by Dave Kahle | Oct 2, 2025 | Thinking Better, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Whenwe are confronted with a problem, our knee-jerk reaction is to fix it. I’m not talking about common day-to-day problems – a faucet begins to leak, we run out of milk, etc.—but rather significant business and career issues. These are problems...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 11, 2025 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Sales-Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle We’re all aware, it’s the Information Age. We see evidence of that everywhere we look. There is one place, however, the Information Age seems to have skipped – the routines...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 14, 2025 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle One of the 25 Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned What one thing in your sales efforts that, if changed and improved, would make the quickest and biggest improvement in your sales revenue? ...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 10, 2025 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Some time ago, one of my clients challenged me to record the 20 most important lessons I’ve learned. After a great deal of reflection, I eventually came up with 25. This is one. As I was just beginning to build my consulting practice, I...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 3, 2025 | Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle Here’s an issue sales managers confront all too frequently. You just introduced a new product. At the sales meeting, the salespeople seemed excited. Yet, it is three months later, and nothing’s been sold. What’s up? Or you work...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 5, 2024 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
by Dave Kahle I was in the first year of my first management job and experiencing growing frustration. I was continually disappointed in what I perceived as a lack of motivation in my charges. Not only that, but they just didn’t have the same degree of...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 24, 2024 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle In my earlier life, I had seven sales positions during the time from age 18 to 34. The last was selling for a hospital supplies distributor. I was given a territory that had about $10,000 in existing business, and 77 accounts. Every year...
by Dave Kahle | Sep 19, 2024 | Leadership-Sales Force, Miscellaneous
by Dave Kahle I have a notoriously bad memory, to the point where I am often the butt of incredulous comments from my spouse and grown kids. “Don’t you remember when we did this?” they’ll ask. “No” I respond.And yet, remarkably, I can remember each of the seven...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 27, 2024 | Leadership-Sales Force
Let’s face it, the sales world can be a whirlwind. New trends emerge every day, promising to revolutionize how we connect with customers. But sometimes, I find myself going back to the basics – the tried-and-true sales tips that have served me well for years....
by Dave Kahle | Jun 13, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
One of my Ezine subscribers recently sent me this question: “I really struggle with the highs and lows of field sales. Most days I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. In this economy, especially, it’s difficult to stay positive. Any suggestions?”...
by Dave Kahle | May 16, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
The sales presentation is the ultimate purpose of every sales process, of every sales call, and of every sales system. The job of the salesperson revolves around the point in time when he offers the customer something to buy. The sales presentation can take a variety...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 1, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my top five. Here’s number two, not necessarily...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 25, 2022 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the decades that I’ve been involved in sales, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies — mistakes that salespeople make — keep surfacing. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my top five. Here’s number one, not necessarily...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 28, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
“How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself from the competition when you are both selling a commodity?” That’s a question I’m often asked in my seminars. It uncovers a problem that is spreading to almost every industry. The rapid pace of...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 15, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
These are incredibly difficult times for salespeople. Competition in almost every industry continues to intensify. At the same time, customers seem to expect more and more service and demand lower margins. Most markets are rapidly changing, and it’s hard to keep up...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
[COURSE] Sales Time Management – www.thesalesresourcecenter.com/salestimemanagementcourse [BOOK] 11 Secrets of Time Management for Sales People – davekahle.pink-account.com/11-secrets-time-management [BOOK] Question Your Way to Sales Success –...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 23, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Every one of my customers is buying less this year than last year. My sales are down. What can I do? A. You really have a choice here. The first, which, unfortunately, is the solution that most companies and salespeople currently choose is this: Do nothing...
by Dave Kahle | Aug 5, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
It continues to amaze me that so many salespeople shuffle into most of their sales calls with very little, if any, prior planning. I suppose that is why this is one of the practices of the best. Typical Salespeople Most surveys of how field salespeople really spend...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
“I have great relationships with my customers.” That is one of the most debilitating myths around – one that cripples the performance of the average corporate salesperson. Yet, it is endemic within the population of salespeople. I am not sure that there is a...
by Dave Kahle | Jul 20, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
As a sales trainer, I often confront a difficult obstacle that stands in the way of developing more effective salespeople. Too often salespeople are hindered by limiting beliefs that prevent them from implementing the best practices, principles, and processes that...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 8, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
As a veteran sales trainer, I’ve often wrestled with this question: Why is it that some salespeople do so much better, in the long run than others of equal skill and competency? I’ve identified a number of reasons for that. Probably the most powerful and pervasive...
