of asking a good question. It stands alone, apart from every other tactic, as your single most powerful sales tool. Nothing even...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 11, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 4, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 21, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 30, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 23, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 16, 2021 | Podcasts
In previous podcasts, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing and information-saturated world in which we find ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 9, 2021 | Podcasts
There are as many misconceptions about selling as there are people. In this excerpt from How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, I provide some common-sense, usable definitions of what selling really is, and get the reader started on understanding how to do it...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 2, 2021 | Podcasts
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 ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 26, 2021 | Podcasts
It is easy to work with people you like, and it is even easier to work with people who like you. But that’s not always the case. Sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with a difficult customer. Here’s a set of proven principles and practices to help...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 19, 2021 | Podcasts
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 ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 12, 2021 | Podcasts
Acquiring new customers is one of those processes that frustrates and discourages most B2B sellers. It doesn’t have to be a frustrating and discouraging process. Like almost every aspect of a sales system, acquiring a new customer is a matter of understanding...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 5, 2021 | Podcasts
How do I sell to an account that is firmly in the hands of a competitor – a difficult key account? How do you manage this account? What should you do? Join me to unpack this common and frustrating situation. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 29, 2021 | Podcasts
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 unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 22, 2021 | Podcasts
One of the top ten strategies for effective time management for salespeople is this: Nurture helpful relationships. Listen as Dave unpacks this powerful strategy and shows you how to enhance your effectiveness by implementing this concept. The Sales Leader’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 15, 2021 | Podcasts
There is one tool that it so far superior to anything else, that it is in a class by itself. Asking a good question is the single-most effective thing you can do with a customer. A well-phrased, appropriately-timed question is your most powerful sales tool. In this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 8, 2021 | Podcasts
How can I sell when I’m not the lowest price? I wish I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question in a sales training session. First, let’s start with this premise: “Low price” is not the main reason people buy! In every survey of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 1, 2021 | Podcasts
Q. 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 customers? Q. You have convinced me that spending time face-to-face with customers is the best use of my...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 24, 2021 | Podcasts
In all of my training and consulting work, I’ve found it helpful to establish, right at the beginning, a big picture view of the sales process. Once we have an overview, we can understand every sales principle and practice, and use the big picture to focus our...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 17, 2021 | Podcasts
Things are changing at an unprecedented pace and will continue to do so. This is not an event, but a permanent state of affairs. The only way to assure that we survive and thrive in this environment is to become adept at the ultimate sales improvement skill –...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 10, 2021 | Podcasts
This podcast answers these questions: Q. What do we do when a customer wants to spread the business between several vendors, even though I know we can provide better service? Q. How can I get between my competitor, and these contacts that are, in some cases, close...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 3, 2021 | Podcasts
Over the 30+ years that I have been working with B2B sales forces, I’m often asked this question: “If you could improve a sales person in just one thing that would bring the quickest and biggest change, what would it be?” My answer: Better time...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 27, 2021 | Podcasts
More than any other type of sales, B2B salespeople must be good at relationship building. You see your customers more often, and for longer periods of time than almost any other type of sales person. This means that you must build relationships that provide you a...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 20, 2021 | Podcasts
Many salespeople harbor a set of beliefs that hinder their performance. These often sound reasonable and are held onto without question. Looking a bit closer at them uncovers how they limit a salesperson’s performance. One of the most harmful of these limiting...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 13, 2021 | Podcasts
Remember the television commercial of the salesperson driving down the expressway with a cell phone balanced on his shoulder, a cup of coffee in one hand, and a laptop computer teetering on the dashboard? The voice in the background says, “You know he’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 6, 2021 | Podcasts
