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Perhaps the line between empowering guru and charlatan isn’t as clear as we think? We needn’t look any further than the hucksters of dream jobs that typically involve being your own boss and working from home. They float on the fringes of our ship-wrecked careers selling what else? Life boats.

Their sales pitch is success. After-all, look at what they accomplished! Here’s the problem. Sellers of…

“The next four weeks will feel like taking a sip from a fire hose!” I remember the trainer telling us on the first day of sales training. It was 21 years ago. I had just landed my first real job, in sales for a large software company. He was warning us about the onslaught of information he was about to deliver. All I remember is wondering how I would take it all in and make sense of it.

Today, we…

“Pride cometh before a fall” – Biblical Proverb

Many of the stereotypes of salespeople are unfair. Not all of us are the money-hungry, hyper-competitive, egotists portrayed in movies like Boiler Room. Still, some grains of truth can be found in the way we act when times are good. Consider the following reasons why, as a salesperson, you might love your job:

You love the money and all it brings

The problem with forced rankings

https://seths.blog/2018/05/the-problem-with-forced-rankings/ — Read on seths.blog/2018/05/the-problem-with-forced-rankings/

While I’ve liked just about everything I’ve read from Seth, this one especially hits home!

Let’s start with an introduction. Person who hates sales and swears never to become a salesperson, meet salesperson who is frustrated and unhappy with her job. You have a lot in common!

Surprised? Take a look at the following reasons to hate selling and see if you agree. Then, consider how that belief (even if ill-conceived) makes you a better potential salesperson.

The job of a sales person, at…

Here’s a fun quiz! Below are three pieces of training advice. Read each and decide if it came from either: a popular book on training sales people, or a popular book on training puppies.

1. Invest a lot of time in the first 3 months to help your (sales rep/puppy) establish good habits.

2. Remain consistent when training your (sales rep/puppy).

3. Don’t reprimand your (sales rep/puppy) for…

Coins clinking out of a slot machine. The crowd cheering the winner of a marathon. A Sales VP announcing this year’s #1 salesperson. What do they all have in common? Chances are, they’re the sound of good news for someone other than you. Oh well, better luck next time!

We all know we shouldn’t be jealous of winners. Some people just have the luck! When WE win, we remember all the hard work…

A career in sales can be exciting and rewarding. The admin work required? It sucks. CRMs. Expenses. Sales reports. They take away your selling time with little payback. Other tasks, like customer follow-through, are essential to a sales person’s success. Doing them requires discipline and neglecting them GETS you disciplined.

Do you struggle with any of the following problems?

1. Difficulty…

It’s been in the news and it’s now being studied by business schools. Have you heard the phrase “Gig Economy”? It refers to the growing percentage of the US work force that works independently. Think everyone from Uber drivers, to high end consultants, and everyone in between.

In the past few years, I’ve seen colleagues, some with 10-20 years at the same company, move on to new ventures.…

What’s The Right Salary for You? Ask the Salary Happiness Calculator.

You’re in sales and that means you’re money-motivated. You don’t shy away from challenges – you seek them out! After all, that’s where the big rewards are found! By rewards, I mean recognition, gifts, and most of all – money.

Given that you know yourself and what you want so well, I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate to prove it by…

So You Want to be a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep? How Well Can You Lie?

The pharmaceutical industry has taken much criticism, both just and unjust, over the years. You’ve seen the articles about dangerous side effects, insanely high prices, and bribery of doctors. These scandals make for good headlines. Fortunately for pharma sales reps, most of these issues are largely out of their control. Even…

Are You in the Right Sales Job? Answer This Simple Question.

Are you in the right sales job, or is there something better out there for you? I think I can help you find the answer – provided you consider what happened to me.

Once upon a time, a large, global corporation stopped compensating its sales force on actual sales volume. My colleagues and I, working for this company, hoped the change…

When interviewing for a sales job, everything is big. Big salaries, big titles, and big benefits. They all hang in the balance when we flash our opening smile to start the interview process. Despite what anyone would have you think, few interviews, even when aced, actually end in a job offer. In fact, if you the interviewee, don’t take action, you will likely be walking to your car an hour later…

The sky is falling!Just ask your favorite business blogger! Out of work? Need a better job? Here’s five things you MUST do before your next job interview. Not selling enough? Here’s the six things you SHOULD be saying to all of your customers. If you find yourself irritated with with the raft of fear-engendering advice on social media, you’re not alone. As you read this, another list of the 5…

How Does Your Company Treat it’s Salesforce? To Your Customer, it Means a Lot!

How Does Your Company Treat It’s Salesforce? To Your Customer, It Means A Lot!

Company A has an oversized hord of undisciplined, self-entitled, complainers who call themselves sales people. It’s a continual struggle to teach and motivate them to explain why our companies products are superior to the competition. Thankfully, a handful of good ones do what they’re told and manage to carry the rest…

Jealous of the Top Performers on Your Sales Team? Here’s a Reason to Reconsider.

Jealous of the Top Performers on Your Sales Team? Here’s a Reason to Reconsider.

In addition to recognition and accolades, top performing sales people enjoy a hidden side benefit that helps them retain there status for ever longer. What I call the Performance Effectis the added motivation gained from simply being a top sales person. Whereas before, you might have identified yourself as a…