My First Day In Sales

My first job in sales was almost an accident.  I had just completed my master’s degree and was in desperate need of a job.  I looked in the paper under sales, because I naively thought that “I would be good at sales.”  I saw an ad that read, “no experience necessary, make six figures.”  I thought to myself, “I have no experience and I would love to make six figures, …

11 Biggest Mistakes Sales Professionals Make in Their Presentations

This guest post is by renowned speech coach and sales trainer Patrica Fripp.  Join Patricia and David Hoffeld onThursday, November 17, 2016 at 2:00pm PST, when they collaborate to bring you a web event based on David’s new book, The Science of Selling. Register and enjoy a replay even if you can’t attend this complimentary web event. In the meantime, continue reading as Patricia shares the 11 biggest mistakes sales professionals make in their …

Sales Innovation Does Not Occur By Looking In The Mirror

In the past, sales leaders attempted to innovate by looking for best practices.  That is to say, they look at what top salespeople are doing and implore others to go and do likewise.  In other words, we attempt to innovate by replicating what others like us are doing. What have the results been from these attempts to use the mirror as a tool for innovation?  Not good.  The data reveals …

Why I Wrote THE SCIENCE OF SELLING

The Science of Selling is a different kind of sales book.  What makes it different?  It’s not based on my career in sales or best practices that I made up by evaluating a certain group of salespeople.  Instead, it’s based on what selling should always be focused on – buyers.  Well, more specifically what thousands of scientific studies have proven regarding how potential customers’ brains make buying decisions.

Should A Manager Be Liked?

Why are some managers more effective than others?   In the last few decades there has been a substantial amount of research that has verified the specific behaviors that can increase management effectiveness. One of the most surprising research findings was that great managers are liked by those they manage.  The following are four reasons why management likeability is essential.

How To Sell With Integrity

There is no doubt that integrity matters in business and sales.  To become a successful sales person, you must be trustworthy, honest and dependable.  In today’s transparent marketplace, salespeople who will do or say anything to earn a sale are a liability that is simply bad for business. 

How To Create A Sales Compensation Plan

If you are a sales or business leader how can you create a sales compensation plan that will improve sales results?  Here are four rules that will help guide you in devising highly effective pay plans.

Laugh Your Way to More Sales

Greg was a sales person that I will never forget.  He would often barrage prospects with a seemingly endless supply of sarcastic remarks.  Though his first quip would usually inspire a grin, as the attempts at humor continued, prospects would become annoyed and then attempt to disengage from the sale.  In the end, Greg’s ineffective use of humor cost him sales. Unfortunately, Greg is not alone.  Many sales people struggle …

How to Upsell

One way that you can boost your sales is by upselling.  Yet, what is the most effective way to create these opportunities?   Here are four strategies that will increase the likelihood that prospects will respond favorably to your upselling attempts. 

How Science Can Help You Sell More

How can you increase your sales?  This is where behavioral science – the study of how the human brain makes choices and which factors influence what we say, how we act, and what we decide to buy  – can help.  Here’s three science-backed principles that will increase your sales success.

3 Ways Behavioral Science Can Increase Your Sales

Education, marketing and economics are just a few of the growing number of disciplines that have realized that the insights derived from behavioral science are just too significant to ignore.  Even the United States Government has recently stated that it will begin using behavioral science to design policies to better serve its citizens.  Yet, nowhere can the research-backed insights from behavioral science make more impact than in selling.