Abusive customers are not fun. They’re stressful, and they make you feel like crap. I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse several times in my career, and it’s never pleasant. “The Customer Is Always Right” is a nice saying that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 29, 2021 | Podcasts
One of the challenges for a B2B salesperson is staying in front of the customer who buys occasionally. In this excerpt from How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, I share two specific techniques to keep yo at the top of your customers’ mind. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 22, 2021 | Podcasts
The most powerful sales call you can make is the one that goes on after the sale. In this podcast, we’ll cover how to use your customer’s satisfaction with their purchase as a way to create future opportunities for yourself and your company. We’ll...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 15, 2021 | Podcasts
Filling the top of the sales funnel with likely suspects is a problem for every sales organization. Sometimes, it takes a bit of creativity as well as common sense. Here are eight ways to identify new suspects. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 8, 2021 | Podcasts
“My customers don’t have as much time to spend with me as they used to.” That’s a comment I’m hearing more frequently in my sales seminars. It’s a growing phenomenon. Your customers used to be able to spend more time with you. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 1, 2021 | Podcasts
What happens when you spend a great deal of time and effort creating a big proposal for a prospect, and discover that they gave it to their current vendor to match? Have you been betrayed, or is there some other explanation? In any case, what do you do? Check out...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 25, 2021 | Podcasts
Selling is at the same time both simple and incredibly challenging. It is simple in that almost every adult of reasonable intelligence, who has just a modicum of people skills, can understand it and do it. It is incredibly challenging in that to become exceptionally...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 18, 2021 | Podcasts
I call it the ‘gap between idea and action,’ and it is one of the largest chasms in the road hindering our path to personal and organizational improvement. The gap between idea and action describes the ubiquitous phenomenon that we, all of us, have ideas...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 11, 2021 | Podcasts
Sooner or later, almost every professional B2B sales person comes to grips with the challenges of penetrating key accounts. Key accounts are different than the ordinary, and require some more sophisticated skills and strategies. Yet, they hold the secret to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 4, 2021 | Podcasts
Our actions follow our attitudes. The relationship between actions and attitudes is so close, that the two go hand-in-hand, and our actions can be seen as outward expressions of our attitudes. While it is easy to connect the two in this example, the principle that it...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 25, 2021 | Podcasts
It’s a common mindset. The field salesperson wants every communication with the customer to go through him/her. However, that idea costs both the company and the sale person dearly and frustrates the customers. It is an insidious hindrance to sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 18, 2021 | Podcasts
Occasionally, at a seminar or training program, I’ll overhear one sales person mention this to another — “I have my own style of selling.” From my perspective, that idea is more detrimental to that sales person’s success than almost any...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 11, 2021 | Podcasts
Here are two questions about tricky customer issues that I respond to in this podcast: If you dropped the ball with a customer, how can you redeem their trust again? How do you know how far to push a sale without overstepping your bounds and threatening the sale...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 4, 2021 | Podcasts
Over my career as a salesperson, I sold a variety of products in a variety of selling situations. From suits and sport coats in a retail men’s store, to capital equipment to schools, to surgical staplers to surgeons in the operating room, to 70,000 line items...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 28, 2021 | Podcasts
In my twenty plus years of educating salespeople, I have encountered tens of thousands of sales people, and worked with literally hundreds of sales organizations. The vast majority of them want to do better. Yet, the vast majority of them remain at a level best...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 21, 2021 | Podcasts
Does your dress matter in professional sales? What are the rules of manners that you should be aware of? These are two questions I was asked, and I respond to them both in this podcast. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 14, 2021 | Podcasts
There is not a salesperson in existence who hasn’t repeatedly heard of the need to “close the sale.” That advice is incredibly overdone. There is no one aspect of sales (at least in the B2B world) that undeservedly receives more disproportionate...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 7, 2021 | Podcasts
Goal setting is one of the universal best practices for salespeople. Yet, many salespeople don’t make it a part of their routines. The first step toward rectifying that is to understand why goals are such an important part of a successful salesperson’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 17, 2020 | Podcasts
Here are the three Most Common Sales Management Mistakes. To know more listen to the podcast. In most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. It’s an incredibly important...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 14, 2020 | Podcasts
