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When you have it, you need to heed it. When you don't, you need to seek it. It's the thing that drives you when you don't feel like driving anymore.

What would your organization look like if there was more transparency?

What does it take to succeed? A lot more than a skill set and hard work.

You hear it all the time- selling is a relationship business. But what if you don’t have any relationships? How do you even get started?

If you’re familiar with Mike’s previous work (and if you aren’t, where have you been?), you’ll recognize his straightforward approach developed further. There are also some absolute gems in here that I’ve not seen in writing before.

I realized this week that I've fallen into a trap that so many salespeople often do. I hope my mea culpa can be your lesson too...

There is a lot of talk about established (but lazy) salespeople, the value of SDR's, and hunters vs. farmers. Here's something that I think all of those discussions are missing.

Adding an extra day to a business trip is not a vacation. Working remotely from a beach or a golf course is not a vacation. While they are perks of the job, let's stop pretending that they're ideal. Stop convincing yourself that the whole enterprise will fall apart if you're not constantly connected.

You don't need to be or act like anyone else in order to be an effective salesperson. In fact, the most effective seller you can be is you.

When you get the leeway to take more risks and push more envelopes, you begin to break away from the pack. Suddenly, you look around and notice you're doing things a lot differently than your peers. It's like you're on an island. Even though you're there for all the right reasons, you still feel like you're alone.

No matter how you slice it, there is no such thing as a sustainable shortcut. On a long enough timeline, those who do things the right way prevail over people who consistently cut corners.

The average sales person doesn't realize that he can't just read his print copy to people and expect customers to buy. Talking points are meaningless unless they're intensely personal. Work ethic, hustle, and customer service are not salient enough concepts to convert customers by themselves.

When you start pulling orders ahead, you start the next period at a deficit, which adds a level of pressure and uncertainty to your performance for the next month. You’re increasingly likely to borrow again from Peter to pay Paul. Not only is this a symptom of a terrible pipeline, but it’s only a matter of time before you do long term damage to your business, and your reputation as a salesperson.

I love email. I think it’s a very effective communication tool. That said, I think we take a few too many liberties with this medium. There’s no denying email can be a wonderful communication channel, but it becomes problematic when it is our primary communication channel.

If you don't know what (at least) the next two steps are in your sales process, then you're not ready to take any steps in your sales process.

Sure, a few people may be unbelievably fortunate, but that's not a game you can bet on and win. True mastery comes with time, experience, and dedicated intentional practice.

To redefine selling, we need to redefine the sale. Brian Tracy says that “a sale is nothing more than a transfer of enthusiasm from one party to another.” This is my favorite definition. There really isn’t a whole lot more to it than that, and most sales that are made don’t even involve money.

Chances are, if you’re completely torn up by every lost sale, your pipeline is not as robust as it should be.  

You might think I’m weird, but I’m here to tell you: those metaphorical punches in the face can be exhilarating, and they help drive my success. Bumps in the road beg you to reevaluate.

Between every stimulus and your response, there is a moment where you get to decide how to proceed. That's what you can't forget. That's what you cannot allow to be beaten out of you. You have a choice.

The counter was reset to zero this week. The hourglass has also just been flipped over- there's a lot of sand at the top. There’s never been a better time to start looking at the long-term than right now.

Your attitude is the foundation for your success. Work on it, build it, and remind yourself of it. The world is a better place when you’ve got your swagger about you, and you can’t count on anybody but yourself (or maybe your mom) to boost it.

A funny thing happens when you stop focusing on the end of the month. It's almost as if you're given more months.

When you ask questions that others won't ask, you learn things that others won't learn...

If you can adequately differentiate yourself and demonstrate that you can provide outcomes that nobody else can, then nobody is really a competitor.

The disease afflicting most sales organizations is not a lack of skills, desire, or even commitment. What these teams have not created is a culture or environment where continuous improvement is the norm.

Your product is not a commodity. There are significant differences between you and your competitors. However, your prospect may not yet appreciate those differences.

Of course, you need to know how the decision will be made. Of course, it's valuable (but not necessary) to know what the budget will be. But anybody can ask those questions. You need to ask the questions that nobody else can ask.