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Cold Call Bullpen

A one-time widget seller told me a fascinating piece of history the other day. Huge firm Arrow Electronics used to have what they termed a bullpen. Their American HQ sales office was by all accounts a fairly intimidating place to work. Investment in fixtures and fittings was not high on

Is Price Pitching A 20% Loser?

Working with a technology sales team recently, they were bemoaning that a contract won today would shrink by a quarter by the time of renewal next year. Yet in a world seemingly fixated on cheapness, they felt the value they provided gave both a merited premium and an offer of

Wood For The Trees

[https://salespodder.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/02/20120223-142835.jpg] I witnessed a test the other day at the hands of a wiley old rep. “Look out the window and say what you can see”, he said. So, you’re in New York, you see skyscrapers. But then you look

New York School

Here’s two tips I picked up from a one-time New York commodities broker. First, he’d developed a one-line approach to emails. The question would be in the subject line. Below, he’d simply type; > Yes, No, Maybe So? And went on to tell me of a huge

How Did You Get My Number?

Two decades ago I was thrust into the word of cold-calling. One of the more experienced sellers sitting nearby was tasked with ‘helping’ me. I say that, but really, he couldn’t have cared less. We each had a printout, the old style dot matrix kind with the holes down

What Can Change?

[https://salespodder.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/02/20120218-064136.jpg] I do enjoy a good yarn about how a new, disruptive, innovative product came to life. And here’s a real goodie. About time too, we English now have a new plug. The story is heartwarming for those of us

Innovation ≠ Invention

I was flicking through one of the Fast Company sites recently. I’m always interested in the sources of innovation, so clicked with eagerness to learn about the six questions [http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679231/the-6-questions-that-lead-to-new-innovations] that lead to new innovations. But what a missed opportunity. It was far too

Let's Keep In Touch

Someone showed me a funky new businesscard the other day. It was the kind of vibe that the dotcom boom seemed to herald way back in the late 90s. Yet never quite materialised in the flesh. Here’s a pic from the company responsible. [https://salespodder.com/content/images/wordpress/

Walk Into Reception

Here’s a story I just heard from a delightful Kiwi chap. He’d tried the usual cold calls and emails to opem up a particular buyer at a mining concern. He reckoned ten email messages had gone unanswered. Yet he was convinced they had a need which he could

Your Valentine Client

[https://salespodder.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/02/20120214-0702131.jpg] Got a date this Valentine’s? I’m a long way from home. I dined out to be served by the entertaining Ashley. By day a self-described Virgin America professional soda can opener. By night a waitress and studying business