Sometimes it is so frustrating. You know you have a better product than that which your prospect is currently using. Your price is attractive, your service is outstanding. If the prospect would switch to your solution, you know they’d be delighted. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 10, 2020 | Podcasts
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 vibrant...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 3, 2020 | Podcasts
Remember President George H. Bush’s program to identify and recognize individual Americans who were outstanding in their fields, or who completed acts of bravery or selflessness, and in so doing, brightened the lives of those around them? It was called a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 26, 2020 | Podcasts
If we chose to, we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Within every failure there is the seed of a lesson well learned, of a solid character trait emerging. It is our failures that contribute most intensely to our development. Let’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 19, 2020 | Podcasts
Q. How do I ensure that I get the last look in a competitive bid situation? 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? In this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 12, 2020 | Podcasts
One of the watershed moments in the life and growth of a business occurs when the executives design and implement a system of measurements. This signals the development of the business from an entrepreneurial effort to a serious organization that can exist outside of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 5, 2020 | Podcasts
“Why should someone spend time with you?” That was the question I asked the six sales people who were the subjects of an intense week-long training session. The response? Blank stares. Some uncomfortable fidgeting. Nothing anywhere close to a coherent,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 29, 2020 | Podcasts
What sets the exceptional professional apart from the average? Regardless of what the profession, from sales to psychiatry, the exceptional professionals share certain characteristics. Here’s one: The propensity to take risks. Join with me as we unpack this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 22, 2020 | Podcasts
For a professional or salesperson, your job is much more than just a job – it’s a profession. But what does it mean to be more professional? More importantly, what can we do to make sure that we, and our associates, are becoming ever more professional? ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2020 | Podcasts
We’ve all heard the numbers: Consumer confidence is down, retail sales are down. And for many of us, the markets we serve are down, as well. There is an important relationship to note here. Confidence – an attitude – is down, so sales are down. When...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 8, 2020 | Podcasts
We are all familiar with the Pareto principle, which, when applied to the world of sales, says that 80% of the business comes from 20% of the customers. As a general rule, that 80/20 rule is accurate in lots of different situations. Whenever there is a large group...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 1, 2020 | Podcasts
Have recent events left you unemployed? I can empathize. I have been there. In my life, I’ve had three major periods of unemployment. I understand the uncertainty, anxiety and self-doubt that comes with that. You just don’t feel like life is as...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 24, 2020 | Podcasts
Successful people – and successful salespeople – routinely set goals. In this podcast, we explain why and how. You’ll master a process you can use forever. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 17, 2020 | Podcasts
Because a salesperson’s income is often unpredictable, salespeople need to develop some disciplines and principles to guide their personal finances. This article lays provides some tips and techniques to manage your personal finances. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 10, 2020 | Podcasts
In an earlier podcast, I suggested some strategies for effectively handling the changes wrought by the pandemic. In this one, I’m looking at your broader responsibilities. What about your business or organization? Are there some things you should be doing to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 3, 2020 | Podcasts
Sales leaders often lament the lack of professionalism in the world of sales. Unfortunately, there is not a standard for what it means to be a professional salesperson. Let’s take a close look at what a professional salesperson is and is not. You may want to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 27, 2020 | Podcasts
: In my first professional selling job, I learned a fundamental principle which is all too often disregarded by sales people today. The principle is this: If you are going to present effectively, you must prepare thoroughly. Unfortunately, far too many salespeople...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 20, 2020 | Podcasts
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 to answer the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 13, 2020 | Podcasts
I’m afraid for the future of our country. I’m afraid because I believe that the discipline of thinking before we act – in every circumstance and level of society — is rapidly disappearing. In its place, we are witnessing a whole host of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 6, 2020 | Podcasts
In this podcast, I respond to two listeners questions: One has to do with how many appointments a salesperson should make, and the other asks about being frustrated trying to get an appointment in an account. My answers may surprise you. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 30, 2020 | Podcasts
There are two types of questions salespeople should use: Questions to ask customers, and questions to ask yourself. In this podcast, we drill deeper into questions to ask yourself and develop a routine and a set of questions that will fuel your development for the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 23, 2020 | Podcasts
