Training

Don't "fall asleep" in how you are dealing with your super star sellers. Elite sellers are a special breed but even the elite have needs from those charged with management.

Many salespeople put far too much pressure on themselves to close every prospect they speak to. You might ask; “isn’t that their job?”

The answer would be; “absolutely NOT!”

I don’t think many people in professional sales, or any profession for that matter, would put up too much of an argument to the idea that the way we buy has changed. The internet, social media, more sophisticated methods of advertising, and many other factors have driven this change.

What are your personal and professional limitations? What are you truly capable of if you just stretch a bit further?

The sad reality for most of us is that the majority of our limitations are self-imposed. Our true limits are almost always FAR beyond where we think they are.

The reason for this is what we call “head trash” and, trust me, we ALL have some. Our head trash is usually the result of self-limiting beliefs that, in many cases, have been in place since early childhood.

What are 5 key behaviors that are common in top sales producers? Our President Chuck Terry draws the answer from working many years with top producers in hundreds of industries.

In early summer 2023, the Sandler Research Center fielded a survey to measure current responses to a number of questions of interest to sales leaders.

One of the most impactful Ted Talks I have ever seen was a presentation called "The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance" by Shawn Achor.

The presentation is about 6 years old but it is just as relevant today as when it was originally recorded. Check out the link above to judge for yourself.

One of the reason I love the talk is because of a key point Shawn makes which is especially true for folks in the selling profession. We are often conditioned to associate the achievement of sales goals and targets with the attainment of happiness.

As most companies finalize budgets and business plans for the New Year, I thought it might be timely to address the subject of Goals, Strategy, and Tactics. For any organization, goals, strategies, and tactics cascade throughout the business. During the planning process, these terms are often used interchangeably. For the purpose of this blog, we will use the context of a sales organization to define them.

We at Sandler are excited to announce that our commitment to this essential strategy has been recognized: we have been named one of the Top Virtual Sales Training Companies in 2023 by Selling Power.

So, you're thinking of building your own sales training program? Let's talk about the numbers and logistics of putting it all together.

I frequently ask senior leaders and owners of client firms how they prefer to buy or be sold.

I ask them questions like 1) How do you feel when you pick up your phone only to find it is a salesperson on the line and do you respond favorably to their call? 2) How do you respond to strong closing tactics? 3) How do you like it when sales people are aggressive and use obvious sales “moves” to try and keep you in the sales process? And other similar types of questions.

LinkedIn is a powerful prospecting tool. That fact is beyond a shadow of a doubt.

What IS somewhat in doubt is exactly what that means in terms of how it is used. My personal position is that LinkedIn is great for identifying potential leads, getting introduced to those leads, and nurturing an online relationship.

The rise of collaborative learning has brought the next evolution of the Sandler Selling System, and we are excited to introduce it through a more dynamic and interactive learning environment we call the Sales Development Series.

Are you ready to revolutionize your approach to sales training? Lisa Ellis, the Head of Product at Sandler, joins the podcast to explore the transformative power of collaborative learning in modern education and sales training.

Some say manager, some say leader. The terms are used interchangeably but are they really the same thing? The subject is explored in this blog from Sandler Training CEO Chuck Terry.

I was once asked about the top three mistakes beginners to fly fishing typically make and as I answered the question it struck me how analogous those simple fly fishing mistakes are to the world of selling. So here we go with the top three mistakes of beginning fly fishers and how we can learn to sell more from them.

By aligning sales and marketing efforts, organizations can benefit from increased efficiency, improved lead quality, higher conversion rates, better customer targeting, fewer wasted efforts, and ultimately, increased revenue.

If you are involved in business development, at any level, ask yourself this question. What elements of converting a lead to a prospect and ultimately a customer do I absolutely control?

This year, we're hosting the 2023 Sandler Summit at the beautiful Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida. We hope you and your colleagues will join us for two days of intensive world-class training and high-energy networking with like-minded business professionals from around the world.

Credibility is defined as “the quality of being convincing and believable” or “the quality of being trusted and believed in.” Is there anything more important in the world of sales?

