You had me at Hello…?
Whether networking in the job market or cold calling as a sales professional, leaving a voice mail or two is going to be a large part of the process. The message you leave is your first interaction, your first impression, your best shot at getting an in-person meeting or at least a return call. So [...]
Weighing the Risk
In watching the playoff games this weekend, it’s evident that these professional athletes are well-trained and motivated to win but what is also striking is their will to win the game despite the physical risk involved in almost every play. Running the ball through a line of huge linebackers or reaching up to catch a [...]
Clone Your Top Performer
Having been in the direct placement business for countless years, we can’t count how many times a client as has asked us to “clone” a top performer on their team or a previous candidate. It’s a common issue –you have a top performer, and you need another one! But how do you ensure that you [...]
The Lunch Interview
Occasionally the interview cycle with potential employers will include a lunch interview. Many candidates make the mistake of thinking that a lunch interview will be more of a casual “get to know you” meeting and, as a result, fail to prepare for the crucial steps that will make or break the meeting. The lunch interview [...]
A Sales Professional’s Guide to the Holidays
So the holidays are here, business is starting to slow down. Clients are busy making merry and shutting down those budgets. Most sales professionals take this time to take a breather, relax and do some holiday entertaining with those big ticket clients – and those things are important. However, we’ve seen the biggest return on [...]
Small Businesses Require a Sales Strategy
I know, I know, you’re running a small business on a shoestring, you’re the head bottle-washer and cook and all the other clichés associated with challenges of doing everything for your business. So sometimes it’s easy to forget about the elements of how to sell your products or services. In the early stages of consulting [...]
Another Snow Day? Great time to spend a few minutes refining your 120 second elevator pitch!
Another snow day? — Great time to refine your sales elevator pitch! Once you’ve done everything necessary to secure your house and surroundings from the grip of Mother Nature, take a few minutes to refine one of the key foundational building blocks of your up-coming sales week; your 120 sales call introduction. With all the [...]
Hiring Sales Talent in a New and Changing Environment
For those who haven’t realized it yet, the world of sales recruiting has changed. If you are serious about adding great performers to your sales team, it needs to be the right fit for both parties and posting an open position on the internet probably won’t do it. High performance sales organizations will pursue [...]
Thanking Your Prospect
What’s the first key step after you finish a productive sales call with a prospect? Well, of course, it’s conveying your appreciation and thanks to the prospect for taking the time to meet with you! We live in a culture and society predicated on the speed and efficiency of electronic communication and, as a result, [...]
How Not to Kill the Interview Within the first 30 Seconds…
I was recently conducting interviews for a senior level sales professional within the advertising industry. After meeting with several polished candidates, I walked out to the lobby once more to greet our final candidate of the day. As she took her seat across from me, I asked her if she had a copy of her [...]