by Dave Kahle | Jun 1, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: When we get through to the person we want to talk to, we most often hear that they are happy with their current supplier. How can we overcome that? Answer: You are encountering the classic B2B prospect put-off. There are a number of ways to deal with this. ...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 16, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
The world is full of B2B salespeople who claim, quite proudly, to have great relationships with their customers. If that were true, it really would be great. But unfortunately, “great relationships” is too often a veil that salespeople hide behind to keep from...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 12, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Here are ten commandments that sales professionals should follow to ensure they follow ethical sales practices. 1. Ethical salespeople don’t intentionally misrepresent anything. Never, never, never lie to a customer. About anything. Ever. Period. 2. Fix any...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 6, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Any advice for a salesperson in this economy? It seems like almost every customer is saying that they are cutting back and delaying spending. How can I get them to loosen the purse strings and buy? A. Great question. I’m sure this change in the economy and...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 9, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
On a fairly regular basis, I run into a belief that limits a salesperson’s behavior. These often sound reasonable and are embraced without question. Looking a bit closer at them, however, uncovers how they limit a salesperson’s performance. One of the most common of...
by Dave Kahle | Feb 9, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force
Over the 30+ years that I have been working with B2B sales forces, I’m often asked this question: “If you could improve a salesperson in just one thing that would bring the quickest and biggest change, what would it be?” My answer: Time & territory management....
by Dave Kahle | Jan 5, 2021 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
If you haven’t read the first part of this series, I’d suggest you do so first, to gain a perspective on my comments below. If you are a business owner, executive, or manager, you may want to read the second of this series, which is written specifically for you. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 4, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
A study of the behavioral characteristics of the best salespeople was published a few years ago. One of the not-so-surprising conclusions was this: The best salespeople “listen more constructively” than their more average counterparts. Define Constructive Listening...
by Dave Kahle | Apr 7, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
So, you have created a customer, you’ve actually sold something, and you have some money in the bank. Feel free to celebrate and luxuriate in the good feelings that bubble out of you. That’s one of the fringe benefits to selling – it feels great when you succeed....
by Dave Kahle | Mar 25, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
Navigating Difficult Times We are in the middle of some difficult times. Rather than belabor that point, I’d like to come to the heart of the problem. What do we do? We need to answer that question in an immediate, urgent basis: What do we do right now? We also need...
by Dave Kahle | Mar 3, 2020 | Leadership-Sales Force
This is one of those pieces of conventional wisdom that no one seems to question: “It’s good to be passionate about your product.” Like so many of these conventional myths that ingrain themselves into our psyche, this one has the potential for frustrating countless...
by Dave Kahle | Jan 20, 2020 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
There is not a salesperson in existence who hasn’t repeatedly heard of the need to “close the sale.” Every new sales manager must view the process of encouraging his/her sales force to “close the sale” as an initiation into the profession. If you’re going to be a...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 24, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. I’m new to sales and to business in general. I don’t want to make a “manners” or “etiquette” mistake that could cause problems. Are there any special rules for business etiquette that I should know about? A. That’s a question that I have rarely heard. But, good...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 19, 2019 | Thinking Better, Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
There is probably no one area of your business that is more important for you to prioritize than your customers and prospects. Fortunately, it’s also the area of your job that will make the biggest impact on your performance. From my personal experience as a...
by Dave Kahle | Dec 10, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
How can failure be good? Remember John Delorean? He was the superstar General Motors executive who started the Delorean Motor Company. When the company began to falter, he was arrested and charged with complicity in a drug deal that some speculated was an attempt to...
by Dave Kahle | Nov 19, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
When I was 18 years old, I got a summer job working for a company then called Jewel Tea, whose business was selling groceries, housewares and kids clothing to housewives on a route. I was hired to work the routes for the vacationing sales people who owned the route....
by Dave Kahle | Oct 29, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
As a sales educator and consultant, my work has consisted of bringing about positive change in sales organizations, sales managers and sales people. While my content has always been about sales in one way or another, my actual work itself has always been to create...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Kingdom issues
For most of my life, I have been a salesperson and an educator of salespeople. One of the things that I have enjoyed the most about my career in sales is the intensely demanding nature of the job. Human beings are incredibly complex creatures, whose motivations and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
You have made a call or two on a prospect, qualified them, and rate them as high potential. The problem is they don’t have an opportunity at the moment. Lots of potential, but it’s all down the road a bit. Your challenge is to maintain contact so that when they do...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
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. Think of it like squirting oil into gears. Imagine some gears grinding...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Every sales organization, and every sales process, begins with identifying a group of suspects. Suspects are people and organizations you suspect may one day do business with you. They aren’t yet prospects, because you don’t know if they have a legitimate need for...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 15, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Sales Success? In my twenty plus years of educating sales people, I have encountered tens of thousands of sales people. The vast majority of them want to do better. They want the benefits of greater success: Increased income, greater respect from their peers and...
