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Blog Feed
Thoughts and Ideas from Sales Concepts
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Why Buying Teams Postpone or Stop DecisionsDecember 8, 2025 at 5:00 AMDevelop a strategy to call on accounts at all levels.In every selling opportunity, multiple buying influences shape the decision. Each of them faces a... -
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Why You Should Use LinkedIn to Generate BusinessDecember 1, 2025 at 5:00 AMUnleash the power of finding and connecting with leads using LinkedIn.People are more informed, more selective, and more challenging to reach than eve... -
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If prospecting is so important, why don't we do it?November 17, 2025 at 5:00 AMAddressing the top challenges that keep salespeople from prospectingProspecting is one of the most essential parts of B2B selling. Yet it also seems t... -
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Lead from StrengthNovember 10, 2025 at 5:00 AMMany leaders believe improvement begins with identifying weaknesses and working hard to correct them. This approach feels responsible and disciplined.... -
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Attending a trade show? Ask these questions?November 3, 2025 at 5:00 AMMost salespeople understand the basics of greeting visitors at a trade show. They stand near the front of their booth, smile, and ask a simple opening... -
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Why Leadership Skills are Essential for Selling Success and How to Develop ThemOctober 27, 2025 at 4:00 AMSuccess in sales is not just about closing deals. It is about influencing, guiding, and inspiring others for the long run. The most effective sales pr... -
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Two Perspectives, One Truth: What Really Makes a Salesperson Great?October 20, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn sales, few questions spark more debate than this:What makes a salesperson great?Ask a sales manager, and you will get one answer. Ask a customer, a... -
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5 Time Management Mistakes Salespeople Make and How to Fix ThemOctober 13, 2025 at 4:00 AMTime is the most valuable resource we have. However, many of us unintentionally waste hours each week on low-value activities. The cost is not just lo... -
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Closing Is a Process, Not an EventOctober 6, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn sales, many of us envision the close as a single, dramatic moment when the buyer finally says yes and signs the papers to make the purchase. But in... -
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When and How Should Salespeople Present a Business Case to Win BigSeptember 29, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn B2B sales, deals often move forward on the strength of a well-delivered presentation, compelling demos, or trust built over time. But sometimes, th... -
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Sell value! Position Your Solutions as Investments, Not Expenses.September 22, 2025 at 4:00 AMIt is easy to fall into the trap of focusing on product specifications, technical details, or a laundry list of features. After all, salespeople know ... -
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The Overlooked Trait That Makes or Breaks Selling SuccessSeptember 15, 2025 at 4:00 AMWhen people talk about what it takes to succeed in B2B sales, you'll usually hear the big five: business acumen, consultative selling, resilience... -
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Leadership is not just for managers. It is the essence of selling.September 8, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn 2025, sales success depends on more than just product knowledge or persistence. Successful salespeople know that the difference between hitting quo... -
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Sales Leaders Win by Selling Value, Not Features.August 25, 2025 at 4:00 AMThere is one truth that often gets lost in the rush to pitch, present, and prove: prospects do not buy features; they buy value.That might sound simpl... -
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Turn Buyer Resistance into Opportunity with Emotional IntelligenceAugust 18, 2025 at 4:00 AMIf you have been selling for any length of time, you know that resistance is part of the job. Customers push back on pricing, delay decisions, raise c... -
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Stop Making Objections Harder Than They Need to BeAugust 11, 2025 at 4:00 AMWhy salespeople struggle with objections and how to make objections a natural part of the sale.We all know sales objections will never go away. And ye... -
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When to Use a Business Case, and How to Make it CountAugust 4, 2025 at 4:00 AMMost buyers do not wake up in the morning thinking, I hope someone hits me with a complicated spreadsheet today. However, we know that in the world of... -
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Compelling Presentations Accelerate the Sales Process.July 28, 2025 at 4:00 AMAs sales professionals, we are under constant pressure to close deals more quickly without compromising quality or credibility. One often-overlooked a... -
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The skill that defuses hesitation throughout the sales process.July 21, 2025 at 4:00 AMWhen a prospect says, "I'm not interested," many salespeople immediately shift into convince-and-conquer mode. But emotional resistance... -
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De-Risking the Deal
Identify and Overcome Perceived Risk Across Buying InfluencesJuly 14, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn complex B2B sales, especially those involving large capital equipment or high-stakes services, your prospects do not make decisions in a vacuum. In... -
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The Salesperson's Bill of Rights IIJuly 7, 2025 at 4:00 AMLast week, as a way to celebrate our 249th Independence Day in the United States, we created and shared the first half of what we call The Salesperson... -
