High-performing sales professionals aren’t triggered to surrender by a sales objection. Instead, they use objections to craft personalized value propositions to differentiate their company, their offerings — and ultimately close the deal. As a long-time sales and business development professional, I’ve always seen sales objections as guideposts along a buying process: they tell me what…
Before you start Googling: No, AI agents aren’t secret spies fueled by mysterious government schemes. The AI agents I’m talking about actually serve an entirely different purpose. And I know you’re probably like, “What’s this lady even going on about?” I know I sound cryptic AF, so allow me to explain further. Despite their misleading…
Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. If you’re…
As a sales manager, your team’s Effective sales activity management helps you make data-driven adjustments to your sales strategy, set clear goals for your team, and directly influence revenue and business outcomes. In this post, I’ll go over tips for how to manage sales activity (with insight from experts) and recommend software that can help…
I have always found the best approach to getting the highest email open and conversion rates — all while evading junk folders — is to write a captivating email subject line. I know I’m not alone in that assessment. Surveys found that 64% of respondents said subject lines determine whether they open or delete an…
I find economics confusing. There, I said it. On the surface, it’s easy: If companies can match supply with demand, they can generate revenue. If they understand demand drivers, they can find the right price point. Look a little deeper, however, and things get confusing. Consider the concept of price elasticity. It’s a measure of…
When slow business hits, that simple “How’s business?” question feels like a punch to the gut. As someone who’s navigated slow business from every angle — in content marketing, sales, and freelancing — I know that pit in your stomach all too well. The casual “Great!” response feels a bit forced, doesn’t it? Especially when…
I stumbled into a sales career by accident. After a few years of freelancing, I realized my favorite part of work was meeting business owners and helping them figure out ways to overcome their biggest obstacles. Is that sales? It’s never felt like it — which is probably why I’ve always enjoyed it. To say…
Last week, I spent nearly two hours trying to schedule a single meeting with team members across three time zones. After countless back-and-forth emails and calendar checks, I finally landed on a time that worked — only to have someone realize they had a conflict. Finding a meeting time that works for everyone is a…
When it comes to nailing a sales presentation, remember to follow this basic rule: Care about what your customer cares about. Keeping this at the forefront is what’s helped Doug Spencer, a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Bold Xchange, an online gifting software tool, secure roughly $1 million in outside capital. Some…