A good question is one of the most powerful tools know to mankind. It certainly is a salesperson’s most powerful tool. In this podcast, I dig into questions that salespeople (and other professionals) should be asking themselves. You may have never come across...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 16, 2020 | Podcasts
The rules have changed. Now, you must add value to every sales call. This article unpacks that idea and provides two specific techniques to add value to every sales call. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 9, 2020 | Podcasts
I believe that there are certainly practices in the business world where morality perfectly coincides with wise business. Integrity is one such practice. It is both good business as well as good morals. Here’s why… You may also want to listen to: Just...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 2, 2020 | Podcasts
Customers asking about a ‘lower price’ is a universal headache for B2B salespeople. In this session, I respond to four specific questions on that theme. Gain some insights and ideas you may never have had before. You may also want to listen to: It is the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 25, 2020 | Podcasts
One of my clients recently mentioned to me that, when hiring prospective sales people, he looks for a “passion for sales” in their personality. The idea struck me. I had never really thought in those terms before. What is a ‘passion for...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 18, 2020 | Podcasts
I am convinced that the process of continuously improving – not only professionally in the core competencies of a professional sales person, but also personally as well – is the ultimate success skill for our time. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 16, 2020 | Podcasts
I’m afraid for the future of our country. I’m afraid because I believe that the discipline of thinking before we act – in every circumstance and level of society — is rapidly disappearing. In its place, we are witnessing a whole host of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 11, 2020 | Podcasts
Every salesperson must deal with customer objections. In this first of two, I reveal a technique that will make the process much easier. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 9, 2020 | Podcasts
“Can you boil down your advice to one word?” That’s what a seminar participant asked me. “No,” I said, “but I can boil it down to three: Focus, focus, focus.” I said that because I see ‘focus’ as the solution to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 4, 2020 | Podcasts
Whenever I ask salespeople to rate themselves on their competence at all the different parts of the sales process, they invariably rate themselves low at closing the sale. Unfortunately, salespeople who don’t close consistently waste a lot of their time, waste...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 2, 2020 | Podcasts
Our current level of electronic noise makes deep thinking almost impossible. Today I received over 209 email messages, had 35 postings on my Facebook page, uncountable listings on my Linkedin page, and several voice mail messages. This was after having methodically...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 28, 2020 | Podcasts
This is a response to a salesperson who asked my recommendation for what to read and listen to in order to improve his/her performance. Way beyond that, you’ll gain a greater understanding of how to improve as a salesperson, and acquire one question that can...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 26, 2020 | Podcasts
What may be the single most important predictor of an organization’s long-term business development and survival is that organization’s ability to learn. In a world that is changing more rapidly today than at any previous time in human history, the...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 21, 2020 | Podcasts
Positive customer relationships are the basis of much B2B business, right? Positive business relationships ensure us an audience with the customer, make every step of the selling process go easier, and even provide us with a competitive edge. It’s not unusual...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 19, 2020 | Podcasts
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 improve ours. Successful...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 14, 2020 | Podcasts
As salespeople, 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 the competition — not only their strengths and weaknesses...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 12, 2020 | Podcasts
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. When it comes to people, as an element in business, there is an equally impressive body of...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 7, 2020 | Podcasts
“Low price, low price, low price.” It’s the mantra that sales people in every industry segment are hearing more these days than ever before. But, is low price the motivating factor in a customer’s decision to buy? Here’s a secret that...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 5, 2020 | Podcasts
My wife is a crises counselor. You would think that, by the very nature of the word crises, she would see a continually changing group of clients who were dealing with the occasional crises. Not so. She frequently engages with the same group of folks who lurch from...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 30, 2020 | Podcasts
Dealing with prospects is one of the most daunting and frustrating parts of the salesperson’s job. In this podcast, I respond to two questions from salespeople about key aspects of this difficult task. You’ll gain some ideas you can use today. Check out...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 28, 2020 | Podcasts
