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The article "Turning the Tide in Your Favor" by John Graham discusses strategies for salespeople to navigate challenging economic conditions and meet customer expectations. The strategies include real-time responses to customer needs, becoming competent business consultants, keeping promises, developing networking groups, avoiding the lowest price trap, and making it easy for customers to find you. The article emphasizes the importance of new ideas, careful execution, and consistent implementation to succeed in today's business environment. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the difference between sales-driven and marketing-driven selling approaches. It highlights that while many companies continue to rely on the sales-driven approach, there is evidence pointing to diminishing returns. The sales-driven approach focuses on getting the order quickly, while the marketing-driven approach prioritizes creating long-term value for the customer. The article argues that sales-driven companies often prioritize making the numbers and may engage in unethical practices to achieve their goals. It emphasizes the importance of being perceived as a valued resource and building a relationship with customers in the marketing-driven approach. [Extracted from the article]

The article titled "How to Make Sure You Have a Continuous Supply: It's Time to Stop Wasting Customers" by John Graham discusses the importance of maintaining a steady customer base and avoiding wasteful practices in sales. The author emphasizes that customers are not an endless resource and that businesses should focus on serving all customers, regardless of their size. The article provides guidelines for salespeople, such as recognizing the sales potential in each prospect, meeting the customer's needs, and stopping destructive sales practices like cold calling. The author also highlights the importance of showing appreciation to customers and actively deciding who the desired customers are. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the uncertainty in economic predictions and offers strategies for navigating turbulent times in business. It advises companies to focus on customer needs, avoid overselling to existing customers, and prioritize understanding and addressing their specific challenges. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of authenticity, attention to detail, and proactive problem-solving to maintain brand integrity and overcome obstacles to growth.

The article discusses the changing landscape of sales and offers 25 tactics for improving sales performance. It emphasizes the importance of adapting to customer behavior shifts, focusing on customer needs, and building credibility and trust through personalized interactions. The key message is that successful selling in today's environment requires understanding customers, being resourceful, and demonstrating genuine commitment to their success.

This article, titled "Twenty Customer Care Actions That Build Sales," emphasizes the importance of maintaining strong relationships with customers in order to enhance customer satisfaction and increase sales. The author provides a list of 20 customer care actions that businesses, salespeople, and marketers can take to show appreciation for their customers, such as contacting customers when it's not necessary, letting them know how much you enjoy working with them, and passing along leads. The article also emphasizes the significance of being reliable, respectful, and candid with customers. Overall, the article provides practical advice for building and maintaining positive customer relationships. [Extracted from the article]

This article, titled "How Mental Images Shape Sales Performance," discusses how the mental images we have in our heads can impact our success in sales. The author explains that these images can often become so real to us that we act on them, even if they are not accurate. The article provides examples of how salespeople may have certain beliefs or perceptions about customers or their own abilities that can hinder their performance. The author emphasizes the importance of critically evaluating these mental images and asking the right questions to ensure that they align with reality. [Extracted from the article]

There's plenty of available advice on what it takes to be a great company. And there's no end of articles and books on how to manage a business enterprise. Every [...]

Selling today is filled with contradictions. E-mail enhances our connectivity, but the number of e-mail messages is often so overwhelming, they go unanswered. Voice mail brings us together, but voice […]

When it comes to a company's marketing program, few executives know what to expect. "How can we evaluate our marketing program? How will our investment translate into increased sales?" Although […]

Stunned. Confused. Shocked. These three words describe the reaction of countless salespeople to the dramatic drop in their numbers. All of a sudden they hit a wall and don't know […]

The big tests in business rarely come in good times. That's when we eagerly take the credit for our incredible success. But it's when the economic storms hit that we […]

There's no absence of words to live by. They range from offering good advice, "On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key" to the deviously […]

Let's put it all behind us." These few words capture Americans' unquenchable optimism. If there's a roadblock, we go around it and no hurdle is ever too high. Nothing stops […]

It doesn't take any brains to beat the competition on price. But outsmarting the competition is quite different--and far more challenging and worthwhile. While low price gets an order, out […]

Franklin Covey built a whole industry out of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and others have followed in his steps. Of the books that came along in a […]

The evidence continues to pile up that most of the nation's businesses are focused on short-term results. With boards, management, investors and analysts ready to strike if the numbers are […]

