Why Companies are Failing to Duplicate Great Sales Professionals

Last month, Indeed put out a list of the main characteristics that make up a great salesperson.  They make the statement that, “It’s said that it takes a unique type of personality to succeed in sales, possessing most of if not all the following characteristics.”      The list they compiled was composed of the […]

Why Sales Teams Are Struggling to Perform in 2021

Over the last year, 2 dominant themes have surfaced for most businesses; almost regardless of industry.  First is supply chain issues worldwide and the impact on ordering and logistically receiving raw materials and products.  The second is people, in particular, hiring, developing, and retaining staffing.  The global pressure to find not just employees, but good […]

Master the Playbook – Situational Fluency

Over the years, our clients have asked us a very important question.  This question has been asked several different ways but they can be summed up with the following:  “How do I become more Situationally Fluent in my internal and external conversations with others?”  It’s a great question and my response is to actually ask […]

Psychological Safety – Free to Frozen

There are moments when I realize that a topic for a blog might come at the exact right time. Recently, I had several of our clients independently ask me questions about Psychological Safety and how it impacts performance including execution, and innovation. If you’ve ever thought about the impact of Psychological Safety on your team, […]

Purpose filled Credibility

When someone asks you about your personal strengths, do you describe communication as a top skill?  I was recently watching a YouTube clip from Warren Buffet, and he stated:  “Best investment you can make is in yourself and that the best gift you can give yourself is the ability to communicate.” In fact, he says […]

The Formula for GREAT Questions

How do you create a GREAT sales question?  That’s easy…you intentionally structure the question so it shows understanding, a focus on them, and empathy. Over the last several weeks we have been dissecting Walt Whitman’s quote, “Be Curious, Not Judgmental” and how it pertains to Sales Questioning.  As we wrap up this series of blogs, […]

The GOOD Question Killer

Have you ever found yourself in a moment where you incorrectly judged a situation because you chose not to be curious?   Yep, me too.  I have also learned that prejudgment can come at a cost.   I remember a few years back I had a young woman interviewing for a telemarketing position at my old […]

Conversation Curiosity

Like most Americans, I was introduced to the concept of “binge watching” over the past 18 months. This is the act of watching a documentary, comedy, musical, or full-length motion picture at any time and at a back-to-back pace.  If your family is like mine, we went back and watched classics like Harry Potter, awaited […]

The Teeter-Totter- Balancing Live and Virtual Exchanges

 Have you noticed that people are back? As I was watching the PGA Golf Championship a few weeks ago, I was struck by the number of fans that were swarming around Phil Mickelson as he made history by becoming the oldest player in PGA history to win a major championship (let’s hear it for 50-year-olds). […]

The Impact Value of a Question

When you are preparing to meet with a new client, everyone has their own little rituals they go through prior to that sales conversation.  Some sales professionals take a few minutes to: focus on key points go for a quick walk or sit in the car listening to music to clear their heads,  shake their […]