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Home  /  Sales & Sales Process Articles

Sales & Sales Process Articles

When You Fling Mud at Competitors, You Get Dirty, Too
By Charles H. Green

5 Ways to Win Business and Influence Decision Makers
By Nancy Fox

Don't Let Salespeople Waste Time on Pipe Dreams
By Terry Slattery

Sales Basics: Top 5 Tips for New Sellers
By Jill Konrath

Sales Evolution: 7 Roles and 7 Skills You Must Master
By Michael W. McLaughiln

Throw Away that Sales Pipeline
By Lance E. Osborne

Dangerous Lies Sales People Tell Themselves
By Colleen Francis

One Question to Ask Every Client
By Michael W. McLaughiln

Your Conversation Game Plan: 8 Steps to Leading Sales Conversations
By Alan Weiss

What to Say When a Client Claims Your Price is Too High
By Charles H. Green

Give Clients the Facts, and You'll Get Them to Act
By Michael W. McLaughiln

How to Make a Prospect Love You
By Alan Weiss

Top Ways to Network for More Clients and Referrals
By Nancy Fox

How Poor Cross-Selling is Ruining Your Business
By Charles H. Green

Are Your Sales Questions Holding You Back?
By Michael W. McLaughiln

7 Sales Mistakes Guaranteed to Make Your New Service Fail
By Jill Konrath

Focus on Effective Sales if You Want Future Sales
By Charles H. Green

Is Your Value Proposition Utterly Worthless?
By Jill Konrath

Watch What You Say: How Poor Communication Skills Can Lead to Lost Business
By Alan Weiss

What It Takes To Win Heavily Competitive Deals
By Mike Schultz

The Paradox of Selling: How to Sell Without Making Buyers Feel Sold
By Charles H. Green

5 Easy Ways to Get Prospects to Complete the Sales Circle
By Ron Smith

Beware of the Seduction of Low-Hanging Fruit
By Jill Konrath

Two Minds Are Better Than One: The Power of Team Selling
By Erica Stritch

No Quick Tips or Tricks: Use Principles to Sell
By Charles H. Green

My Best Sale: 4 Principles for Guiding Your Actions in Sales Conversations
By Charles H. Green

Getting in the Door: The Key to Convincing Decision Makers You're Worthy of a Conversation
By Jill Konrath

True Confessions of a Sales Expert: One Really Bad Sales Call Worth Learning From
By Jill Konrath

10 Sales Survival Lessons that Aren't "For the Birds"
By Alan Weiss

Should I Network on LinkedIn and the Rest?
By Mike Schultz

17 Trust-Based Tips for Selling in a Recession
By Charles H. Green

Networking Made Easy: Step-by-Step Advice for How to Win Clients and Referral Sources
By C.J. Hayden

How to Pick the One Service You Should Sell to Get Your Foot in the Door
By Jill Konrath

Networking Heaven: How Every Small Business Can Win New Clients by Cross-Selling to Other Firms
By Olga Taylor and Barbara Bix

"Get Out of My Office": Why Closing Techniques Will Make Your Prospects Cringe
By Jill Konrath

Knock 7 Times If You Want Me: Why You Need Patience and Persistence to Turn Prospects into Clients
By Erica Stritch

Keys to Improving Your Listening so You Can Hear What Your Prospects Have to Say
By Ardath Albee

A Simple Form of Networking Even the Most Introverted Professional Can Enjoy
By Mike Schultz

Stop Sounding Like a Self-Serving Salesperson
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

3 Steps for Involving Everyone at Your Firm in the Sales Process
By Erica Stritch

10 Rules for Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
By Erica Stritch

Diagnosis Disaster: How to Stop Yourself from Solving the Wrong Client Problems
By Michael W. McLaughlin

The Power of Silence: A Simple Sales Tactic that Will Get Your Prospects Talking More
By Jill Konrath

Premature Proposals: 8 Things You Need to Know before You Submit One
By Andrew Sobel