It wasn't so long ago that the marketer's quiver held a handful of arrows. The skillful often chose some combination of print advertising, radio, broadcast television and cable spots, Yellow […]

If you're in sales, you know the feeling. It's the middle of the night about two weeks after starting that new sales job. Doubts fill your head. Even though you […]

As normal people, many of the pictures we have in our heads get us into trouble. This includes salespeople. No matter who we are, we seem to get ideas, thoughts […]

Warning! This isn't about dumping on salespeople or blaming them for failing to meet their "numbers." If that's what you're looking for, this won't help you. Understandably, the pressure to […]

"No one can be everywhere at once." Wrong! The job today is to be in front of the customer when the need arises. Here are practical, put-'em-to-work-now ideas for building […]

Read at your own risk! Running out of customers is worse than running out of gas. You can always get gas even if the price is high. Finding a consistent […]

Any discussion of customer buying-cycles is an unpopular topic with management, sales managers and salespeople. We all want to believe that by using the right words, making the right offer, […]

The president of a New York-based company asked the marketing consultant about using radio advertising. "We want to reach business owners and managers; morning and afternoon drive time seems like […]

It was a welcome telephone call. "I just want to stop by, say hello and let you know how much I appreciated your help back then." Ten years had gone […]

What does it take to be the type of salesperson who produces positive results year after year? Just ask any sales manager or salesperson this question. Each one will have […]

The New Year is traditionally the time to get going on the things we've ignored for too long. It's when we supposedly start doing things that are good for us, […]

Just as the insurance agent was completing his presentation for the renewal of the client's business insurance program, he took out a list of what he described as his agency's […]

Of all possible marketing mistakes, two are more damaging than all others combined. The first is assuming that customers know a company and its products. The second is not having […]

The sales team of a large Mid-Atlantic insurance agency complained about a lack of leads. Since their compensation was commission-based, they wanted more action. When their sales consultant heard about […]

A company is lucky if there's someone around who's not afraid to poke holes in its "latest and greatest" ideas and initiatives. Of course, most organizations either sideline or dismiss […]

There's never a need for more opportunities to make sales. Never. More than enough are always available. In fact, more opportunities than any company can handle. "Yeah, sure. If that's […]

I just don't understand it," said the frustrated president of an employee benefits firm. "We get good, solid appointments and our prospects like our proposals, particularly since we almost always […]

What does it take to be the type of salesperson who produces positive results year after year? Just ask any sales manager or salesperson this question. Each one will have […]

Far too often, marketers turn out to be their own worst enemies. It seems easy for them to commit the unpardonable sin of business: they start believing their own baloney. […]

There are times when good isn't good enough--and making a presentation is one of them. In fact, it should be at the top of the list. This is one activity […]

Whatever else the nation has learned from the September 11, 2001 attack on America, it is clear American business was sent a loud wake-up call. Companies discovered their vulnerability, not […]

Thinking like a customer isn't easy. In fact, it's so difficult many companies are unable to do it. Coca-Cola is a classic example. In the mid-1980s, it changed its longstanding […]

If we listen to half the politicians, everything is coming up profits in the year ahead. They tell us to stop worrying about the economy. We're heading towards a new […]

The evidence continues to pile up that most of the nation's businesses are focused on short-term results. With boards, management, investors and analysts ready to strike if the numbers are […]

Running out of customers is far worse than running out of gas. We can always find a way to get a can of gas. But finding more customers is different. […]

It didn't take long for the list in the "Botching Marketing and Sales" computer file to fill up. It seemed to happen overnight, almost. Looking through the various items, it […]

Why do some companies embrace marketing with commitment and enthusiasm, while others ignore it almost scornfully? Even firms with marketing departments can act as if marketing is a "soft" function, […]

Experienced marketers shake their heads in amazement. "How could a first-class company run an ad like that?" That refers to an ad that is 100 percent focused on them. It's […]

If you're in sales, you know the feeling. It's the middle of the night about two weeks after starting that new sales job. Doubts fill your head. Even though you […]

As normal people, many of the pictures we have in our heads get us into trouble. This includes salespeople. No matter who we are, we seem to get ideas, thoughts […]

There are still plenty of companies that can't seem to get the message customers have changed. They cling to the notion the goal is to get through someone's door and […]

It seems as if there are more hurdles than ever in business. A new one every day appears. They impact companies of all sizes, types and in every industry. No […]