In the latest Sales Mastery study published by Sandler, researchers Barry Trailer and Jim Dickie uncover insights into sales performance across hundreds of organizations.

E-mail gets a bad rap. Most of us suffer from e-mail overload as reflected by recent statistics indicating we receive anywhere from 125 to 175 emails a day in our business inbox.

Those same studies also indicate that 94 of every 100 business emails are deleted or ignored. So why bother with email as a prospecting tool?

What do the laws of a complex science like physics have to do with generating sales leads? More than you might think!

It isn't your Father's world of "Dial and Dump" cold calling any more. Today's business environment places a premium upon "authenticity" and "life skill" based sales process.

Many sales leaders have a skill gap when it comes to coaching members of the sales team. Bridging that gap requires addressing a critical question.

The Sandler Summit is a powerful two-day hybrid event where successful business professionals across all industries learn, collaborate, and network.

Mike Montague interviews Kevin Hallenbeck on How to Succeed at Sales Certification.

Sales coaching is the process of developing and mentoring a salesperson through one-on-one relationships with a manager or peer.

In Sandler, we have identified three elements that are required for success in selling we call it B.A.T.

Mike Montague interviews Sophia Stone on How to Succeed at Experiential Learning.

The Sandler Research Center surveyed sales leaders and sales managers in Q4 2020 to gauge the impact of the global pandemic on sales processes and operations across a variety of industries.

A prospect who is listening is no prospect at all states Sandler Rule Number 14. In this blog article learn an easy mnemonic tool that will help to make sure you are doing more listening than talking.

We wanted to share some valuable lessons learned during the year that we can build upon.

One of the big questions we are hearing from clients these days is this one: We’ve finally begun to turn the corner … so how do we sustain our organization’s sales momentum in a time of uncertainty?

George Carlin did a bit once about words that included the phrase, “it’s the context that makes them good or bad.” The bit *hasn’t* aged well, but his words are prescient when it comes to techniques learned in training.

Mike Montague interviews Brian Jackson, Sandler trainer from San Diego, on How to Succeed at Leading a Diverse Team.

This year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the book, Dave will revisit each of the original 49 Sandler Rules and give updated takes on their relevance to salespeople and sales leaders.

For as long as there have been salespeople, there has been data to analyze about the process they use to bring in business.

Forget “always be closing” and always be a resource to your prospects and clients instead. The payoff is well worth it.

So why doesn't training by some of the world's best-known providers produce sustainable systemic change? The answer is really quite simple. A one, two, or even three-day training event will cause people to be aware of a different way to sell and, in most cases, even gets them excited about the prospect. The problem is, after the training has concluded, the participants return to the field with a thin ability to apply the new methodology in every day selling situations.

The result is, without proper ongoing reinforcement, accountability to the process, and additional training, sellers will quickly return to their old system of “winging it”.

If you have salespeople, chances are they have sat through quite a few of your virtual sales training meetings. The salespeople we work with tell us their top 3 complaints about virtual sales training meetings are that: A) They’re often disappointed they don’t learn anything new. B) They get bored on the calls as the training is not interactive enough and C) They feel like it’s hard to retain the material because it’s only presented to them once, but not reinforced in the future.

This year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the book, Dave will revisit each of the original 49 Sandler Rules and give updated takes on their relevance to salespeople and sales leaders.

Training Industry, one of the most trusted and respected sources of information on the business of learning, recently selected Sandler Training as one of the top 20 sales training companies. This selection marks the eleventh consecutive year that Sandler Training has been so honored.

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training and 6-time Author, talks about his Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek best-selling book, The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them.

We learned a lot from each other at this year’s event. Here are my three big takeaways from the 2020 Sandler Annual Sales & Leadership Summit.

Mike Montague interviews Ron Emma on How to Succeed at Taking Sandler Training. In this episode:

Contrary to frequent reports from some political and economic analysts the American Free Enterprise system is NOT going into lockdown mode in 2020. Regardless of your political persuasions or news stories to the contrary American business and small business in particular are poised for a big year in 2020.

