Your prospects need you now more than ever.

I could probably end this piece right now, but that would be anticlimactic, wouldn't it?

I don’t watch much baseball anymore. There was a time when it was ubiquitous on the tv every evening, but times change as kids grow up and they’re more interested in their own shows on the screen. I still manage to tune into the playoffs in October. Meaningful games are just too hard to turn down.

"It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll."

Nothing worth achieving comes without hard work, and a career in sales is no different from AC/DC's 1975 classic about a band paying their dues in order to make it to the big time. It's not a 9-5 job. You don't get paid for your time, you get paid for your results, and a lot of times, that means working more hours. It's easy to imagine that the best-performing salespeople just outwork their peers.

I'm here to tell you that's not true. In a lot of cases, they actually work less.

Everybody who's ever sold against a quota can relate.

The end of the month, quarter, or year involves a mad dash to the finish line. Of course, projects need to be completed, and beans need to be counted. These guideposts are important. What gets out of hand is when the deal's timing becomes more important than the deal's value.

"That can't be it. You must be doing it wrong."

That's the inner monologue of the overwhelming majority of salespeople out there.

Every salesperson starts out having some kind of intuitive notion of what they need to do in order to sell their best. Then they promptly doubt it.

I spoke with a prospect this week about how his team is getting enough meetings, but they’re not leading to enough real opportunities.

“A third of the meetings we get are BS. My reps want to ensure they’re doing what they’ve been told, but many of these never even turn into second meetings.”

“Jeff, I love how passionate you are about this!”

It took far more restraint than I’m comfortable admitting not to punch that product manager in the neck.

Here’s a simple way to tackle this exercise because it’s critical to your sales process.

Is the cost objection to make you go away… or is there something else?

There are some real lessons salespeople can learn from this blend of chops, finesse, and attack. 

You won’t be as successful as you could be if you try to sell like someone else. 

Taking on a new sales role often feels like drinking from a firehose. Use these tips to think differently.

What it really means to take ownership, and four ways you can start, now.

Don’t equate the lack of a yes with a no. You’re projecting rejection.

A few quick things to prevent breaks in your process, and a deeper a deeper look at why prospects go dark.

These lessons from top sales professionals may help you find the balance you’re looking for.

Be careful not to mistake good marketing for the truth.

You have all the pieces. The challenge is being patient.

You have all the pieces. The challenge is being patient.

The most important aspect of effective leadership probably scares you to death.