"If you're trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think."  - David Ogilvy David Ogilvy, the famous marketing and sales executive, said it this way, "If you're trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think." Nelson Mandela said it like this: "If you talk to [people] in a language [they] understand, that goes to [their] heads. If you talk to [them] in [their] language, that goes to [their] heart." The ability to communicate—whether to persuade or just to understand—goes beyond using words well; it requires the ability to use words in a way that has meaning for those with whom you are speaking. The ability to talk with someone in his or her native language isn’t just about them understanding you; it’s about you understanding them—their experiences, their thinking, their beliefs, and their values. While definitions lie in words, meaning lies in the people who use them.

Ask a CEO to name his or her organization's most important asset and you're sure to hear "our people," followed closely by "our customers." Everything  else  takes  a  backseat, and  yet few books are written about how these two most  valuable assets interact, engage, align, collaborate, innovate, and create value together. Beyond the Sales Process focuses on the frontline of engagement with customers. It is specifically intended for salespeople, account managers, their managers, and sales leaders, as well as others who have responsibilities and pressures associated with developing and winning business, and those  who  are  tasked  with  extending  and expanding their relationships with customers. In the case studies that follow each section, you'll learn how top companies engage differently and grow successful customer relationships based on collaboration, innovation, and mutual value creation and co-creation. These case studies provide an in-depth perspective on how industry leaders across the globe engage, win, and grow with their customers. Adecco Staffing U.S., BNY Mellon, Hilton Worldwide, Honeywell Building Solutions, Merck/MSD, Panasonic Corporation, Securian Financial Group-Group Insurance, Siemens AG, and Zurich Insurance Group have generously provided us with their stories. While this book is largely intended for those who want to consistently be at the top of their professional peer groups and are willing to consider new ideas to help them succeed, it will also be of value to the managers and leaders who motivate, coach, and support the efforts of their teams. Thus, this  book  is  for  those  customer-facing  professionals  who need to drive their performance to the next level of effectiveness. Click VIEW below to download these valuable strategies.

Industry research shows that effective sales coaching can dramatically improve the performance of a sales team - in some cases driving up revenues by 20% or more.   The reason for such potential improvements is the significant "multiplier effect" sales organizations can achieve through sales coaching: one trained manager can coach multiple sales professionals and improve their overall performance. With such potential benefits it is no wonder that many sales organizations recommend that their frontline sales managers spend 25% - 45% of their time sales coaching.   The High Impact Sales Coaching Guide provides expert advice on essential sales coaching skills to help sales managers effectively empower their teams to reach their highest potential.

What if you could pick the brains of the best leaders and managers in the world? Well… veteran leadership coach Ryan Dohrn did, and he has compiled their best advice into ten habits for success that you will want to replicate immediately. Plus, Ryan will add in a few tips gleaned from his own 30-year management career as well.  

Stop losing pitches on purpose. Winning a pitch is about more than "telling" your audience about your great idea. Close more business with a process for persuasion from one of the world’s most successful pitch specialists.

Win with small changes that deliver big results Directly applicable to your daily challenges Exceptional opportunity to boost your influence skills Free of charge

People call them handouts, leave-behinds, slide docs, downloadables, or just "documents." When you use PowerPoint to create something for distribution and meant to be read by a single person at any given time, it’s not really a presentation anymore—it’s a document. And it should be designed and treated as such. You could use InDesign or Word, but PowerPoint is actually surprisingly powerful for this format when you learn a few tricks and approaches. Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Nolan Haims will show you how to use PowerPoint as a desktop publishing tool to create effective print and PDF materials.

The holiday season means major shopping. And your customers are looking for the best deals. As companies try different tactics to reward loyal customers and attract new business, some incentives will work better than others. Learn how you can stand out from the competition this year. Download our 2023 holiday sales incentives guide and learn how you can send digital gift cards that encourage customer loyalty and attract new business.

As we all know, salespeople absolutely love to win and hate to lose—and think they can win every deal. Sales management might say, "I love to win as much as the salespeople, but only if it’s the right business!" Sales managers know well the hot pursuit of a win can backfire when salespeople go after deals that aren’t profitable and, frankly, may not even be winnable.  

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, trainers told creative, captivating stories that piqued the interest of colleagues, clients, and customers. These trainers did not say, "Trust me on this" or "Take my word for it," nor did they overwhelm their listeners with complex bar graphs or slay them with bullet (points). Rather, they used the power of storytelling to get people to agree, believe, comply, or act. Stories help people sit up and listen, and most importantly, connect!  

Many companies kick off the calendar year by bringing their sales team (and sometimes sales support staff) together for a few days of planning, practicing and pumping the team up. Sales kickoffs set the tone for the rest of the year, which is why it’s critical to make the most of them. Our latest Focus Report takes a closer look at how to put together an impactful kickoff that provides significant ROI. Experts and sales leaders we spoke with share insights on: The key ingredients for the most effective sales kickoffs Why recognition and celebration are essential components of kickoffs Why you should avoid virtual kickoffs at all costs Why the voice of your customers should be highlighted at your kickoff Strategies for smarter territory planning

Any way you say it, it means "Influence" - the  most important skill needed in today’s workplace.  And whether you’re a training manager, trainer, IT Professional, SalesRepresentative, Sales Leader you may want to improve your Influence Skills to get the results you want.  