by Dave Kahle | Oct 9, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Best Practices #38: Maintains an organized filing system, with all the useful information readily available. “I’m just not a very organized person.” That’s what one of my recent seminar participants said. “You’ll never be as successful as you could be until...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 24, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Customers ask every year at “budget” time for us (as their main distributor) to give them a better discount. Will this ever stop? A. No. Q. How can we continue to grow when we keep giving away margin? A. Let’s think about this one together. If your margins are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 24, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Question and Answer Q. Your Ezine referenced something 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 could elaborate on what strategies you have seen succeed regarding this,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 19, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
One of the fundamental principles that I’ve held to for my career in sales is this: One of the best things a sales manager can do is make joint sales calls with his/her sales people. While I continue to believe that, I received an email from an Ezine subscriber some...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 19, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Salespeople are most successful when they use proven sales strategies to develop accounts. It makes sense. Rarely will you make one sales call on someone and then never see them again. More likely, you will come to know these customers. You can’t expect to sell...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 23, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Confidence – an attitude – is down, so sales are down. When confidence is up, sales follow. The principle at work here is this: Our actions follow our attitudes. The relationship between actions and attitudes is so close, that the two go hand-in-hand, and our actions...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 22, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question and Answer: Dave, I’ve tried for months to see a prospect account, but can’t get them to return my calls. When is it best to just give up? There is a question we have all asked at one time or another. As usual, there is no simple answer. Let’s explore this....
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 29, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
How many times have you said that? It’s a very common response to almost every request. Unthinkingly, rather than think about the request, we default to blaming our busy schedule. I can understand. You are not alone. Almost every businessperson today has too much...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 24, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
One of the habits often practiced by highly successful people is the habit of regular goal setting. There is a reason for that. Goals compel you to work with discipline and concentration rather than going about your job mindlessly and routinely. Goal setting is a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 24, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
The sales presentation is the ultimate purpose of every sales process, of every sales call, and of every sales system. The job of the salesperson revolves around the point in time when he offers the customer something to buy. The sales presentation can take a variety...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 12, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from 11 Secrets of Time Management by Dave Kahle, Career Press In 2003 I wrote “Ten Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople,” because I was convinced that time management had become the number one issue for professional salespeople. The book struck a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 12, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from 11 Secrets of Time Management for Sales People by Dave Kahle. Copyright Career Press. Picture the way a sailboat operates. Its majestic sails catch the wind and power the boat forward. But if a sailboat were only equipped with sails, it would be...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 14, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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? Are there best practices in sales? A number of years ago, a professional association attempted to answer that...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 14, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Having trouble making appointments with your high-potential prospects? Consider a pre-call touch. Here’s a situation. You have created a list of 20 highly qualified prospects. You’ve researched them, and you know that these 20 people hold your prosperity in their...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 11, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: I have long enjoyed your articles. I am in my second year of being a full commission salesman and wanted to get your advice. When I make an onsite visit or pick up the 500 pound phone and call the customer, I feel like I am begging for work… asking the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 11, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Reprinted with permission of the publisher from HOW TO SELL ANYTHING TO ANYONE ANYTIME© 2011 Dave Kahle Published by Career Press, Pompton Plains, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved. Now that I’ve punctured your misconceptions about what sales is, and given you...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 10, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Lest we forget… I wrote this article in the aftermath of the 9.11 terrorists attacks, and thought it might have some relevance for balance in your life today. A personal note from Dave Kahle I hope you’ll forgive my short deviation from purely business issues,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 5, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
The idea of entertaining your customers is often a after-thought for many sales people. 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- tips. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 13, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
We all know it — customers have less time to see salespeople today than ever before. They have too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. That makes the job of the field sales person much more difficult. That’s why the ‘value-added...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 12, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Customers in my industry do not accept price increases unless they have zero alternatives. How do we handle this? Answer: I’m sure you are not the only person thinking this way, nor is your industry the only one with this issue. Probably almost every one...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 6, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Does this sound familiar? You have more customers to take care of, more variety of products and services to sell, more information to manage, and more meetings to go to today than you did a year or so ago. Welcome to the compressed, chaotic job that is the life of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 6, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Every salesperson talks about “Closing the sale.” The best salespeople understand that before you can close the sale, you must open it. What is opening? “Opening” means using well designed and delivered questions to thoroughly uncover as many...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 1, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
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 resort to discounting. Here’s a proven,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 19, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: In regards to personality conflicts with an account, at what point do you walk away and let someone else in your organization try? Answer: Great question. Let me answer in two ways. First, from a purely theoretical perspective, a professional sales person...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 19, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
