Over the course of my career, I’ve learned firsthand that one of the most important steps in an effective sales process is the identification of a prospect’s pain. But what does it take to do that? In my experience, the Sandler pain funnel is one of the most reliable methods to uncover a prospect’s pain.…
No means no in sales — or at the very least it means “not right now.” Continuing to pursue a prospect who’s just rejected your offer is both a waste of time and rude, and no salesperson with any experience (or integrity) will tell you otherwise. No response, on the other hand, can mean a…
Business is all about balance. If there’s a mismatch between assets and liabilities or spending and revenue, you’ve got a problem — and one that gets worse the longer it lasts. Balance sheets help you track and manage your company’s finances. As a freelance writer and small business owner, I use a basic balance sheet…
I’ve seen a lot of Shark Tank episodes, and if there’s one thing I know to be true about investors, it’s that they like to be involved. While this can be helpful for entrepreneurs seeking guidance and mentorship, some startups simply need the cash investment and aren’t looking for advice or opinions on how to…
The dominant narrative of business growth focuses on unicorn startups helmed by eccentric but brilliant Silicon Valley technocrats that venture capital firms pour money into. The true reality is that most startups and small businesses rely on personal savings for initial funds — and a third start with less than $5k. Because of this, knowing…
AI is making everyone ‘better’ at sales prospecting — and that’s exactly the problem. I get laughably bad sales prospecting emails every day. I mean really bad. But that’s swiftly changing, with AI making it increasingly easy for just about anyone to craft polished, personalized messages at scale. But therein lies the paradox. AI is…
Imagine this: you’re telling a friend about that new thing you just bought, and before you know it, they’re buying it, too. And while this may seem like no biggie, that, my dear reader, wasn’t just a random exchange of information. What you experienced is the magic of peer-to-peer selling, live and in-action. When you…
Here’s a major truth bomb for anyone working in sales: you don’t close deals by talking at people. You close deals by understanding them; I know, I know — this isn’t a huge shocker. However, you’d be This starts by understanding that instead of just selling to them, you’ve got to learn how to steer…
I once closed Q4 (and a couple of significant deals) on a family Disney World trip for Christmas — all because I was able to leverage my sales playbook. I used end-of-year email templates to send follow-ups from the theme park. I used call scripts to make calls from the beach. I checked my inbox…
Negotiations don‘t always leave a ton of room for error. Arriving at a mutually beneficial outcome that suits both sides and helps foster a productive, long-term relationship isn’t a given — and professionals often hit common hitches and hiccups when negotiating. They fall back on tactics and habits that can hurt all parties involved. So…