Sales

31. Why It's Okay For CIOs To Make Decisions Based On Feelings 4/25/2016

    One of life’s most hilariously, ironic aspects is that, wherever you go, you’ll notice personal exceptionalism is by far the most ordinary expression of human behavior. If you understand that concept to be true, then the self-assessment data gathered by the well-known leadership and management coach, Mark Goldsmith won’t surprise you either. By Ariel Amster, Qubole

32. Your Feet Are Too Small 4/12/2016

    No, this isn't an article about buying or selling shoes. Rather, the reference I make in the title is to the size of your marketing footprint. In today's very crowded, very competitive sales arena, the team that has the biggest and best marketing footprint is, more often than not, the team that gets the majority of new leads.

33. 5 Fresh Strategies To Boost Sales 3/29/2016

    According to research consultancy IDC, the global IT market surpassed $3.7 trillion in 2015 and it’s on track to reach $3.8 trillion in 2016. However, diminished margins, competitive pressures and shifting channel dynamics are challenging resellers to do more with less, and to do it more creatively. Renewed ideas are necessary for today’s channel players to stay relevant – and stay profitable.

34. Selling A BDR Appliance 3/28/2016

    ABS enables IT service providers to automate advanced data protection. StorageCraft helps out by delivering the backup and disaster recovery technology. This is how ABS attracts industry-leading service partners like IT4 and Second Star Technologies.

35. Selling Versus Telling 3/28/2016

    There seems to be an age-old debate regarding the differences between selling and telling. When I make sales calls with my clients’ salespeople, I’ve noted an increase in the number of sales calls which are inappropriately identified as selling. More often than not, these people are telling.

36. VAR's Customer Service Secret: “You Can't Train Nice” 3/10/2016

    A common mistake made by business managers, including solutions providers, is hiring a tech based solely on the candidate’s résumé. This is probably why you’ve crossed paths with so many high-skilled technicians who offend customers with their gruff demeanor.

37. Speakers At Channel Events: Read This Book, Please! 3/7/2016

    I hope every speaker I listen to at future channel conferences for the rest of my life follows the principles in the book Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker. I think tolerating dry presentations at events has taken a few years off all of our lives. Or at least it feels that way to me.

38. Sales Compensation With Consequences: The Missing Link For Predictable Performance 2/24/2016

    Countless hours, dollars, and efforts have been put into creating and recreating sales compensation plans. Management frequently says things like, “If I worked for me, I’d be making a ton of money!” We mistakenly feel that creating a comp plan that rewards sales success is the best way to produce a behavior change.

39. 5 Insights Into Successful Channel Relationships 2/23/2016

    Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. What can vendors do to develop mutually profitable channel relationships with their partners? Teach them to fish? Well, something like that.

40. IT Solutions Providers: Forget Your ABCs (Always Be Closing) 2/4/2016

    The title of this article refers to a cliché from the old school of selling. “Always Be Closing” was actually made famous in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). As a sales strategy, it worked very well at one point in time. But, those times have come and gone.