There are, in the world of sales and sales systems, certain practices that have such an enormous impact on the company and the market that they are in a special class of activities that call for executive involvement at the highest levels. One of that handful of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 23, 2020 | Podcasts
I recently came across some research that confirmed what many of us in the profession of educating sales people have known for years: That purchasers would be “much more likely” to buy from a sales person if that sales person would just...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 21, 2020 | Podcasts
Goal-setting is one of those hallowed practices that belong in every leader’s arsenal. We’ve all heard that people who set goals are far more successful than those who don’t. And every well-run business has a policy and a practice of setting annual...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 16, 2020 | Podcasts
“Every profession expects the serious practitioner of that profession to continually seek out the best practices of that profession, and then to roll them into his/her routine with discipline.” That...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 14, 2020 | Podcasts
Becoming a learning organization – gaining the ability for an organization and its people to change in response to the changing world around them — may be the ultimate success skill for the Information Age. For adults on the job, learning is synonymous to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 9, 2020 | Podcasts
In the most trying circumstances, having a greater purpose can be a powerful mechanism to see you through. Here’s my personal story. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 7, 2020 | Podcasts
We are in the middle of some difficult times. How do we handle this crisis and utilize this opportunity? In an earlier podcast, I shared some suggestions to help individuals navigate these turbulent waters. In this podcast, I’m focusing on sales forces. So,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 2, 2020 | Podcasts
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 to answer the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 31, 2020 | Podcasts
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 to answer the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 26, 2020 | Podcasts
“Your price is too high!” The infamous price objection. Wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow wipe it out and never hear it again? Unfortunately, that will never happen. Too many of the people with whom we deal are paid to get the best deal...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 24, 2020 | Podcasts
I was young, cocky and a bit full of myself when I had one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and learned a lesson that has stuck with me for decades. Personal responsibility is easy to say, but quite a bit more difficult to actually embed into your life....
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 19, 2020 | Podcasts
Should a salesperson invest in his/her own development? If so, how much time and how much money. I respond to those questions in this episode. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 17, 2020 | Podcasts
“Is there one business model that you would recommend to a budding entrepreneur?” That was the question a young man asked me recently. I reflected for a moment over the past 25 years, and answered this way: “No. I’ve worked with over 500...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 12, 2020 | Podcasts
If there is only one practice within the scope of the professional sales person upon which you can focus, let it be to gain mastery in asking better sales questions. A series of better sales questions provides you leverage and a competitive edge at every stage of the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 10, 2020 | Podcasts
Motivation is one of the least understood concepts in the business world. If you want to achieve any degree of success in your career, you can and should motivate yourself. Here’s a first step that will impact the rest of your life. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 5, 2020 | Podcasts
Building rapport with customers is a fundamental sales skill. Yet, few salespeople have been trained in the specific tactics to facilitate this. Here are seven ways to build rapport with anyone. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 3, 2020 | Podcasts
Whether you are a small businessperson or a professional salesperson, you can utilize a powerful strategy to take your performance to dramatically higher levels — leverage. Leverage revolves around the idea of multiplying the effects of some effort to gain more...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 27, 2020 | Podcasts
Are successful salespeople made or born? It is the eternal question: the sales manager’s version of nature versus nurture. While countless books and articles have addressed “what successful salespeople do”, few have described “who successful...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 25, 2020 | Podcasts
In recent years, I’ve seen a deeper degradation in the learning potential of the work force fueled by a growing inability to concentrate. I’m afraid that much of the adult population in this country has become so conditioned to sound bytes, texts and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 20, 2020 | Podcasts
“Success,” like “beauty” is a slippery term whose definition depends, in some significant way, on the perspective of the observer. In this article, I unpack the definition of success for a salesperson. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 18, 2020 | Podcasts
Failure can be a powerful influence in building our character. In this podcast, we look at a couple notable failures and consider the relationship between failure and the powerful character traits of pride and humility. This can impact your life and your career....