I often hear my clients lament that they wish they had a more professional sales force. That idea of a “professional sales force” gets a lot of conversation in sales management and sales executive circles. But what exactly does it mean? And why is it a good...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 14, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
In my first professional, full-time sales position, the company brought all the new sales people to a six-week training class in Mill Valley, California. There, we memorized three, four-page, single-spaced sales presentations. Most days consisted of practicing those...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 30, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: We do not want to turn sales people into collection agents, but there certainly is a role that sales people can play in the process. Do you have any thoughts? Answer: Yes, I do. Like you, I don’t want to turn sales people into collection agents. Let’s...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 30, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Best practices for salespeople? One of the most debilitating myths about the sales profession is this: Sales people can learn on their own, on the job, and eventually become good at their jobs. They’ll eventually develop their own style, this myth implies, and that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 30, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from Chapter Seventeen, Question Your Way to Sales Success, by Dave Kahle In part one of this series, I made the point that thinking better is the ultimate success skill for a sales person, and that good thinking always came from asking yourself the right...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 25, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
The heart of sales is the sales opportunity. Increasing the number of sales opportunities bring greater sales. Let’s dig into this issue together. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 24, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
This is one of those nuances that the very best sales people grasp, but the bulk of sales people never catch ~ positioning yourself in the mind of the customer to viewed as someone of competence and integrity. Join with me to dig into it. Check out this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 19, 2019 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from Chapter Seventeen, Question Your Way to Sales Success Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from QUESTION YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS © 2008 by Dave Kahle. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 3, 2019 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: If you dropped the ball with a customer, how can you redeem their trust again? Answer: By “dropped the ball”, you can be referring to two different situations. First, it was your company who messed up. Your company didn’t fulfill the promises you made. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 26, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Are you wasting your customers’ time? Or adding value every time you call on them? In this pressurized, multi-tasking world, where your customers are expected to produce more in less time, they may be growing less eager to meet with you than they were just a year...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 24, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Here’s my response to this question: Help! I’m so frustrated. I just attended a “sales training” program that never addressed the real issues that I have to deal with every day. What causes me problems is not my lack of sales ability, it is...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 18, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Customers in my industry do not accept price increases unless they have zero alternatives. How do we handle this? Answer: I’m sure you are not the only person thinking this way, nor is your industry the only one with this issue. Probably almost every one...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 17, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
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 | Nov 29, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: 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? Answer: This is really a time management issue. I have a hard time imagining why you would need to receive seven or eight calls...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 29, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Almost every professional B2B sales person comes to grips with one of the challenges of penetrating key accounts. Key accounts are different than the ordinary, and require some more sophisticated skills and strategies. Here are four fundamentals for effectively...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 20, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Leadership-Sales Systems
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 productivity, and why should you be...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 17, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Here’s a question sent it be a sales person: “My boss recently decided that we must call prospects once every hour, every day, until we get a yes or no, regardless of what they say, or if it’s voicemail. What’s your opinion of this?”...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 17, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“He has the gift of gab. He’ll make a good salesperson.” It’s been a while since I last heard that expression. The idea is, of course, that salespeople are good talkers. The idea is that if you are a good talker, you are well on your way to having the necessary...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 17, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
One of the most common thing sales people hear is:”I’m happy with my current source.” Here’s how to respond. Question: I have many customers who refuse to even consider some of my products because the one they have now is working fine and they don’t want to change...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 17, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Question: How can I help an experienced sales person regain his interest in the job? Answer: It sounds like you have someone who is just going through the motions. That can be deadly for the career of a sales person, as well as detrimental to the company. One of the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 14, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Intro: 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 sales people. One of the most debilitating myths about the sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 14, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Intro: 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 13, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Sales People and Personal Finance Challenges Question: Dave, I am finding it difficult to manage my personal finances. As a commissioned sales person, my income varies from month to month. It seems like I’m always struggling with finances. Do you have suggestions...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 13, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
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 21, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“Happy with the current vendor” is the catch-all phrase that prospects can use to signify a number of different positions. Here’s how to deal with it.Question:How do you make in-roads with a prospect who is happy with the competition – another...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 20, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
In our fast-paced 21st Century economy, field salespeople must make effective use of their time, And that means disciplined strategic planning for salespeople. “Ready, shoot, aim.” Unfortunately, that’s the all too common description of the field sales person’s modus...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 24, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: How do you deal with a difficult customer who owes you money and constantly draws you out by hanging the money he owes you over your head? This customer also requires three times more service than most of our other customers. Answer: It sounds like this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 24, 2018 | Thinking Better, Leadership-Sales Force, Sales-B2B
