June 2020
Right Now
At this precise moment, we’re watching the country come apart at the seams. At least I am. Between Twitter, NY Times and CNN, I can’t avert my eyes. And truthfully, I don’t know what the proper response is to this combination of unimaginable scenarios. I wasn’t looking forward to hunkering down for the pandemic, but …
The Problem with Timing
Being in the right place at the right time can be everything. It’s true for start-ups, for the adoption of technology, for the acceptance of a new artistic style, and it’s especially true when it comes to sales. And it is great when it happens. But it seldom works exactly as we would like it …
How Not to Sell: The Other Elevator Pitch
Here’s a good example of how not to sell. I happened to share an elevator with two sales guys leaving a sales call. (I think they sold disaster recovery software.) On the long descent, these two proceeded to discuss their disappointing sales presentation, going so far as to badmouth a particular engineering manager at that …
Call to Confirm
Call to confirm appointments. A small but important detail, and a (simple) habit worth adopting, is to confirm your appointments the day prior. The message can be as simple as a one-line email mentioning that you’re looking forward to the conversation. Or simply shoot over a revised copy of the agenda or some advanced reading …
Sales Fundamentals: Cards and Letters
It turns out that vinyl records aren’t dead. In fact, they seem to be making a vigorous comeback. Want to guess what else isn’t going away? Paper. Paper consumption in the United States for the last twenty years has increased from 92 million tons to 208 million, a growth of 126%. (At the same time, …