4 Tips for Making Sales Conversations Easier to Lead
By C.J. Hayden

Down Economy? Sell Your Way Out
By Alan Weiss

Good Consultants with Bad Reputations? How to Leave Clients Satisfied with Your Quality Work
By Fiona Czerniawska

Lying to Get Past the Gatekeeper: 3 True Tales of Deception Your Firm Should Learn From (Part II)
By Colleen Francis

Tips for Improving Your Networking Know-How
By Scott Ginsberg

Sales Pipeline Metrics: 5 Steps for Tracking Your Firm's Progress in Hitting Its Sales Goals
By Paul Gladen

The Anatomy of a Sale: A Step-by-Step Review of One Success Story
By C.J. Hayden

You Had Me at Hello: 9 Ways to Quickly Gain Trust during the Sales Process
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

Are You Selling Blind? 7 Keys to Understanding the Full Value of Your Services
By Don Linder

Too Busy? Try the No-Time Networking Plan
By Keith Ferrazzi

6 Keys for Planning Stellar Oral RFP Presentations
By Dave Alexander

How to Nail Your Networking Intro
By Scott Ginsberg

Why Client Focus Can't Be About Profits
By Charles H. Green

Just Stop Selling, Okay?
By Alan Weiss

The Number One Strategy for Reaching Your Unreachable Sales Goals
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Sleep-Inducing Slides: 5 Simple Rules for Captivating Presentations
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

What to Do When Your Prospects Fish for Free Answers
By Vickie Sullivan

Keys to Connecting with Prospects in the Information Age
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

3 Steps Business Developers Can Take When Prospects 'Need to Think About' Buying
By Erica Stritch

15 Tips for Being a Conference Commando (Part II)
By Keith Ferrazzi

Services Selling: 'I Didn't Raise You to Be a Salesman!'
By Mike Schultz, Publisher, and John Doerr, Contributing Editor

Reject Me, Please
By Alan Weiss, Contibuting Editor

When the Price Isn't Right: How to Respond to Bargain Buyers
By Vickie Sullivan, Contributing Editor

15 Tips for Being a Conference Commando
By Keith Ferrazzi

3 Lessons from a Top-Performer's School of Hard Knocks
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Facebook or LinkedIn: Which Networking Sites Should You Join?
By Krishna De

Crisis of Confidence: The Need for More Self-Esteem Among Consultants
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

Two Rainmaking Traps Smart, Hard-Working Professionals Fall Into
By Ford Harding

12 Ways to Keep Your Business Relationships Alive
By Scott Ginsberg

You've Submitted the Proposal. Now What?
By Ilise Benun and Peleg Top

7 Steps that Make Following Up by Phone Easier
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

4 Things to Do When Clients Pressure You for Lower Fees
By Mike Schultz, Publisher

5 Critical Skills That Make A Salesperson A Professional
By Jeff Thull

How To Sell Services When Everybody Wants Them
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Value For Time: 10 Keys To Having Worthwhile Conversations
By Andrew Sobel

What Marketing Works? 4 Questions To Ask Your Small Business Clients
By Sridhar Ramanathan

What To Say About The Competition When Your Prospects Ask
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

5 Keys To Understanding The Corporate Buyer
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

How We Sabotage Our Own Sales (And What to Do About It)
By Jeff Thull

Sales Archeology: The Power Of Asking Questions To Unearth Your Client's Past
By Paul Cherry

50 Networking Thoughts Everyone Should Read
By Scott Ginsberg

3 Tips For Following Up On Your Networking Conversations
By Ilise Benun

The Too 'Salesy' Paradox: Why Firms Can't Sell (and What to Do About It)
By By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

How To Leave Voicemail Messages That Have Prospects Begging To Meet You
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

The 'I'm Too Busy To Sell' Excuse: What It Really Means
By Cal Harrison

The Art of Listening: Establishing Trust without Saying a Thing
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

The Art of Listening: Dispelling Conventional Wisdom
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