Planning is 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. Can you imagine a football team not creating a game plan or not practicing before the big game? Can you imagine a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 26, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
“I wish my people were more professional,” executives and managers often commiserate to me. Even with those who don’t voice it, that unspoken yearning often hovers just-under-the-surface of their conversation. Ah, if only the people around us were more professional. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 25, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: What do I do when my goals don’t match the company’s goals for me? Answer: I can look at this is in two ways – expressing two different situations. In the first, there is a legitimate difference in the expectations for a sales person, but a basic agreement...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 19, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“Selling is more challenging now than it was just a couple of years ago.” Most of the participants in my sales seminars nod solemnly when I make that statement. And then they begin to fidget in their seats when I follow that up with this: “And it will be more...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 4, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“Your price is too high!” The infamous price objection. Wouldn’t sales be a great profession 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 they...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 22, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“Good salespeople are problem solvers.” Or, so the illusion goes. That belief ranks high on my all-time list of the beliefs that most limit a salesperson’s performance. This one is especially insidious because it is so commonly held, without reservation, by such a...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 22, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: How do I ensure that I get the last look in a competitive bid situation? Answer: This is a question that I’m often asked. In a lot of industries, particularly those involved in construction, government purchases and large-volume manufacturing, most of the...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 7, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: I’m one of those sales people who haven’t spent $20.00 this year on a book or seminar to improve myself. I just don’t want to go to the trouble. I believe that I can learn sufficiently on the job, and I’m tired of going to school. Should I feel bad?...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 24, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Q: I sell advertising for a local newspaper. In our sales compensation plan, we compete with our revenue numbers from the previous year, and approximately 6% is added to the previous year’s revenue number. That becomes your goal for that particular month. We get a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 24, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
“My customers seem to have less time available for me than before. They are harder to see, and when I do get in front of them, they often seem rushed or preoccupied. What can I do about this?” Sound familiar? It’s a question that I am hearing more and more often. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 9, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
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 | Mar 26, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
I’ve been pondering an email I recently received. In it, the young sales person described his most pressing challenge: The sales roller coaster. When things go well, he’s up, emotionally, and when things don’t go well, he’s down. The swings from up to down were...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 26, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Are Successful Salespeople Born That Way? It is the eternal question, the sales manager’s version of nature versus nurture. I teach salespeople how to become better at their jobs. I believe successful salespeople are nurtured. There are best practices in the sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 22, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Dave, I’m wearied by the preponderance of books and business advice by all these sports coaches. What’s your opinion? How many different coaches do we need to hear from? Is sports coaches advise to sales people worthwhile? Is it another example of our...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 15, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Question: I’ve read your ideas about the need to invest in developing myself. Can you quantify that? How much time and money should I spend on my own education? Answer: Now that‘s a question I’m rarely asked. Its refreshing to receive it. I’m assuming that you are...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 15, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Again this week I encountered what has become a common event. I was called in to consult with a client. Sales were flat for too long, and the client knew that something had to be done. One of my first questions was this: “What do you know about your customers?”...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 27, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
“I’m spending more and more time managing 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 your livelihood. Four or five...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 21, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Recently, as I was cold calling my target list in a new industry, I stumbled on my first serious opportunity. After meeting and gaining commitment from my new prospect, I asked the woman who first tried to screen me, “Why did you pass my call on to your...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 21, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive change is no longer news to anyone. There is one important implication of this situation that continues to be a challenge. That is that we need to continually change our behavior to adapt to the world around us.My...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 20, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
I just fired my accountants. They really hadn’t done anything wrong. They were responsive when I called. They appeared to keep up with the latest information in their profession. Their work was neat, accurate and timely. Their prices were fair. They conducted...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 29, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
“This would be a great business if it weren’t for the competition!” Unfortunately, the existence of the competition impacts every industry, every business and every sales position. What the competition does or does not do can make a dramatic impact upon a company and...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 29, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
That’s right. Serving, not selling. 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...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 29, 2018 | Leadership-Sales Force
Did you enjoy what you had for dinner last night? You are probably wondering what that question has to do with sales. Bear with me a moment, and answer the question. Now, pause a moment, and think about what you did when you read that question. Your mind probably...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 3, 2018 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: You have convinced me that spending time face-to-face with customers is the best use of my sales time. How much of my week should I spend entertaining customers; taking them to lunch, ballgames, etc.? Answer: Great question. Let me answer this is two...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 22, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: My boss recently decided that we must call prospects once every hour, every day, until we get a yes or no, regardless of what they say, or if it’s voicemail. What’s your opinion of this? Answer: I really think there are two questions here. The first has to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 6, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Recently, one of the sales people with whom I was working volunteered that he often obtained demonstration samples by coming into the office, visiting the warehouse, opening a box of the product he wanted to sell, taking one out, and re-closing the box. When it comes...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 28, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: I’ve heard you mention several times the importance of prioritizing and targeting customers. Can you shed some more light on this? Answer: This is a key issue with me, as I believe it is one of the ways to make the biggest, most rapid change in your...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 28, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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 discouraging. You’ve spent years developing this...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 28, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: How do we get more calls in when driving time is so long? Answer: I’m going to answer this on two levels. First, when you have a big geographical territory with lots of windshield time, you have to do a better job of routing your calls to maximize the time...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 10, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