Mike Montague interviews Tim Priebe, Founder of T&S Online Marketing, on How to Succeed at Using Books as a Sales Tool.

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training and 6-time Author, talks about his Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek best-selling book, The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them.

Mike Montague interviews Jurgen Strauss, marketing innovator and host of the Innovabuzz podcast, on How to Succeed at Marketing to Your Ideal Client In this episode:

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

The 2020 Summit will be held March 4-6 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Here are three reasons you should book your slot today.

Mike Montague interviews Carlos Garrido on How to Succeed at Asking for Referrals In this episode:

• Why do we struggle to ask for referrals?
• Attitudes to help you get business from referrals
• Give referrals to get referrals

Many firms are very focused and skilled at hiring the right sales professionals. From establishing the knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSA) that are required for success to leveraging pre-hire assessment tools companies have become skilled in process of recruiting and hiring top sales candidates. But then the break down occurs! In some firms all the emphasis on finding the best available candidate versus the best candidate available goes out the window with a weak and/or inconsistent onboarding process. The process required for taking newly minted sellers and developing them into top producers is often times MUCH less clearly established and structured.

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

Listen Time: 7 Minutes

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

Listen Time: 8 Minutes

One of the things I talk about often with sales leaders who are eager to maximize their team’s performance is the principle of reinforcement. All too often, we think of training for salespeople as a one-and-done initiative, as something we can check off a list once the "training" event is over and consider finished. Actually, the training we have invested in is next to worthless if it is not reinforced over time, incorporated as a personal priority, and made an ongoing topic for discussion within a personalized sales coaching plan. Reinforcement is thus one of the neglected secrets of effective sales leadership.

Summer Solomonsen is Head of Cornerstone Studios at Cornerstone OnDemand, Sandler's Microlearning partner. Cornerstone and Sandler have partnered to deliver the world-famous Sandler Selling System in a proven Microlearning format. 

Most people have heard the title phrase and possibly even used it a time or two but do you know the phrase’s origins?

The phrase “We have met the enemy and he is us” is an offshoot of the Oliver Hazard Perry quote from the War of 1812 "We have met the enemy and they are ours”. The updated version gained widespread popularity when it appeared in the Pogo comic strip in the 1960’s as a Viet Nam War reference.

My first job after college was working as an undercover detective for 5 years. Little did I know at the time that the principles I learned working undercover would still be the fundamental underpinnings of what I teach salespeople to this day.

At the time I knew nothing about the Limbic System, Reticular Activating System, or any of the physiological reasons behind my primary tactic for “selling myself” in an undercover role. All I knew was that if I could get people to like me, they eventually trusted me and that led to success as an undercover detective.

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

Listen Time: 12 Minutes

Wendy Gates Corbet, President of Refresher Training, speaker, and former global board member of ATD (Association for Talent Development), shows you how to succeed with the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful at creating and delivering training programs in your organization. Get the best practices for training collected from around the world.

Listen Time: 23 Minutes

This year, on Fridays, Dave talks about the attitude, behavior, and techniques of successful sales managers as he shares his thoughts on the 49 Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders.

Listen Time: 10 Minutes

Every salesperson lives for the thrill of the closing the deal. That magical moment when you realize the sale is going to happen is one of the greatest experiences for professional salespeople. It’s what keeps them going through the all-too-frequent rejections.

Remember, though, the lyrics from the classic Kenny Rogers song, The Gambler: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” The song was about poker of course, but that advice can be applied to sales situations as well.

Linc Miller, Sandler trainer, shows you how to succeed at the connection with prospects through the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful in sales. Get the best practices collected from around the world for bonding and rapport in sales.

Learn how the Sandler Enterprise Selling Program can help you win, grow, and retain enterprise accounts from Vice President of Sandler Enterprise Selling, Brian Sullivan. 

Watch Time: 3 Minutes

Coaching Individual Salespeople with Suzie Andrews: Suzie Andrews, Sandler Trainer, and Mike Montague, VP of Online Learning, take your questions about coaching salespeople live on Facebook.