8 Effective Ways To Remember A Person's Name
By Scott Ginsberg

Overcoming Your Fear Of Selling With The Telephone
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

Beyond Pretty: How To Design An Effective Proposal
By Mel Lester

The Best Word In B-to-B Transactions Is 'No' & Other Sales Tips
By Jim Camp

Why Elevator Pitches Never Go Forward (Just Up And Down)
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

It's A Slippery Scope: The Trouble With Project Boundaries
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Overcoming a Client's Lack of Urgency to Close the Sale
By Mike Schultz, Publisher, and John Doerr, Contributing Editor

Tips For Learning What Clients Want (Part II)
By Mitchell Goozé

How To Quick-Start Networking Conversations
By Ilise Benun

Tips For Learning What Clients Want (When They Don't Know)
By Mitchell Goozé

When 'No' Is Better Than 'Yes': The Advantage Of Sales Rejection
By Sandy O'Dell

Creative Networking: How to Create Your Own Business Development Community
By Nancy Martinez

3 Telephone Business Development Goals Every Firm Should Have
By Bob Howard

Into Thin Air: How To Prevent Hot Leads From Vanishing
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Turning Samples Of Your Services Into Sales
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

Why Your Proposals Make Readers Drowsy
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Are You Worthy Of Your Clients' Trust?
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

The Three Roles Of The New Breed Of Business Developers
By Jonathan Farrington

Preparing For Six Tough Questions Your Prospects Will Ask
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

'Getting It': Three Insights From Proven Rainmakers
By Ford Harding

Give The Client Some Help (To Help You Make The Sale)
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

Finding New Prospects Within Large Client Companies
By Ken Carson

Selling By Doing And Not By Telling
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

3 Cornerstones to Delivering an Effective Telephone Pitch
By Mark Fortune

Kill Scope Creep: How To Manage Project Change Requests
By Ed Kless

12 Must-Have Elements For Your Scope Document
By Ed Kless

Write Your Next Proposal Sitting Beside Your Prospect
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

You'll Gain More Credibility Through The Questions You Ask...Than The Stories You Tell
By Jeff Thull

How to Evaluate Whether Your Sales Software Helps or Hurts Your Business
By Patrick Cahill

Referrals: What To Do Once Your Foot's In The Door
By Vickie Sullivan, Contributing Editor

The Ten Commandments For Shortening Your Sales Cycle (Over Time)
By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

The Trouble With Elevator Speeches
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

5 Common Ways Professionals Sabotage Their Sales and Marketing Efforts
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

When a Client Says 'No': Learning from Your Lost Proposals
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Getting To Aha!: Using Metaphors To Persuade And Sell
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

You Won the Client! Now Start Marketing to Them
By Mike Schultz, Publisher

Are You Going To Believe Me Or Your Lying Eyes?
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

Growing Your Share of the Client's Wallet Through Cross-Selling
By Suzanne Lowe

Don't Handle Objections Like Snakes
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

Scrap Your Elevator Speech: How to Create High-Credibility Conversations
By Jeff Thull

Friends, Motives & Profits: Avoiding Fear-Based Selling
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

The $500 Conversation: Holding Sales Meetings Prospects Would Pay For
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Speak to Sell: 3 Ways to Convert Audience Members Into Clients
By Vickie K. Sullivan, Contributing Editor

6 Ways To Lose Your Client To A Competitor
By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

Lead Generation Insight 4: Integrate Your Tactics!
By RainToday Research

Risky Business: Addressing the Concerns That Can Stop Sales
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

How To Prevent 11th Hour Negotiations
By Jeff Thull

News Flash: Killer Sales Disease Strikes!
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

5 Essential Tips to Building Real Rapport with Clients & Prospects
By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

How Many People Should You Bring To The Next Marketing Pitch?
By Sara Holtz

Ten Tips To Writing A Winning Business Proposal
By Elizabeth Henry and Jeff Scurry

Beware! Your True Sales Intentions Are Showing
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

The 10 Don'ts Of Writing A Winning Business Proposal
By Elizabeth Henry and Jeff Scurry