This was to be a totally different article. I intended to write about what makes a successful sales person. However, as I began to conceptualize the article, it occurred to me that I ought to begin with a definition of success. And it was there that I got...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 10, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from Chapter 13 of Take Your Performance Up a Notch Whenever I ask sales people 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, sales people who...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 9, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from Chapter Thirteen of Take Your Sales Performance Up a Notch They don’t always say yes! That might be the very first thing you learn as a salesperson. As a matter of fact, “No” in all its various forms and expressions, maybe the one word that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 9, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
“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 statement comes out of my mouth in almost every seminar or key-note...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 9, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
In my first professional, full-time sales position, the company brought all the new sales people to a six-week training class in Mill Valley, California. There, we memorized three, four page, single-spaced sales presentations. Most days consisted of practicing those...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 9, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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 “listen” to the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 8, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Focus, focus, focus. That’s the phrase that I find myself repeating constantly in every sales seminar that I present. I believe focus is the greatest challenge for sales people today, and the greatest single solution to their challenges. There are so many demands...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 25, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: What is your opinion of call reports? Answer: It depends on what you mean by call reports. If, for example, you mean a requirement in your company that you note down somewhere – on a laptop, tablet, smart phone or piece of paper, who you called on, what...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 18, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Sales management is too important to not do it better In a world where it is more and more difficult to distinguish yourself on the basis of product, service or price, the best companies excel on the basis of the quality of their sales force.Those companies...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 17, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
It’s the moment that many sales people 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 to do what you’ve asked...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 17, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: How many sales calls should a salesperson make? A: In about one out of every two seminars that I do, I hear this question. It springs from a manager’s concern for defining what constitutes a “good sales day.” And salespeople want to know so that they have...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 25, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
It’s a challenging year for a lot of salespeople. The world is changing rapidly, and every new headline contains information that seems to impact business in a significant way. The competition is more active, customers are more discriminating, and nobody has enough...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 13, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: What are your views on dress? Does it matter? Answer: Sure it matters. Everything that you say and do matters. Dress can be a powerful part of your persona. On one hand, how you dress can facilitate your objectives and make you more effective, and on the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 13, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
How much time should I spend entertaining my customers? Good question. The world of the field sales person is changing rapidly these days, and everything is in question. The practice of entertaining customers is one of those issues that needs to be rethought. First,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 7, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
We’re living in incredibly turbulent times. In spite of newspaper headlines proclaiming growing employment and a slowly growing economy, many business people admit to a pervasive feeling of uncertainty and confusion about their businesses. The well-spring of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 28, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
“Low price, low price, low price.” It’s the mantra that salespeople in every industry segment are hearing more these days than ever before. Customers, looking for ways to contain costs, naturally pressure their vendors for lower costs. But, is low price the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 16, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
Excerpted from 11 Secrets of Time Management for Sales People, Career Press Early into one of my sales positions, my boss informed me that the operations manager was upset with me. I was too focused and task-oriented in my dealing with the company’s internal...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 10, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Q: In regards to working on a big new project with a prospect, we showed huge savings and better operation. The customer gave all our information to the current supplier and they matched it. Is it ok to go above the buyer’s head? Q: One of my salespeople just spent a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Aug 10, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
Question: The thing that distinguishes us from our competition is service. How do I make service more tangible to our customer? Answer: This is a great question because it is so common. Let’s put it into perspective. Believe it or not, almost every company I deal...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 11, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Question: I like the idea of setting goals for personal improvement, not only with my sales people, but for my own growth and development as well. Can you give me a more specific idea of what kind of goals I should be creating? Answer: Sure. This is one of my hot...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 6, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
Remember John Delorean? He was the superstar General Motors executive who started the Delorean Motor Company. When the company began to falter, he was arrested and charged with complicity in a drug deal that some speculated was an attempt to raise money to prop up...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 28, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