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 13, 2020 | Podcasts
We are all guilty of projecting our values onto our customers. If we think nothing is worth the stated price, we subconsciously project that attitude onto our customers, and find ourselves constantly discounting. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 11, 2020 | Podcasts
There is a fine line between perseverance and self-delusion. Understanding that difference can mean the difference between years of frustration on one hand, and success and fulfillment on the other. Here are some tips on making the distinction. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 6, 2020 | Podcasts
While we can’t change the competition, we certainly are responsible for our attitudes and behaviors toward the competition. What we say and how we act about the competition can have a daily bearing on our bottom lines. Here are seven specific tactics to help...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 30, 2020 | Podcasts
“When do you give up on trying to see an account?” There is no one definitive answer, but there are six specific practices that you can apply to gain that first meeting with a prospect. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 23, 2020 | Podcasts
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...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 16, 2020 | Podcasts
Good salespeople are not good talkers. Rather, they are good listeners, good thinkers, and hard workers. Good talkers generally make mediocre sales people. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 9, 2020 | Podcasts
Over my 35 years of helping B2B sales forces to sell better, I have noticed a certain set of beliefs that crop up pretty regularly. These are unquestioned beliefs that serve to hinder a salesperson’s performance. This is the second in a series where I expose...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 2, 2020 | Podcasts
Over my 30 years of experience working with B2B salespeople, I have discovered that there are certain common beliefs that most sales people never question, and yet which hinder their performance. In this first of series, I identify and discuss one of the most...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 26, 2019 | Podcasts
The sales profession is replete with myths that salespeople tell themselves, and then believe, that hinder their performance. This is the first of series on these myths. In this piece, we look at the idea that “I have great relationships with my...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 19, 2019 | Podcasts
We’ve all seen the contestants on American Idol – some of which are horribly self-deluded. They think they have talent when they don’t. Unfortunately, that trait of self-delusion is common among more than American Idol contestants. Join with me as I dig...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 19, 2019 | Podcasts
Great leaders have a number of character traits in common. This is the third in a series of articles dealing with the set of character traits that great business leaders exhibit – A continuous quest for MORE. Excerpt: Here’s my nomination for a character trait that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 12, 2019 | Podcasts
In this session, I respond to two questions from salespeople: One has to do with the idea of ‘finesse’ and the other on methods to insure that you get the ‘last look.’ My advise may not be what you were expecting. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 5, 2019 | Podcasts
Effective salespeople think about what they do before they do it. That’s called planning. And, good planning requires disciplines and routines. In this podcast, I unveil a planning process that has focused and energized thousands of B2B salespeople. Check out...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 3, 2019 | Podcasts
Great business leaders invariably exhibit the same qualities of character. In this first of series, I look at the qualities of character that mark great leaders, with a deep dive into the first: An unshakeable work ethic. Check out this episode! Excerpt: First, for...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 28, 2019 | Podcasts
This is my answer to a question submitted by a sales manager: How many sales calls should a salesperson make? The answer may surprise you. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 21, 2019 | Podcasts
Why is it so difficult to change our behavior? Why are managers and leaders frustrated in trying to help people do better and sell better? The stealth cause is an aspect of human nature that is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely overcome. I’m drilling...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 15, 2019 | Podcasts
Every profession produces a set of best practices. Despite the excuses we make for ourselves, what is true for every other profession is also true for sales. There are best practices for salespeople and the best salespeople study them, and embed them into their...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 8, 2019 | Podcasts
It is the information age, and effective sales people and sales organizations understand the value of collecting good information about their prospects and customers. Good information leads to good decisions. Sales Potential is one often neglected piece of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 1, 2019 | Podcasts
B2b sales is long-term endeavor. Some accounts take years to develop, and some buyer-seller relationships last for decades. Investing in a long-term reputation is, then, a wise choice. Here’s one of the best things to do to build that reputation....
