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sales management

What An MBA Didn’t Teach You About Sales

The sales profession is challenging. You need to work hard at it to succeed. You need to learn from the best. You need to improve your skills continuously. If you think you can sell since you are a hit at parties and have a lot of friends, you may soon find that you are a failure as a salesperson. Blunt truth:

because the sales profession is so hard, you have to focus on doing everything in sales very well, or you will be considered a failure.

I call this blog, Skinned Knees because I try to relate all of the learning that I have done over the past 4+ decades (while skinning my knees in the learning process).

I hope that you learn from my mistakes so that your business will grow!

Sales Coaching: A Key Tool for Achieving Business Growth in B2B Sales

Sales coaching has become integral to the modern business environment, particularly in business-to-business (B2B) sales. The sales coaching process enhances salespeople’s skills, knowledge, and capabilities to achieve their goals, deliver value to customers, and improve organizational performance. In this article, we will examine the importance of sales coaching in B2B sales organizations, explore the best practices for effective coaching, and discuss the key benefits that result from a well-executed sales coaching program. Sales coaching has… 

Leading Your Sales Team to Success: 5 Best Practices You Need to Know

In today’s highly competitive business environment, sales leaders play a crucial role in the success of their organizations. They are responsible for setting sales targets, creating effective sales strategies, and motivating their teams to achieve their goals. However, being an effective sales leader requires more than just setting targets and motivating your team. This article will explore the five best practices of effective sales leaders. 1. Set clear and achievable goals. One of the primary… 

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – Focus on One or Two Key Topics in Your Weekly Sales Meeting – Episode 22

Your sales meeting should discuss the highest priority topics that require immediate attention. For broader issues, it is recommended to use other venues. To stay on point, it is important to control the agenda and flow of the meeting. Additionally, meeting minutes should be kept short and focused on action items to ensure that tasks are completed following the meeting. Discussing one or two topics deeply rather than many topics lightly is recommended to promote… 

Maximizing Sales Performance: The Power of Coaching

As a small business owner, you know that your company’s success depends on your sales team’s performance. That’s why providing your team with the tools they need to improve their skills and achieve goals is crucial. Regular coaching sessions help your sales team grow and perform at their best. Identify Areas of Struggle and Success Coaching allows you to identify areas where sales team members are struggling; while recognizing areas of success. You help your… 

Two Tall Guys Podcast – Be Respectful – Start Team Meetings on Time, End on Time- Episode 21

Efficient and effective meetings are essential for the success of any business, and the EOS L10 meetings have become increasingly popular in recent times. It is important for all meetings to start and end on time, avoiding rewarding tardiness and respecting everyone’s schedule. It is crucial to address individuals who regularly arrive late in private. In addition, time management is key to ensuring that each topic is discussed within the allotted time frame, and sales… 

92% of Small Companies Don’t Do Much Sales Training

The benefits of sales training for your employees are numerous. By providing training on best practices in B2B sales, you’re investing in the skills and knowledge of your sales team. This can translate into increased sales, higher revenue, and a more robust bottom line. Additionally, a well-trained sales team can improve customer relationships, build trust with prospects, and increase customer loyalty.

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – Have a Reason To Hold a Sales Meeting- Episode 20

Regular sales team meetings are essential to keep salespeople informed, productive, and on the same page. Before scheduling a sales team meeting, ensure a good reason for doing so. Possible topics for sales team meetings could include reviewing sales goals and strategies, discussing new leads, customer information, and product updates, recognizing salespeople for their accomplishments, pinpointing any areas of improvement, and brainstorming solutions as a team. Finally, make sure to end the meeting on a… 

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – The Role of a Salesperson in Their 1:1 Meetings With a Manager – Episode 19

In “The Role of a Salesperson in Their 1:1 Meetings With a Manager” podcast, the hosts, Sean and Kevin, dive into a salesperson’s crucial role in their one-on-one meetings with their manager. They discuss the importance of preparation and setting goals and objectives for the meeting while emphasizing the need to avoid micro-management. The podcast highlights the significance of tracking progress and updating managers on results and offers valuable tips on how to stay motivated… 

95% of Small Business Say They are Below Average or Worse in Their Sales Performance

We are almost done tabulating the results for the grading of small businesses. Every year, Sales Xceleration asks the CEOs and owners of small businesses to grade themselves on how well their company is running its sales operations. Like last year, 95% of all companies couldn’t get to the “average” level of execution. But 2022 was worse than last year since more companies graded themselves as “Poor” rather than just “Below Average.”  It is okay… 

Fractional Sales Leadership Increases the Value of My Client by 167%

A common question that I receive is about the value of adding fractional sales leadership to their company. I typically answer their concern with a story about one of my clients who had a fantastic experience and increased the company’s value by 167% in about 12 months. The true benefit of the efforts of fractional sales leadership is that revenue and pipeline will increase your company’s value. Several years ago, I was hired by a…