salespeople

Shark Tank can teach you a lot about how to sell — at least, that’s my takeaway from hearing the stories of Shark Tank contestants.

The folks at Deloitte recently released, The Next Evolution: Store 3.0, a report on the readiness of retailers for the store of tomorrow. Although the report offers a somewhat limited and biased perspective since it is based on a survey of only 39 current retail executives, it raises some important questions about the requirements of the future store.

Could wearing a particular color influence the results obtained by a salesperson? If that salesperson is selling to a buyer of the opposite gender, the answer may be, “Yes!”

Every experienced sales manager has a trick or two when it comes to hiring the best candidate for an open sales position. After a candidate passes the initial resume screening process, one manager might check out the applicant’s shoes. Another might pay close attention to how well the individual responds to an unexpected question. Here’s a new one: does the candidate talk in a melodic way?

by: John Caddell

You never read about selling in books about innovation. But, for B2B products, the first sales of a new product or service are crucial lifelines. Let’s be clear about this: no matter how cool, fast, inventive, or buzzworthy your product is, if you can’t bring paying customers on board, it’s not worth anything to your business–in fact, it’s a drain.

by: John Caddell

I was honored to contribute to a new e-book, “Selling Through A Slump” (free-registration required). Some of my favorite people (and friends of this blog), such as Dave Stein and Jill Konrath, also contributed.

by: John Caddell

A wag might say that many salespeople already provoke their prospects–you know, the old foot-in-the-door technique, the bait-and-switch, etc.

by: Roger Dooley

by: John Caddell