7 Common Sales Challenges That Prevent Executive Level Access
By Jeff Thull

When To Walk Away From A Proposal Request
By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

Listen To The Silence
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

The Ten Commandments (Plus Five) Of Highly Profitable Sales Letter Writing
By Ernest W. Nicastro

How Not To Ruin Your PowerPoint Presentation
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Understanding the Three Traps of Conventional Selling
By Jeff Thull

Stop Being So Nice... It's Not What Prospects Are Looking For
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

The Case For Knowing How You Make A Difference
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Stop Trying To Close The Sale
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

Three Myths Of The Sales Proposal
By Michael W. McLaughlin

Making It Past "White Fang": How to Reach Senior-Level Executives Using Direct Mail
By Ernest Nicastro

Stop Selling And Start Serving
By C.J. Hayden

Best Practices To Excel In New Business Competitions
By Janet Ellen Raasch

Service Provider Or Business Partner: Which Are You?
By Karen L. Compton

When To Say I'm Not Going To Do That
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

10 Things To Consider For A Successful Presentation
By George Calys

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Association Membership
By Wendy Ward

What To Do When Sales Calls Stall
By Paul Cherry

Why Your Sales Process Matters Less Than The Psychology Of Selling
By Charles H. Green, Contributing Editor

3 Invaluable Lessons In Selling From An Unlikely Source
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

How To Hook Your Prospect With Your Elevator Speech
By Felipe Aguiar

Unseating An Incumbent Provider
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Inviting Prospects In: How to Provide Value and Build Trust in the Sales Cycle
By Michael Port

How to Communicate the Value of Your Services
By John Doerr, Contributing Editor

Entering The Federal Market Rainstorm: Does It Make Sense For Your Firm?
By Dave Alexander

Creatively Cracking Into Corporate Accounts
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

How To Respond To Your Prospects' "Objections" And Ask For The Sale
By Ilise Benun

If You Think The Letters "RFP" Are Dangerous, Try "DNC" (Does Not Comply)!
By Eliot Madow

The Most Dangerous Letters In Sales Are RFPs
By Steve Waterhouse

Networking That Works
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

Why Do You Charge So Much? Because I Can. Motivate With Value, Not Price
By Barry Maher

How To Avoid 6 Common Sales Mistakes
By Paul Cherry

Rethinking Referrals
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Off The Wall: The Martial Arts Of Selling
By Alan Weiss, Contributing Editor

Using Stories To Sell: What Makes A Good Anecdote?
By Ford Harding

Overcome Common Selling Challenges By Telling Anecdotes
By Ford Harding

Passing The "Tell Me More" Test
By Jill Konrath, Contributing Editor

Prospects When You Least Expect Them
By Rebecca Gould, Editor

Selling Consulting Services: How To Land Your First Client
By Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor

Internetworking: 5 Ways to Develop Mutually Valuable Relationships Online
By Scott Ginsberg

7 Strategies To Create New Client Relationships After A Promotion (Part Two)
By Andrew Sobel

Breaking The Voicemail Barrier
By C.J. Hayden, Contributing Editor

7 Strategies To Create New Client Relationships After A Promotion
By Andrew Sobel

Telling Ain't Selling: Learning To Sell The Right Way
By Abhay Padgaonkar

The Presentation Trap: Why Making Presentations Can Cost You The Sale
By Jeff Thull

Selling With Salad In Your Hair: A True Story
By Steve Waterhouse

Approachability Versus "Working A Room"
By Scott Ginsberg

Your Business Card Ritual: Is It Right For You?
By Barry Moltz

Are You Scaring Your Prospects Away?
By Jill Konrath

Five Sales Letter Mistakes To Avoid
By Ernest Nicastro

Preventing And Reviving The "Silent Prospect": What Every Service Provider Should Know
By Tim Adams