Watch Time: 56 Minutes

Justin Stephens, Sandler trainer, shows you how to succeed at following up with prospects with the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful in sales. Get the best practices collected from around the world for following up.

Listen Time: 20 Minutes

Do you understand all the the sales accountability platform has to offer? Learn all you need to know all you need to know about the competitions tab in the system.

Watch Time: 3 Minutes

If you are a Sandler client, and you’ve never attended a Summit, let me share four powerful reasons to consider joining us in Florida March 20-22.

Read Time: 5 Minutes

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training and 6-Time Best-Selling Author, talks about his fifth book, Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders. The book is on sale here, as well as, the companion video course. 

Listen Time: 11 Minutes 

Learn how to overcome self-limiting beliefs with Antonio Garrido.

Watch Time: 56 Minutes

Jim Ayraud, Sandler trainer and co-creator of www.SalesAccountability.com, shows you how to succeed with the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful at maximizing your time invested. Get the best practices collected from around the world.

Listen Time: 29 Minutes

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training and 6-Time Best-Selling Author, talks about his fifth book, Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders. The book is on sale here, as well as, the companion video course.

Listen Time: 10 Minutes

I first began considering this question after reading Dan Pink’s most recent book “To Sell Is Human.” If you haven’t read it yet put it on your list. There was significant research presented in the book to indicate that a savvy seller might be better served helping clients “find problems” rather than the more traditional role of a “problem solver.”

One important principle that resonates with all the other elements of the Sandler system is “Follow Through.”

Kevin Leung, Sandler client and Salesperson of the Years, shows you how to succeed with the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques needed to be more successful in sales. Get the best practices collected from around the world.

Listen Time: 20 Minutes

Antonio Garrido, Sandler trainer and author of Asking Questions the Sandler Way, joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques of building better habits. Learn how to find and replace negative habits with better ones that lead to more success and better productivity. Get the best practices collected from around the world.

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training, talks about how to introduce a manager or another team member to your prospect. Learn the best practices collected from over a thousand Sandler employees around the world.

Al Simon, Sandler trainer, joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques of sales interactions. Learn the advantages and best practices of having a system for salespeople to follow and knowing your own sales gates. Learn how to lead and control the sales interaction and teach your buyer how to make the right decision.

Dan Huddock, a long-time Sandler trainer, joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques for breaking a slump. Learn how to stop negative spirals and start positive ratches that get you going in the right direction!

Ken Seawell, Sandler trainer from Detroit, joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques and what binds them together. Learn the best practices of successful salespeople and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Summer Solomonsen is CLO at Grovo, Sandler's new Microlearning partner. Grovo and Sandler have partnered to deliver the world-famous Sandler Selling System in Grovo's proven Microlearning format. Sandler will also be offering Grovo's massive Microlearning collections for leadership, management, modern compliance, and professional skills as part of our online offerings.

Eric Warner talks about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques that drive client success. Learn how to improve your client retention, drive more cross-sells and upsells, and grow your business by helping your clients succeed.

Brian Sullivan, VP of Enterprise Selling, and Mike Montague, VP of Online Learning discuss the challenges of selling into large organizations and how to overcome them in this Facebook Live session.

Chris Lewis is the CEO and Founder of LEWIS, one of the world's largest private communication companies. He joins us to talk about his new book and the attitude, behaviors, and techniques of top performing leaders in the new century. Learn how to succeed at leadership in the 21st century.

Learn the best practices for effective management and leadership from Caroline Robinson and Mike Montague.

Jon Denn, Vistage Chair from Boston and author of Drumbeat Business Productivity, joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors, and techniques of being more productive. Learn how to avoid distractions, be disciplined, and get more done. Learn how to great a steady drumbeat of productivity.

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler, shares his thoughts about how to improve your interviewing and hiring capabilities. He shares 5 tips to take your interviewing to the next level. Learn the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques of top leaders and how they interview.