I was speaking to a group of professional sales people in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the subject of integrity in business. At dinner later in the evening, my host, who had been sitting in the audience, sheepishly shared with me that several of the people seated...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 26, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q. Is “being yourself” a sales strategy? A. If you are naturally an attractive, sensitive, empathetic human being who everyone loves to be with, if you have a great measure of sensitivity and perceptiveness coupled with outstanding intelligence and unshakable...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 19, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force
A study published a few years ago identified the top five behavioral characteristics of the superstar sales people. Number two on the list was this: They ask better questions. Amazing. Of all the possibilities for ways that the superstars differ from average sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 15, 2017 | Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Question: I am currently working in a family business. For about ten years, sales have been decreasing. I was just appointed as the head of sales. I have several sales people who have been with the company for 30-40 years. They simply refuse any system or training...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jun 5, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
“I really struggle with the highs and lows of field sales. Most days I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Any suggestions?” This is one of those rarely voiced issues that every sales person confronts sooner or later. The job of the sales person...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 11, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
Whether you are a small business person, or a professional sales person, you can utilize leverage — a powerful strategy — to take your sales performance to dramatically higher levels.. Leverage revolves around the idea of multiplying the effects of some...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 17, 2017 | Leadership-Sales Force, Christian-Leadership
Decades ago, I almost lost my first professional sales position because of my Christian faith. “Being a Christian sales person is going to be tricky,” I concluded. While that may have been true in my young and immature mindset, over the years, I’ve...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 21, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Christian-Leadership
“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 to be pointed only at business...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 1, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
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-2012. I still recall a poignant...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 18, 2017 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
One of the most debilitating myths about the sales profession is this: Salespeople can learn on their own, on the job, and eventually become good at their jobs. They’ll eventually develop their own style, this myth implies, and that will bring them the maximum...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 31, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Field sales people have a unique aspect to their jobs – they have the ability to decide what to do every moment of every day. The need to make this decision – where to go, who to see, who to call, what to do – distinguishes the sales profession from most others. I’ve...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 20, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
“I have my own style of selling.”That is a remark I have heard a number of times, usually from relatively inexperienced salespeople. What they usually mean is something like this: “I don’t have any real system to what I do, I don’t want any scrutiny, and I am...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 10, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. In this, and the next few posts, I’m going to share those qualities that I believe mark a great business leader. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 9, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
Q: I’m seeing a lot of anxiety and nervousness about the economy all around me. Do you have any thoughts on how to respond to this? To my readers…This started out as a normal question and answer. The more I wrestled with my thoughts, the more I became convinced that...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 21, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
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 to see you. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 21, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Sales are down, operating expenses are up, management is crying that sales expenses are up. What should a salesperson do in such a situation? Answer: These certainly are challenging times. I’ve been through enough of these to have learned some things. ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 2, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. In this, and the next few posts, I’m going to share those qualities that I believe mark a great business leader. First, a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 27, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Leadership
In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. In this, and the next few posts, I’m going to share those qualities that I believe mark a great business leader. First, a...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 26, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
How do I sell to an account that is firmly in the hands of a competitor – a difficult key account? In one form or another, I hear that question at almost every sales seminar I teach. It’s a great question, reflecting one of the most perplexing and frustrating...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 25, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
In a previous post, I wrote that qualities of character in the CEO were a more important indicator of business success than the business model. Two questions popped up following that statement:Why do you say that?Which qualities of character are most important to...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jul 13, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Whether you are a small business person, or a professional sales person, you can utilize a powerful strategy to take your sales performance to dramatically higher levels — leverage. Definition Leverage revolves around the idea of multiplying the effects of some...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 27, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
Have you ever wondered how you can provide some motivation for yourself, or someone around you? As a professional speaker, I’m often asked to ‘motivate’ the audience. As a trainer and sales authority, I’m often asked to give my clients ideas on how they can motivate...
by Kahle Wisdom | May 13, 2016 | Leadership-General, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
The following scenario plays over and over again in every one of your sales territories every day. And it costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. I was working with one of my client’s salespeople. The client was an HVAC commercial contractor. The...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 27, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
“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, persuasive...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 15, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Q. How do you recommend I handle profanity from a customer? Q. What do you do when a customer becomes abusive with you? Loud, screaming, and personally threatening? Answer: I thought I’d put both of these together because they speak to similar situations. “The...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 4, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
I often hear my clients lament that they wish they had a more professional sales force. That idea of a “professional sales force” gets a lot of conversation in sales management and sales executive circles. But what exactly does it mean? And why is it a good thing?...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 1, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Best Practice #20: Is always well prepared to handle most common objections. Effectively handling objections is one of those practices that truly distinguish the committed, professional sales people from those who aren’t that interested. That’s because it takes time...
