Dave Kahle Wisdom

Practical Wisdom Blog by Dave Kahle

Podcasts and blog posts to help sales professionals and business executives sell better, lead better, and live better.

I’m glad you found your way here.

I’ve spent 30 years in the business trenches; it’s been full and fulfilling. In that time, I’ve been the number one salesperson in the country for two different companies in two different industries. I’ve written 13 books, spoken in 47 states and 11 countries, and personally and contractually worked with over 500 organizations. I’ve touched tens of thousands of people through my articles, podcasts, webinars and seminars.

On the personal side, my life has been full as well. Coleen and I have raised 5 children, helped with 19 foster children, and enjoy 14 grandchildren. I’ve been a father, a foster father, a stepfather, an adoptive father and a grandfather – and now you know why my hair is grey!

In all of this, my faith is very important to me, and provided me with my “Why” as well as a unique perspective.

As you might imagine, in all of this, I’ve learned a few things. I’ve made lots of mistakes and have had my share of success. And, while I’m still learning, I want to share with you some of the practical wisdom I’ve gained along the way.

You’ll find that some of my ideas will challenge you – as I tend to see things in non-conventional way. As you interact with what I share, you’ll find that some of your fondest beliefs and most comfortable paradigms may be in for revision.

Is The System the Solution?

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...

Q & A for Sales People: Time management –Are you a lap dog?

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...

Is “On The Job” Training the Best Way to Develop a Sales Person?

In our surveys,  CEOs indicate “on the job” training as the predominant method of developing sales people.  If everyone is doing it, it must be OK, right? I don’t think so.  See if this sounds familiar.  You are ready to...

Sales Leader’s Q & A: Goals in an Uncertain Economy

Question: How can I set sales goals with any degree of reliability when this year’s economy is so uncertain? Answer: I can appreciate your problem.  The economic atmosphere is so uncertain it’s difficult to predict what is going to happen...

Four Fundamentals of Key Account Selling

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 penetrating...

Penalize sales people?

Question: Our president recently suggested that we penalize the sales people for not meeting their goals by taking commissions away from them. Do you have any thoughts? Answer: Wow.  My initial reaction is that it sounds so harsh.  Put that...

Is it Time to Concentrate on Sales Productivity?

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...

Call Prospects Every Hour?

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...

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