Learn how to create a sales culture with Matthew Pletzer, Sandler trainer, and Mike Montague, VP of Online Learning at Sandler to talk about creating a sales culture and how that differs from company culture.

David Mattson, Sandler's President and CEO, shares his thoughts about gauging the prospect's motivation and interest. Learn the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques of top performers, who can uncover and qualify the prospect's reasons for doing business.

Learn the best practices for prospecting with Mike Montague and Sean Coyle.

Mike Crandall joins us to talk about the attitude, behaviors and techniques of transitioning the ownership of your business to the next generation of leaders. This is always a tough subject, but the future is coming and how you plan now will determine how bright that future will be. Learn how to succeed at transitioning your business to the next generation.

David Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler, shares his thoughts about delegating and how to pass the baton in a way that gets results. Learn the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques of top leaders and how the delegate tasks. 

As we enter Q4, sales professionals in all industries are likely pondering the same question: Am I on track? If the answer, based on the best available hard numbers and the most objective real-world assessment, is “no,” then it’s likely that another question is looming in the shadows behind the first one: How do I get back on track?

Learn how to effectively deal with difficult people and situations in this live session with Amy Woodall.

Most managers we talk to would quickly agree with Drucker’s observation, and with the related proposition that their team’s capacity to learn, grow, and adapt is one of the organization’s most important assets. Yet very few of these managers have taken the time to discuss and develop a personalized learning and development plan for the team members who report to them.

With apologies to Paul Simon, there are countless books filled with newer, better, and numerous ways for salespeople to “close” a sale.

I once did a training engagement for a firm that had previously required their sellers to “close” a MINIMUM of 15 times before leaving an appointment! Seriously? That isn’t selling it’s more like a high-pressure exercise in pissing off prospects.

According to Alex Baldwin's character in the movie "Glengarry Glen Ross" you should ALWAYS be closing. That, my friends, is old school hog wash.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a question similar to that. “The prospect seemed so interested when we spoke. They just wanted to think it over and asked me to follow up in a week. I did as they asked but then the prospect went dark.”

Have you ever had a problematic issue with something you purchased that was handled so effectively it caused you to become an advocate for the company you were dealing with? Most of us have had an experience like that and when you examine the root of what caused you to feel those emotions of loyalty seldom will you find that it was the resolution itself that engendered those feelings.

Given the popularity of the "sales enablement" movement and the articles associated with the same you could come away thinking that all you need to succeed in sales is the hottest technology. Not so fast, says Sandler Training President Chuck Terry!

Let’s be honest. Training and development initiatives meant to help sales teams succeed often go wrong.

Given the enormous costs of making bad hires I decided to write a two part series on the selection process for sales professionals and sales managers. This week’s topic will be based upon putting the right motivated people in the right place.Let's start with this thought; if you want motivated people working for you, hire motivated people. BIG THOUGHT: You can’t motivate people, they have to motivate themselves and you can’t “train in” skills where potential doesn’t exist. A great quote from the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek is “Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire motivated people and inspire them.” That concept alone was worth the price of the book!

The ears have to hear what the mouth is going to say. I believe roleplay is one of the most important things that you could do as a sales leader. Why? It makes you strong, but it also creates muscle memory for your team. Here's what happens when we don't role play. We tell people what to change in their sales process. 

Quickly now, write down three things that differentiate your company from your competition. Now imagine I ask your competitors the same question. Do you think their answers might sound pretty similar?

Have you ever heard of the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon game? A concept that started as a simple college game has expanded to become serious business when it comes to networking successfully.

All things being equal, people buy from people they like and trust. All things being unequal people STILL prefer to buy from people they like and trust.

The power of being likable in sales is a huge and undeniable advantage. Anyone who tells you relationships don’t matter anymore in selling is either delusional or misinformed.

The How to Succeed Podcast is a public and free podcast from Sandler Training, the worldwide leader in sales, management, and customer service training for individuals all the way up to Fortune 500 companies with over 250 locations around the globe.

Ask salespeople to list their least favorite selling activities, and you can count on “prospecting” being at the top of the list. And, the least favorite of all prospecting activities is unquestionably making cold calls.