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The Salesperson's Bill of Rights IJune 30, 2025 at 4:00 AMThis week, here in the United States, we celebrate our 249th Independence Day! We also celebrate our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and the free en... -
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AI Tools for Salespeople, Friend or Foe?June 23, 2025 at 4:00 AMAs a sales professional, you have likely noticed the growing buzz around AI tools. From ChatGPT to meeting transcription software, artificial intellig... -
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Stop Pitching, Start Listening: The Secret to Learning What Customers Really WantJune 16, 2025 at 4:00 AMMost salespeople often work on crafting the perfect pitch, overcoming objections, or closing the deal, and I used to be one of them. However, my selli... -
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Questions are the building blocks of success.June 9, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn the world of selling, success does not come from talking. It comes from listening. At the heart of effective listening is the ability to ask the ri... -
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Successful Salespeople Adapt to Different Types of CustomersJune 2, 2025 at 4:00 AMSuccessful salespeople build genuine connections with their customers. But connecting with customers isn’t a one-size-fits-all task. It requires the a... -
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How Much Elevator Do You Need?May 19, 2025 at 4:00 AMMost salespeople can talk forever about their product, service, company, features, etc. I suspect some of us believe that if we talk long enough, the ... -
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What is your selling handicap?May 12, 2025 at 4:00 AMWhen you ask people about their golf handicaps, what they say may depend quite a bit on who's asking and when the next outing is. Sometimes golfe... -
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If you think it is expensive to hire a successful salesperson, try hiring a mediocre one.May 5, 2025 at 4:00 AMHere are some ways successful salespeople are different from mediocre ones. Successful salespeople ask questions.Mediocre salespeople talk too much a... -
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Why would salespeople need leadership training?April 28, 2025 at 4:00 AMOne of my clients shocked me the other day when I mentioned our upcoming Leading A Team course this June. He told me his managers are well-trained reg... -
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Strike 8, You're out!April 21, 2025 at 4:00 AMHow would baseball be different if it took eight strikes to strike out a batter? Would the game ever end? Maybe not. Think about it. It would be almos... -
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Are you missing opportunities?April 14, 2025 at 4:00 AMDo you treat everyone you work with on a sales call the same? When introducing yourself to a prospect or new customer, do you leave the same message f... -
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The Sales Manager's DilemmaApril 7, 2025 at 4:00 AMSalespeople report to you. Some are new. Some are seasoned. Some are struggling, some do well, and some need help. You have a training budget, but it&... -
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6 Key Elements of Closing The Sales - Part 2March 31, 2025 at 4:00 AMIn our previous message, we discussed how closing a deal is the culmination of events over time, not the answer to a magical, well-placed "Are yo... -
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6 Key Elements of Closing The SalesMarch 24, 2025 at 4:00 AMAt Sales Concepts, we deal with hundreds of sales managers throughout the year. So naturally, the topic foremost on their mind is closing the sale. Se... -
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Is forecasting a waste of time?March 17, 2025 at 4:00 AMThe following is a message from the president and founder of Sales Concepts, Don Sharp.After working in sales and sales management for over 45 years, ... -
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Closing is more than just asking for the business.March 3, 2025 at 5:00 AMClosing is one of the most challenging parts of the sales process for many salespeople. Often, salespeople conclude an excellent presentation for a cl... -
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Do you see what your cusotmers see?February 24, 2025 at 5:00 AMHave you ever caught a glimpse of yourself in a mirror and wondered, "Do I really look like that?" Maybe you saw a photo of yourself and tho... -
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How to respond to objectionsFebruary 10, 2025 at 5:00 AMAnyone selling for any length of time knows they will encounter objections. Some are harder to deal with than others. At Sales Concepts, we define an ... -
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"Want to sell more? Be quiet!"February 3, 2025 at 5:00 AMFred Rogers is famous for the children's show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, which aired on PBS from 1968 to 2001. His objective was to use telev... -
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"Thanks! Great Presentation."January 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM“Great Presentation!” These could be the worst words you can hear after your sales presentation! Another horrible response for a presenter might be, “... -
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Have you ever overreacted to something with a customer?January 13, 2025 at 5:00 AMOne of the most effective ways to deal with customer objections is to listen, empathize, and ask questions. However, we have found that, among the tho... -
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Ready or Not, 2025 is Underway!January 6, 2025 at 5:00 AMWe are already a week into 2025, a new year. For most of us, our numbers revert to zero. Have they come to you with a higher quota this year? Did they... -
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The Secret Effective Leaders KnowDecember 16, 2024 at 5:00 AMMany people desire to be in positions of leadership. However, they may not understand the concept of servant leadership. The most effective leaders do...