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 25, 2019 | Podcasts
Because a salesperson’s income is often unpredictable, salespeople need to develop some disciplines and principles to guide their personal finances. This article provides some tips and techniques to manage your personal finances. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 18, 2019 | Podcasts
Dealing with an angry or difficult customer is challenging for everyone. The stakes are huge, and the emotions can often get out of control. Here are nine proven tips to help you handle the next confrontation with dignity and competence. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 4, 2019 | Podcasts
We all know the feeling. Your key contact in one of your good accounts sheepishly admits that they have moved some business to a competitor. No problem with your service, it was just a price issue. Nothing is more...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 27, 2019 | Podcasts
Becoming one of the master salespeople — the top five percent in the industry — doesn’t happen by chance. It is the result of a disciplined approach to the project of improving yourself. In this podcast, I share some of what I’ve learned over...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 19, 2019 | Podcasts
One of the most common thing sales people hear is: “I’m happy with my current vendor.” In other words, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here’s how to respond. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 12, 2019 | Podcasts
Call reluctance is the term used to describe a salesperson’s hesitancy to make the next sales call. It’s a common issue that can detract from a salesperson’s performance. In this piece, we provide some solutions. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 5, 2019 | Podcasts
Customers always create a perception about the sales people who call on them. Sometimes this perception works for us, and sometimes it works against us. By intentionally influencing our position with the customer, we can influence the customer’s perception and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 29, 2019 | Podcasts
What happens when you spend a great deal of time and effort creating a big proposal for a prospect, and discover that they gave it to their current vendor to match? Have you been betrayed, or is there some other explanation? In any case, what do you do? Check out...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 22, 2019 | Podcasts
In a misguided attempt to stay busy and see as many people as possible, too many salespeople subscribe to the theory that any activity is good activity. Sales people now must confront an overwhelming number of potential “things to do,” and that requires...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 15, 2019 | Podcasts
Here’s one of the foundational principles for sales success: You’ll always be more effective if you think about what you do before you do it. In this podcast, I unpack that statement, and provide you with a step-by-step planning process you can use for to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 8, 2019 | Podcasts
Sales is an emotional roller coaster, and unless you figure out how to manage those emotions and keep yourself motivated, you’ll have a difficult time succeeding. Unpack this issue and gain specific ideas and techniques to keep yourself motivated. Check...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 1, 2019 | Podcasts
It’s the moment that many salespeople dread. You’ve asked the customer to do something – give you an appointment, issue a P.O., or schedule a demonstration and, instead of saying “Yes,” the customer gives you a reason why he/she does not want...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 25, 2019 | Podcasts
The quickest way to improve your performance is to improve your use of time. Salespeople are often guilty of these four common time wasting habits. See if you are guilty of any of them, and then eliminate them to improve your sales results. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 18, 2019 | Podcasts
Salespeople are overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. Something must change. The best way to take control of your time is to change the way you think and the amount of time you spend thinking. In this post, we share three specific...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 27, 2019 | Podcasts
There is something about adversity that has the power to linger forever in our memories, shaping our character and molding our behavior for the rest of our life. Here are three keys to dealing with it effectively. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 21, 2019 | Podcasts
Few sales people ever stop to give thought to what it means to stay balanced. Using a sailboat metaphor, we look at six specific initiatives to bring your life into balance and empower you to work at the most effective level. This is a higher-level...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 14, 2019 | Podcasts
In our chaotic economic environment, countless things demand your attention and divert your focus. In this unprecedented environment, we need to have a greater understanding of how we can become more effective and less scattered. That means understanding how we make...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 7, 2019 | Podcasts
Salespeople have a tendency to repeat certain negative behaviors and turn them into habits. Generally, they are not even aware of them. These negative habits detract from their performance. Here’s number five on the list of the five most common sales mistakes....
by Kahle Wisdom | May 31, 2019 | Podcasts
There are certain negative habits that B2B salespeople commonly create. These unconscious habits reduce their effectiveness — and most don’t know that they have them. Here’s number four in the series. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 17, 2019 | Podcasts
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of sales people. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that sales people make — keep surfacing. Here is number three of my top five. See to what degree...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 10, 2019 | Podcasts
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of sales people. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that sales people make — keep surfacing. Here is number two of my top five. See to what degree you...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 19, 2019 | Podcasts
Business to business sales people often make the same mistakes. Most are not even aware of them. In this series, I’m going to describe the five most common mistakes sales people make, and provide a step-by-step format for overcoming them. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 27, 2018 | Podcasts, Christian-Leadership
Most Christians today consider business to be outside the scope of Christianity. It’s God first and family second. But, what if the Bible knew no distinction between family and business? Dig into the scriptures with me. Your views of business will never be...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 18, 2018 | Podcasts, Christian-Kingdom issues, Christian-Leadership
http://tcentrepreneur.libsyn.com/-radionthedge60-god-is-in-the-business-business-thats-where-he-does-his-deals-and-dealings-with-you-and-me