How did an employee engagement provider generate more than $3 billion in additional revenue? How did the maker of a firebrick exponentially increase their sales? It’s all about the stories we tell — especially those we tell about and to ourselves.  

For businesses to succeed, it's critical to have a plan offering tangible solutions in the event of an economic downturn. While we have staved off the "R-word" (recession) for now, one never knows when the economy will have a downturn. Have a plan and deploy every tactic to not just survive but THRIVE! Learn successful strategies to WIN the war and why there are always opportunities to capitalize on -- you just have to know where to look. Don't let fear stop you from achieving greatness.

Imagine attending a virtual training session where you felt understood and included. Your needs for reflection, social engagement, practical content, or creative idea generation were respected. You can create that experience for your learners by keeping their communications styles in mind. Some styles want you to get to the point quickly, some love time to get to know their colleagues, some need space to reflect or work independently, and others are most attracted to novel activities. By holding their diverse needs in mind, you’ll get their attention and keep their engagement.

New 75,000-Person Research Study Unveils Findings to Unlock Workforce Potential With almost universal awareness about the business benefits of employee motivation, why are employees checking out in droves? New research unveils findings about employee motivation that is stemming this trend in some organizations. Critical steps detailed that can help increase employee motivation in an organization.

Amidst plummeting employee motivation and waning job satisfaction, even the best efforts of today's leaders are struggling to maintain a motivated workforce. Join us in this exclusive webinar, we will unveil an innovative scientific approach to revitalizing employee motivation and delve into the discovery of the 23 core intrinsic drivers that fuel your passion and those of your team. During the webinar you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of your results, as well as learn how to harness these insights to supercharge your own work and foster a thriving, diverse team that excels.

Uncommunicated expectations are often unmet expectations. That won’t fly when you are trying to talk with your customers’ executives! With complex solutions, often it becomes clear that higher-level support is required to make the sale. What does it take to engage your customers’ executives in a meaningful way? 

The statement "Our people are our greatest asset" is so overused it mostly causes eyes to roll. Aside from those who don’t like people being called assets, the statement is mostly met with disgust because it’s a reliable red flag that a company is all platitudes and no gratitude. If the global pandemic increased managers’ awareness of the importance of making it clear to employees how much they are valued, the statistics don’t show it. According to a 2022 Gallup Poll, 54% of Gen Z employees, slightly higher than any other generation, are ambivalent or not engaged at work. Only 32% of workers overall say they are engaged with their work. A livable wage and meaningful work are two key factors for workplace engagement. After that, recognition is vital, and currently, only 23% of employees strongly agree they get the right amount of recognition for the work they do. Think about that! Nearly three-quarters of employees are missing the steady reinforcement and appreciation they need to help them be their best. And employers are missing out on benefits of fielding a work force that feels appreciated. Our annual Ultimate Guide to Non-Cash Incentives explores the benefits of workplace recognition beyond a paycheck and offers ideas about how companies can improve in this area. It also features key suppliers in four non-cash incentive categories - merchandise, gift cards, travel and experiences, and incentive solution providers. Even if you’re in the minority of companies that get recognition right, it can’t hurt to have more insight into this key component of staying competitive.

Robert Cialdini's legendary book, INFLUENCE, was published 39 years ago. The world has drastically changed since 1984, yet Dr. Cialdini's persuasion principles have held firm because they are rooted in un-changing human psychology.  Marketers, consultants, C-level decision-makers, training specialists, negotiators, and experts in Sales, Communication and HR who master Cialdini's principles invariably:

Back by popular demand! Our special guest; Tony Parinello, author and creator of Selling to VITO, the Very Important Top Officer! Tony, is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author who has personally trained well over 2.5 million salespeople and the majority of the F-1000 to create bigger sales and commission checks while drastically cutting sales cycle times.  

In a world where nearly half of all B2B buyers would prefer a rep-free buying experience, the timeless mantra of selling - "Always Be Closing" - is, well, not so timeless. The new ABCs of selling are "Always Be Credible," says C. Lee Smith, CEO of SalesFuel, a sales intelligence and enablement firm. To get facetime with B2B purchase decision-makers, salespeople need to be viewed as trusted advisors. They can’t earn trust unless they are first perceived as having a high degree of credibility, Smith says. A new sponsored Focus Report from SalesFuel and Sales & Marketing Management examines: How sales professionals can develop the sort of credibility that opens prospects’ doors Why building credibility starts before you even meet a prospect Research on what buyers want from sellers (It goes way beyond product knowledge) 6 tips for building a strong online presence The report also features contributed articles from sales experts Anthony Iannarino on how today’s successful salespeople gain buyers’ confidence, and from Jeffrey Gitomer on the secret to getting all the referrals you could ever hope for.

Much of sales involves gaining and keeping momentum in your opportunities. Mastering the sales conversation can help you get there.  

The worst question a B2B salesperson should ask is "tell me about your business." The second worst is "what keeps you up at night?" Ask one of these questions and you're toast.