by Kahle Wisdom | Apr 1, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Q. How do you sell something if you don’t believe it is right for the customer? A. What a great question. I suspect that every salesperson, at some point in his career, wrestles with that question. What should you do about selling something you don’t believe...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 28, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Kingdom issues
Next week, I will be holding a free informational webinar to describe the opportunity to be a part of our third Christian Executive Mastermind group. We’ll choose a select group of 10 individuals to meet with monthly. We’ll meet via video webinar, and provide expert...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 15, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Are things changing rapidly in your business? Silly question, isn’t it? Of course they are changing. Rapid change is the distinguishing characteristic of the new millennium. Take that rapid change and add to it growing competition, increasing complexity,...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 15, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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 efforts...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 8, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Q. I find it difficult to stay upbeat and positive all the time. I have a tendency to get down on myself when something goes poorly and then find it hard to look forward to the next sales call. I can’t be the only salesperson who struggles with this. Can you help?...
by Kahle Wisdom | Mar 7, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Discipline is the second of my set of uncomfortable words that we would rather not hear. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get through life – or at least our work day – without any unpleasantries? Alas, we all know that won’t happen. Not only do we have to deal with...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 5, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
Best Practices for Sales People # 19: Keeps track of all the names, titles, and positions of all the key contact people within every account. This is so basic, you would think everyone would be doing it. Not so. I was sitting across the desk from the operations...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 5, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
Question: How do I overcome a customer’s negative perception of my company because of some earlier mishaps in the account? Answer: Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we didn’t have to deal with these kinds of situations? But, of course, these problems are, in one...
by Kahle Wisdom | Feb 5, 2016 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management, Christian-Kingdom issues
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get through life – or at least our work day – without any unpleasantries? Alas, we all know that won’t happen. Not only do we have to deal with difficult situations and trying people, but even our language contains words that make us...
by Kahle Wisdom | Jan 28, 2016 | Leadership-Sales Force
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 “listen” to the customer. (1) ...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 29, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: Giving quotes. Client (prospect) seems interested but never gets back to you. Answer: I’m assuming that the question here is, “How do I get the prospect to give me an answer when I provide a quote?” This is one of the most common frustrations for sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 29, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
Here again is one of those best practices that mark the behavior of the superstars, the top five percent of the sales force. Most salespeople never even consider this. Every salesperson has to compete for the business. In some cases, there can be dozens of...
by Kahle Wisdom | Dec 12, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
Question: To what extent should salespeople be responsible for collecting accounts receivable? Isn’t it a conflict to be responsible for both sales and collections? Answer: Great question, and one that comes up fairly frequently. Let’s think it through....
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 20, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force, Leadership-Sales Management
Are successful sales people made or born? It is the eternal question: the sales manager’s version of nature versus nurture.Since I spend most of my time teaching sales people how to become better at their jobs, I’m 100 percent in the “made” camp. There are best...
by Kahle Wisdom | Nov 20, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
“You should have an objective for every sales call.” That’s a bit of sage wisdom that we have all heard, probably multiple times, throughout our sales careers. Unfortunately, I disagree. I believe you should have four objectives for every sales call. Every sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 27, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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? Answer: This is the kind of question I field in almost every one of my seminars. The answer is a little more complex...
by Kahle Wisdom | Oct 18, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
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 | Oct 13, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
A study published a few years ago identified the top five behavioral characteristics of the superstar sales people. Number two on the list was this: They ask better questions. Amazing. Of all the possibilities for ways that the superstars differ from average sales...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 30, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
One of my clients recently mentioned to me that, when hiring prospective salespeople, 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 sales?’ What does it look...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 27, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
Dealing with a difficult customer – someone who is angry or upset – can be one of the most challenging and rewarding encounters for most companies. If your people handle the situation well, you will often gain a long-term customer. Mishandle it, and you’ll watch the...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 24, 2015 | Leadership-Entrepreneurs & Executives, Leadership-Sales Force
The world is full of B2B sales people who claim, quite proudly, to have great relationships with their customers. If that were true, it really would be great. But unfortunately, “great relationships” is too often a veil that sales people hide behind to keep from...
by Kahle Wisdom | Sep 22, 2015 | Leadership-Sales Force
I still remember the worst sales call I ever made. More than just remember it, I react to the memory. I get a queasy feeling in my stomach every time I think about it. It wasn’t just a bad sales call, it was a humiliating, embarrassing event. I don’t think I’ll...
