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 “On The Job” Training the Best Way to Develop a Sales Person? (SM-31)

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...

Are You a Successful Sales Person?

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...

Two Simple Rules to Close More Effectively (S-60)

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. ...

Before You Deal with Objections, Finesse the Customer

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...

Four Ways You Can Practice Sales (S-50)

“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...

Three reasons sales people are so poor at making a presentation (S-67)

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 presentations...

Just Listen!

  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...

Better Sales Questions

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...

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