Back when I was growing my original Proforma distributorship, I was teaching one of our newer sales reps how to conduct field calls. In my view, field calling is a lost skill. Sadly, in this day of email and voicemail, salespeople think they don’t need to get out and do field calls. I strongly disagree… Read More
Tag: Sales
When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your… Read More
Trade Shows: To Exhibit or Not
I am very involved in the community and am a member of a number of organizations. For me, it’s a great way to stay connected. I had two different groups recently host combination-type trade shows and networking events. I exhibited at one and attended the other. It really got me to thinking, what’s the best… Read More
Why Brand Identity Matters
In the business world we are sometimes reminded that we are not always selling our product, but often we are selling our brand. It is a simple idea that has only become more relevant over the years as powerful brands such as Apple®, Nike® and Disney® have shown time and time again just how far… Read More
Making a Strong Sales Force Part One: Follow Up is Key
The driving force of any company, big or small, is a successful sales team pounding the pavement to bring in new business. Without this team, there would be no sales. Without sales, there would be no company. Because you know the importance of a strong sales team operating effectively, you know how frustrating it can… Read More
Stop Telling and Start Showing: 4 Tips to Build Authority
You’ve probably heard it over and over again, companies and business professionals claiming they’re different and not like everyone else, implying that they’ll provide better service, cheaper prices or something else that’ll benefit the customer that can’t be found elsewhere. It’s a nice claim to make and although it sounds promising, unfortunately, it’s just not… Read More
Stacking the Deck for Sales Success in the Age of Information Imbalance
The sales game has changed, significantly, due to the power shift that comes along with consumers having access to unlimited information, reviews and feedback via the internet. Selling to the uninformed always gave sales professionals an upper hand – they were relied upon for basic information that was otherwise unattainable. But that is the sales… Read More
3 Ways to Boost Employee Morale in a Commission-Based Workplace
If you manage a sales team, it’s likely that most of your staff is commission-based. While that can create opportunities for your team to have unlimited earning potential, it also means that there will inevitably be slow times and hours of work will go unpaid. In this environment, it becomes a necessity to keep employees… Read More
How to Conduct a Proper Phone Interview: 5 Easy Steps to Success
As I mentioned in my last blog post, the phone interview saves time by allowing me to pre-screen candidates and get information that doesn’t appear in the cover letter or resume. When done right, phone interviews help narrow down the pool of candidates before bringing finalists in for a face-to-face interview. Here are five tips… Read More
When It Comes to Advertising, Personality Sells
Nobody likes plain. Face it; plain is boring. You don’t see someone ordering a pizza and when asked about toppings, say “Just keep it plain.” That means either you have a food allergy (which is ok) or you scoff at awesome (which is not ok). If you’re watching TV and a commercial comes on that’s… Read More
3 Reasons to Implement A Call to Action Marketing Strategy
As the disciplines of sales and marketing become more intertwined thanks to modern age of instant connectivity, we find that there’s a need now more than ever to ensure that marketing initiatives have a strong call to action marketing strategy. Many times we see that brands are incredibly active with both digital marketing as well… Read More