I recently watched a video on YouTube where a welder had made a very simple mechanical customization to a bicycle. If you turn the handle bars one way the wheel turns the other. It seems like a simple enough proposition but it isn’t as easy as it might seem to adjust enough to ride the bike 10 feet. If you would like to see the video for yourself you can click backwards bike and watch the story. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Tell the truth, didn’t you just envision the guy from the Dos Equis commercial? I LOVE those commercials but even though the spots are clearly designed to be funny they illustrate a very common misconception. The misconception is that whoever has the most interesting stories, life, etc. is obviously going to be able to hold the attention of others as “The Most interesting Person in The World.”

There are almost as many different sales compensation plans as there are companies. Sandler Training President Chuck Terry shares 5 tips for motivating your sellers with the right compensation plan.

Welcome to the Blame Game 2017 Edition. We are living in, and, let’s face it have created, a society where EVERYTHING is someone’s fault.

Kid didn’t make the soccer team? Damn politics of youth sports.

Didn’t get the big promotion? The person who did was a weasel cheater.

Didn’t make the sale? I never really had a chance, the competition lied to get the business.

Those are not my words but the words from an infographic by INC. and Oracle based on their recent study of “What’s Keeping America’s Small and Medium Business Owners Awake at Night”.

Sales uncertainty came in right on the heels of talent, hiring, and retention as the top worries of American business leaders.

A whopping 48% of those surveyed reported that they were either “extremely” or “very” worried about maximizing sales channels.

A successful business depends on a successful sales pipeline, one that projects and produces accurate results. Unfortunately, many sales pipelines operate more like a clogged drain, with many of the same prospects, proposals, and “sure-fire” deals sitting in the same place month after month. These stagnant deals lead to inaccurate sales projections, and if left unmanaged, could result in lost jobs and even failure for the entire company. If your pipeline is clogged, follow these steps today to unclog your sales pipeline and get it flowing with accurate deals again.

Last week, Sandler Training hosted the world’s top leadership, management, and sales professionals at a summit in Orlando Florida. More than 1,200 people joined Sandler in the sun to learn about sales and leadership, share best practices, and further our knowledge of how to succeed.  The conference was incredible. From the opening video eliciting goosebumps to the #SandlerSummit trending nationally on Twitter with over 3.5 Million views, the room was electric. I have come away with so many notes and action items, but I have highlighted the top 3 lessons learned from last week.

By far and away the most common issues I find when working with firms who are struggling with making successful outbound prospecting calls are mental barriers. Call aversion isn’t tough to overcome with the right behaviors and the easiest fix of all is “The Wedding Proposal Fix.”

The first of every year signifies a new start for all of us. It is a banner month for gyms and the diet industry as millions of us pledge to get ourselves in better shape. In business we get to wipe the slate clean and start all over again with the promise of an even better year than the one that just passed. For most companies that might mean a renewed focus on growing at a faster rate than the previous year which coincidently might involve getting in better shape as well! Here are 3 essential elements to make sure you check off your list in order to give your firm the best chance at explosive growth in the New Year.

First things first let me just say that this is not an anti-donut campaign and I certainly have nothing against the basic concept of doing nice things for people. Now that we have established that premise I would like to tell you a story that illustrates the difference between relying solely on personal relationships to gain new business and balancing relationship building with functional sales skills.

In selling as in life most of our limitations are self imposed. What limiting beliefs are rattling around in your head that may be sabotaging consistent sales results?

Buyers habits are continuing to change and it is important to keep pace with the way we are selling to the changing buyer.

Colorado is an interesting market for many reasons and I have attempted to capture some of those reasons below. Here are seven key considerations and quick tips for companies selling in Colorado:

For every Mark Zuckerberg “overnight success” story there are many more like Walt Disney. Walt started his fledgling film company “Laugh-O-Gram” in the early 1920’s, successfully secured financial backing, and added a staff of animators. When a big deal for his films fell through and his financial backer failed Disney couldn’t pay his people and was forced to file bankruptcy. Walt barely had enough money for a bus ticket to Hollywood where he continued to chase his dream by starting over. The second time around Walt’s fortunes turned thanks to an animated mouse named Mickey and the rest was history. What if Walt had viewed himself as a failure after his first entrepreneurial endeavor ended in bankruptcy? The world would have never had Disneyland or any of the classic family films Disney produced over his iconic career and now well beyond.

