Tag Archives for " Sales Process "

The Sad State of Sales Training

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

The vast majority of sales training is incredibly ineffective. Not because much of what is claimed to be “sales” training is actually just “product” training. Not at all. Instead, just looking at actual sales training – that is, training designed to improve selling skills – the evidence is clear. It is enormously ineffective. That’s not only my opinion based on 25 years of observation, it is consistent with extensive research on the effectiveness of salespeople.

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The Unpopular Road to Top Sales Performance

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

The truth is that practice is incredibly important to performance. In fact, I would ask you to name one skill of any consequence that does NOT require practice to excel at that skill. Anything? Of course not. You cannot perfect any skill unless, and until, you practice. Which means that your employees are practicing to improve their skills, or YOU (the manager) are guilty of the ultimate performance killer – no practice.

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Another Loss, Another Pity Party

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

When salespeople win a sale – when they close a deal – it’s because they are good at what they do. Just ask them! They will tell you how hard they worked; how smooth they were. The will give you every detail of how they set the hook and reeled in the Big One. But if you listen to salespeople talk about a loss, you will hear something else entirely. Instead of talking about their mistakes or missteps, you’ll hear a litany of reasons that explain why they lost the sale.

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Your Sales Presentation is NOT Effective

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

What exactly makes a sales presentation “effective?” In a lot of cases, I get the impression that an “effective” presentation means the presentation was well-delivered. The presenter was smooth, even charming. The slide deck was perfect. Yes, these things are obviously important to some degree, but, on the other hand, it misses the point entirely.

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