http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com A get real, no BS, totally honest look at what works...and what doesn't work...in sales and business development. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:44:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en While the economy certainly has taken its toll on almost all of us, smart salespeople are using these recessionary times to deliver a higher level of service to gain on their competition. There is definitely a shakedown of sorts currently underway in many industries. Complacent companies and their representatives are ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/sales-effectiveness-3-ways-to-gain-on-the-competition/ Skilled long distance runners all have their unique style of racing. Some start out of the gate in a flash and then slow down as they approach the finish line. Others progressively pick up speed and really crank it up as they head into the final miles. Both styles can ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/how-to-succeed-at-sales-running-your-race/ There is definitely a fine line between nagging and persistence. Who wasn’t told to stop “nagging” when they were a child? The truth is that children are the very best salespeople. They take the art of persistence, and oftentimes nagging, to impressive levels. For salespeople, it is instrumental to understand where ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/sales-tip-is-it-nagging-or-is-it-persistence/ While the economy certainly has taken its toll on almost all of us, smart salespeople are using these recessionary times to deliver a higher level of service to gain on their competition. There is definitely a shakedown of sorts currently underway in many industries. Complacent companies and their representatives are ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/best-practices-on-sales-three-ways-to-gain-on-the-competition/ What if you train them and they leave? What if you don't train them and they stay? My prospects are frozen and no matter what I do, many of them are just not moving through the sales funnel. They view sales training and sales strategy consulting as "discretionary" and rather than sharpening ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/the-blatant-truth-sales-training-is-not-an-option/ Networking isn’t a short-term strategy. It’s not about power selling and moving onto the next lead. Smart networkers understand this concept. They know that their networking success is largely dependent on nurturing relationships and helping others. Through their generosity and efforts, they are confident that they will reap the benefits ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/how-to-screw-up-a-good-introduction/ Joanna Meurer, President of ID Concepts (http://www.id-ny.com) is a long-time associate of mine and she and I (almost) always see eye to eye on marketing, branding and sales.....yes, there is a difference:) We have a potential client that we will work on together and we were discussing the firm's web presence, ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/whats-wrong-with-this-picture/ How This All Started Just like you, I’ve devoted too much time, energy, and money trying to make connections at networking events. Trust me. I’ve experienced firsthand the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to these get-togethers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a firm believer in the power ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/birthing-adrians-network/ Of course, everyone knows that making a lucrative connection can happen at a networking event. Yet, many of us continue to unknowingly suck at networking and then wonder why we aren’t having any “luck” at meeting key people. The majority of these “unlucky” souls are simply guilty of committing one or ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/the-ten-ways-to-suck-at-networking/ In this fast paced, technology-driven world, how fast is fast enough? No doubt, the business executive who has a sense of urgency and follows up in a timely manner has always been more likely to acquire and maintain business than one who has a laissez-faire attitude. However, what was once considered ... http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-er-the-business/