Cold Calling vs. Warm Calling: It's All In Your Head!
By Wendy Weiss

11 Ways to Recognize and Pursue Opportunities with Current Clients
By Catherine Jewell

Three Deadly Words You Need To Stop Using Now
By Jill Konrath

How To Write A Killer Proposal
By Michael W. McLaughlin

How To Prevent "Unpaid Consulting": Timely Advice For Today's Service Providers
By Jeff Thull

Don’t Treat Clients Like Competitors! The Four Principles Of Trust-Based Selling
By Charles H. Green

Be Prepared: Getting Ready For Impromptu Sales Conversations At Events
By Julia O'Connor

Six Tips To Integrate Sales, Marketing, And Communications, Online And Off
By David Meerman Scott

19 Techniques To Get More From Your Conversations
By Andrew Sobel

An Insider's Guide To Selling To Government (Part Two)
By Cal Harrison

An Insider's Guide To Selling To Government (Part One)
By Cal Harrison

Most Common Mistakes Professionals Make When Selling
By RainToday Research

Proposals That Close Business
By Alan Weiss

Selling One Step At A Time
By Jill Konrath

Perspective From Architecture, Engineering, And Construction: Presentation Lessons From The Other Side Of The Table
By Stephanie Craft, CPSM

Writing A Winning Proposal
By Dan Safford

Perspective From Accounting: Building A 'Ferrari' Referral Network
By Gale Crosley, CPA

13 Useful Rules For Handling Objections In The Sales Process
By John Doerr

How To Create Your Unique Elevator Speech
By Kimberly Kayler, CPSM, CSI

A "Done Deal" Can Suddenly Become A Dead Deal
By Barry Moltz

Hidden Advice In American Film For Selling Professional Services
By Mike Schultz

How To Offend Your Prospect, And Other Hard-Earned Selling Lessons
By Jill Konrath

From Layoffs To Payoffs: Getting Your Practice Out Of A Revenue Slump (Part Two)
By Cal Harrison

Marketing And Selling Professional Services Requires Reducing The Decision-Making Risk
By ArLyne M. Diamond, Ph.D.

The Keys To Buying Motivation
By Mark Dembo

From Layoffs To Payoffs: Getting Your Practice Out Of A Revenue Slump (Part One)
By Cal Harrison

Do You Know What Your Clients Really Need?
By John Doerr

Smoothing The Transition From Business Developer To Trusted Advisor
By Mike Schultz

Networking: Beyond The "Elevator Speech"
By Mark Dembo

Selling The Dr. Seuss Way
By Kelley Robertson

Dealing With RFPs, Purchasing Agents, And Other Formal Buying Processes
By Charles H. Green

The Key To Eliminating Objections And Increasing Sales
By Charlie Cook

Why Aren't You Talking To Me?
By Scott Ginsberg

Gaining CEO Access: 18 Strategies To Build Relationships At The Top (Part 2)
By Andrew Sobel

The Road To Pendingville Is Paved With Good Intentions
By Mark Dembo

An Introduction To Blogs: The Latest E-Marketing Tool And What You Should Consider
By Marsha Leest

Gaining CEO Access: 18 Strategies To Build Relationships At The Top (Part 1)
By Andrew Sobel

Rules for Rainmakers
By Michael W. McLaughlin

Cell Phone Dos And Don'ts
By Scott Ginsberg

Managing Risk In The Business Development Process
By Nicholas T. Miller

Networking & Rainmaking Skills For Services Professionals: 10 Steps To Success
By Eva Wisnik

Best Practices of Cross-Marketing and Cross-Selling New Services to Clients
By Larry Bodine and Michael Cummings

Gentle Rain: Cultivating Relationships
By Mark Satterfield

Gentle Rain: Initiating The Process
By Mark Satterfield

Gentle Rain: Gain Traction with New Prospective Clients
By Mark Satterfield

Bite Your Tongue: The Power Of Silence
By Kelley Robertson

Leave the Self-Absorption At Home
By Alan Weiss

What to Do if You Aren't a Natural-Born Seller
By Michael W. McLaughiln

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