I believe one of the most underrated traits of highly successful sellers is good old, garden variety, curiosity. If you want to be the most interesting person in ANY room become the most interested person in the room. In other words, be curious.

What does a detective, an improv actor and a salesperson have in common? No, this isn't a setup for a joke but an exploration into the tricky world of active listening.

If you ask a room full of people to stand up if they love cold calling, I’m guessing no one will jump to their feet excitedly and shout, “I do!”

I like to say the only people who claim to love cold calling are sales managers and people that don’t actually have to do it. And it’s no wonder. Successful cold calling usually sits at below a 10% success rate, which means the other 90% of a sales rep’s "cold calling" day is filled with failure and rejection. That being said, cold calling is still an essential part of the prospecting strategy at many firms, and can be highly effective when done correctly. Here are two cold calling power strategies that will help maximize your chances for success.

The desire to be liked by your customers, taken to the extreme, can be damaging to your success. In this blog Sandler Training CEO Chuck Terry explores how a high strength need for approval can undermine the selling process.

In business today, the term “Rainmaker” is often used to refer to someone who is extremely gifted at developing new business for their professional practice. The term is an especially popular description as applied to partners of law firms that bring in lucrative new business and attract high end clientele to their practice.

The root of the reference can actually be found in American history. In Native American tradition, the Rainmaker was a special and powerful figure. The Rainmaker was called upon to help nature bring rainfall when it was most needed. The Rainmaker was most valuable to the tribe when fields were dry and rains were scarce. The same is true in business today. When the firm’s fields are dry and scarce, the new Rainmaker performs his magic to deliver the much needed “rainfall” of revenue required to nourish the business.

Chuck Terry shares his experience on leveraging social media with 3 secrets to success. He also shoots down the growing theory that interpersonal skills for sales professionals are not as important as they once were.

In this blog Chuck Terry presents the case that the most effective way to be a successful seller is to stop trying to sell in the first place. Read the rationale behind the non-traditional approach to selling as set forth by Sandler Training.

Does your company need sales training? Maybe, maybe not. But how will you determine if you need it and who are you going to hire? If you meet with a sales trainer he’s going to steer you towards what he can deliver. If he is a great sales trainer, he ought to be a great salesman. Instead, take it from a company that delivered sales training for over a million salespeople worldwide. Here is what you should consider.

Are your sales professionals using a sales process to deliver consistent results? Their is a distinct difference between knowing a sales process and fully implementing it in every sales encounter.

Most sales people hate to prospect. I would go so far as to say that anyone who says they like to prospect has either never done it or currently doesn’t have to do it. It can be a seemingly thankless effort the results of which often don’t seem justified by the time invested. David Sandler, the founder of Sandler Training had a great quote on prospecting, “You don’t have to like it; you just have to do it.” The inherent truth in that assertion remains unchanged but HOW we prospect has changed dramatically. The average persons’ tolerance for what author Seth Godin terms “Interruption Marketing” has changed dramatically. Laws have been passed regulating phone solicitation, DVR devices allow us to escape commercials while watching television, and anti-spamming laws continue to clamp down on e-mail solicitation. The message is clear; we are sick and tired of relentless “Interruption Marketing” at work as well as at home.

As a manager of people, you know and understand the challenge of the "new" workplace. The reality of four generations working side by side is fraught with obstacles that threaten to derail productivity and hinder progress. Before you pop another antacid and check again to see if it's time to cut a trail home, take heart in knowing there are ways to be an effective manager in a workplace made up of the Silent generation, Boomers, X'ers, and Millennials. The first step is acknowledging each generation has its own preferences, expectations, and strengths.

