Topic

academy

A collection of 125 issues

Informal Requirements Analysis

Here’s an awesome application of a solution selling technique that one of my young coders hit me with the other day. And what a pleasure it was to hear. Alex wanted to know more about a particular app we’re developing internally to help productivity benefit from web 2.

First Meeting Outline

Several templates are knocking about for how to conduct a first meeting in B2B solution sales. I’ve always pretty much stuck to the one I first got taught way back in the day by two guys within 3 months of each other. I was amazed at the time that

Presentation Pauses & Structure

How many presentation skills training courses have you been on? It’s possibly the most common kind of sales-y training non-reps go on. There’s positively oodles of tips around the web, and to add to that surfeit, here’s three hints I took when hearing an explanation of just

Stumbling Over A Close

We all know closing should be a smooth process, one where we preferably ask for the order without there being any discernible change in conversation flow, and so that the prospect wasn’t even aware we closed them. Yet on Wednesday, I found myself in the middle of a couple

When do you Negotiate on Price?

This was a question posed on a sales & marketing forum I wandered into the other day. I had a few moments, so typed an answer away to help the fella, called Bjorn. I was delighted when he later awarded my experience as “best answer”. Thanks fella! Here it is: The

Using Call-Off Selling

At a number of sales operations recently I’ve come across this great tactic. A “call-off contract” estimates a total amount of spend over a period of time, and gains commitment that an amount of deliverable can be obtained in return. Services that utilise this technique include such diverse items

Do You Use A 'Colour Commentator'?

Someone sent me a link to a summary of a book by Joe DiMisa, The Fisherman’s Guide to Selling: Reel in the Sale – Hook, Line and Sinker.A typically American title you may think, it describes the six main activities/roles which each meeting must exhibit to be a

On-Call Note Taking

Here’s a fascinating subject brought to my attention by a fella called Tom at one of my recent customers. He mentioned to me that he was dyslexic and not wanting to use that as an excuse, was eager to improve his note making skills and asked my advice. I

Offering Credible Discounts

At an internal sales meeting I attended last week at one of my customers, the boss asked why it was that the reps always talk about round figure discounts? Typically in increments of 2½ percent? At the bottom of a quote is often a line something like “less discount – 15%

Ditch Those Old Shoes

One of my customer’s is at present trying to nail an objection that’s preventing some of their guys from prising open the door of potential new clients. When cold-calling, they introduce themselves only to receive the ‘we’ve already got a supplier for that’ flea in the ear.