Readers

The Art of the Last-Minute Sales Prep: A 5-Point Plan ​In the world of sales, time is a precious commodity. Sometimes, you find yourself with an unexpected meeting on the calendar, leaving you with just minutes to prepare. While deep research is always ideal, a lack of time doesn't have to mean a lack of success. By focusing on a few critical actions, you can still deliver a confident, value-driven pitch. Here is a five-point plan for effective last-minute sales preparation. ​ 1. Research the Buyer, Not the Company ​With only a few minutes, you don't have time to perform a full company deep dive. Instead, use that time to research the individual you're meeting with. A quick scan of their LinkedIn profile can provide invaluable information. Look for their role, tenure at the company, and any recent activity or posts. What are their interests? Do you have any mutual connections? Finding a shared connection or interest can instantly build rapport and transform a cold call i...

I Never Thought I'd End Up as a Sales Professional I’ve always been a problem-solver, a natural builder. My college years were spent buried in engineering textbooks, dreaming of designing elegant machines and complex systems. The world of sales, with its slick suits and relentless targets, felt like a foreign, slightly distasteful country. I saw it as a place for smooth talkers, not thinkers; for people who could charm their way to a deal, not for those who found satisfaction in the precise logic of a blueprint. "I'll never be a salesperson," I told myself, a mantra that felt as solid and unchangeable as a law of physics. My first job out of college was exactly what I’d planned: an entry-level engineering role at a mid-sized tech company. I was in my element, immersed in data, design, and code. But after a few years, a sense of disconnect began to grow. The projects were fascinating, but I was so far removed from the end-user. My work lived in...

Beyond Gut Feeling: Essential Calculations Every Sales Team Leader Must Master Beyond Gut Feeling: Essential Calculations Every Sales Team Leader Must Master Gut feeling and intuition have their place in sales, but a successful sales team leader knows that data is the most powerful tool for driving performance and making strategic decisions. Relying solely on instinct is a recipe for missed opportunities and inconsistent results. To truly master their role, sales leaders must move beyond intuition and embrace the essential calculations that provide a clear, objective view of their team's health and performance. 1. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Track Before diving into the calculations, it's crucial to understand the fundamental metrics that underpin a sales team's success. These are the building blocks for every analysis you'll perform: Total Revenue: The total sales generated by t...

The Salesperson's Compass: Why a PJP is Non-Negotiable for Success The Salesperson's Compass: Why a Permanent Journey Plan (PJP) is Non-Negotiable for Success In the dynamic world of field sales, a salesperson's most valuable assets are their time and energy. With countless clients to visit, territories to cover, and targets to meet, the difference between success and failure often lies in strategy. Simply "winging it" is a recipe for missed opportunities and burnout. This is where the Permanent Journey Plan (PJP) comes in—a salesperson’s strategic compass for navigating their territory with precision and purpose. A PJP is far more than just a daily schedule or a list of addresses. It is a well-thought-out, structured route plan that dictates which outlets or clients a salesperson will visit on a specific day of the week or month. This plan is "permanent" in the sense that it provides a consi...