Every salesperson needs to learn how to adapt to these changes and continue to grow in their field of knowledge. Here are a few reasons why continuous training and development are the only way to survive the changing landscape of the sales industry.  

Think you have got the perfect sales team? No matter how successful your group, every team has room for improvement. Whether your team falls flat in a specific area or they lack motivation, putting the time into improving faults helps create a more cohesive, successful sales force. Work together and follow these 5 simple rules to build a strong, effective, and eventually more profitable sales team.

Although teamwork is frequently the most efficient way to complete a big project, many managers struggle to lead a cohesive team. Managing individual employees along with the broader group dynamic brings confusion to team projects, causing the work and your team management capabilities to suffer. Tackle teamwork problems before they come up with these 25 tips for becoming a more effective team manager.

When you hire new managers, you are giving these individuals the opportunity to lead, supervise, mentor, and motivate others and their ability to do so makes a huge impact on your company's overall success.

My Mom was a funny lady and during my youth, she was constantly throwing riddles at me. Some of herriddles came in pairs and the pairs typically had a point. One such pair of riddles has been a huge lesson forme as I have gone through life. Here they are. Riddle 1: What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephantscoming down the road? "Here come the elephants." Riddle 2: What did the elephants say when theysaw Tarzan coming down the road? Nothing, elephants don't talk

Aberdeen Group developed an online assessment tool, enabling users to find out exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are in their sales training efforts.

Sales isn't for the faint of heart. You don't just encounter negativity on a fairly frequent basis. In many cases, it is your job to sniff it out and address it immediately. Sandler Rule #3: "No Mutual Mystification," deals with an issue that often plagues sales professionals –  "happy ears."

Why? Why do we get up every day and go to work? Because we have bills to pay: Really? Listen to the news-not paying your bills is now as much a status symbol as a Gold Card in the 1980's. Because that's what is expected: Really? In most companies, the last time you saw your job description was the day you interviewed-and you don't know what is really expected, do you? Because employees depend on us: Really? Management texts say a great manager implements systems that will operate well when management is not there. Really it's because Mom or Dad said so

What really goes on with a doctor's visit? Ideally, you realize that you have some symptoms that are preventing you from functioning at 100%. You then get an appointment with the doctor, they ask you a fair amount of questions about your symptoms and lifestyle, and then they make some recommendations-usually involving a prescription of some sort. So how would you feel if you just went into the doctor and they gave you some pills without investigating the problems

Wednesday mornings are tough enough without our most annoying client calling in with the usual simple problem that he is over-reacting to. We sigh and answer the phone - all while making the facial gestures of a person eating oysters for the first time in their life. WHY does that client seem to be determined to drive you insane? It's your fault ... Every morning the manager from the operations department stops in to tell you how your team messed up his operations this weekend. She is soooo abrasive. You answer in abrupt sentences and quite rudely push her out the door

What do all of the world's greatest athletes, politicians and business leaders have in common? They didn't get to be the best on their own. They all had guidance from coaches and mentors, and that guidance is what brought out their endless potential in their field.

That's a headline straight out of sales training boot camp, but it's true. There is a question most people want answered when they go to a sales training program or read one of the many sales how-to books; that question sounds like this, "Is there really one secret weapon or magic formula to make me better and increase my sales?" Wouldn't it be wonderful to find one ... so would winning the lottery, but not many do it

Over the last eight years I have done hundreds of one-on-one performance coaching sessions with salespeople, and the single most frequent question I hear is, "How do I get better?" It's a meaningful question and almost always asked with a genuineness that signifies the person speaking really wants help. I usually respond to that question with a question of my own that goes like this, "Do you really want to know?" You see, at these moments I'm always reminded of a statement by Dr. Lee Thayer, "Most people prefer the problem they have to a solution they don't like."e

Today's business is focusing on something that champion athletes have always known: the right combination of training and coaching will help achieve greatness. It's not enough to have a superior product or service. You must have the skills to get that message across to your prospects. Training imparts the knowledge critical for success in today's competitive economy.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, does it make a sound? If a company has a great product or service but no one buys it, is it really great?