SFXPress eNewsletter Archive

Volume 9, Number 1:  January 13th, 2010

Why you should celebrate bad and expensive meetings

Burrier may be contrarian, but blogger extraordinaire Seth Godin can "out contrary" anyone. He says that by making meetings more expensive, you might actually make them cost less.

Volume 8, Number 24:  December 14th, 2010

What does a $50,000 relationship look like?

Sales teams are challenged in a lot of ways by things that are happening in information technology. It's a great asset for sales teams to work with, but at the same time a lot of salespeople are being replaced by IT or access to information that allows customers to do their own shopping. Sales trainer Duane Sparks asks: Are customers happy to see your salespeople show up?

Volume 8, Number 23:  December 1st, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide Vol V:  Last-minute Business Gifts

A collection of quality business gifts that are still available for pre-holiday delivery...

Volume 8, Number 22:  December 1st, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide Vol IV:  Are You In the Right Gift-Giving Mindset?

Business gifts should be delightful surprises, says Jean Aw - things that people may not even know they want and probably wouldn't buy for themselves, but something they enjoy once it's in their hands...

Volume 8, Number 21:  November 16th, 2010

Mars and Venus at the Negotiating Table

Business journalist Joanne Cleaver asked two experts on marketing to women - Marti Barletta of TrendSight Group (trendsight.com) and Sasha Galbraith of Galbraith Management Consultants (jaygalbraith.com) - to explain where women and men talk past each other in high-pressure, high-stakes meetings...

Volume 8, Number 20:  November 8th, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide Vol III:  Last-Minute Gifting Without the Last-Minute Mistakes

Branded holiday gifts - whether edible, practical, or just plain fun - provide a unique opportunity to connect with customers, prospects, and employees. They are a way to say thanks and spread cheer while simultaneously increasing brand awareness at the lowest cost per impression of any advertising medium...

Volume 8, Number 20:  November 1st, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide Vol II:  Why Santa's Marketing Is Better Than Yours 

Santa Claus Inc. is well and profitable, right through recessions, depressions and just about any economic scenario. The reason why his marketing strategies work better than yours, is because he uses solid, dyed-in-the-wool psychology. He knows he doesn't have to use new-fangled techniques, when his simple marketing has stood the test of time...

Volume 8, Number 19:  October 22nd, 2010

A Happiness Movement Hits The Workplace 

The hit TV show "The Apprentice" hosted by Donald Trump portrays workplace culture as a tough game to play. Getting ahead requires putting your interests above others, and being happy and having positive relationships don't matter. Indeed, the show seems to emphasize that good guys finish last...

Volume 8, Number 18:  October 21st, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide Vol I:  7 Essentials of Holiday Business Gifts  

Corporate gift giving is an opportunity to connect with your clients, strengthen ties, and share your holiday cheer. Adopting an attitude of giving will make the act of corporate gift buying less stressful and more fun. Santa invades privacy gently and uses it to give, not to take. That's why we don't mind...

Volume 8, Number 17:  October 14th, 2010

The Way We're Working Isn't Working 

The defining ethic in today's workplace is more, bigger, faster. Yet no matter how much value we produce - whether it's measured in dollars or sales or goods or widgets - it's never enough. We run faster, stretch our arms further, and work longer and later. We're so busy trying to keep up that we stop noticing we're in a Sisyphean race we can never win...

Volume 8, Number 16:  September 21st, 2010

Can You Sell Like Apple? 

From its direct and channel pricing strategy to its retail and online storefronts, Apple sells its products like no other company in the consumer electronics space. It never discounts through its direct channel, and it keeps reseller pricing stable...

Volume 8, Number 15:  August 8th, 2010

Don't Miss These September Webinars 

SMM Connect and SalesForceXP magazine present complimentary Webinars with sales management, sales training, and marketing thought leaders. ...

Volume 8, Number 14:  July 7th, 2010

5 ways that managers can impact sales this year 

It's that time of year when sales managers look at first-quarter results and begin to panic. Early numbers didn't reach projections, which usually means subsequent ones are trailing as well. ...

Volume 8, Number 13:  June 24th, 2010

When it's time to make connections, no place tops Las Vegas. 

Successful salespeople know the advantages of being in the right place for business. Whether you're looking to make a sale, generate leads or develop your customer base, make sure you're connecting with people in the place where deals are made and business gets done. No place is better for business than Las Vegas...

Volume 8, Number 12:  June 22nd, 2010

Motivate, Recognize and Reward Your Sales (and Sales Support) Teams!

eShowcase - New offers from our advertising partners...

Volume 8, Number 11:  June 9th, 2010

When it's time to make connections, no place tops Las Vegas.

Whether it's making a sale, generating leads or developing customers, start at the top - it's no surprise that six of the top 10 shows on the list were held in Las Vegas, including the International Consumer Electronics Show, World of Concrete, the International Builders Show, ReCon, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the World Shoes and Accessories Show. No matter what business you're in, Las Vegas is the place to connect with people...

Volume 8, Number 10:  May 26th, 2010

Say 'Hello' to Sales and Marketing Management Monitor

We've acquired the prestigious Sales and Marketing Management Magazine brand as part of our recent acquisition of the Training brand from Nielsen Business Media. While the print version of SMM ceased publishing last year, the online version - SMM Monitor - continues online with more than 66,000 opt-in subscribers. It's an excellent source of sales and marketing intelligence and ideas...and is linked to a quickly growing social network of sales and market management professionals....

Volume 8, Number 9: May 4th, 2010

CityCenter, Tropicana and Hard Rock Cafe provide even more meeting options

Everyone loves to hold a meeting in a brand-new facility with all of the amenities, especially in Las Vegas! With more than 10.5 million square feet of exhibit space, there's plenty of room for your next successful meeting, and with the opening of some new meeting spaces, there's more reason than ever to plan your next gathering in Las Vegas...

Volume 8, Number 8:  April 22nd, 2010

Las Vegas has great locations, accommodations and ideal weather

Location, location, location. It's essential in real estate, and also important when choosing the place to hold your next successful business meeting. When it's time to get down to business, Las Vegas is the place...

Volume 8, Number 7:  April 20th, 2010

Las Vegas leads the way in affordable rooms...

If you've been thinking about getting your sales team to Las Vegas, there's good news and bad news: Room rates in Las Vegas are the most affordable in the nation, but the rate cuts of the past two years are leveling off...

Volume 8, Number 6:  April 13th, 2010

Motivate, Recognize and Reward Your Sales (and Sales Support) Teams!

eShowcase - New offers from our advertising partners...

Volume 8, Number 5:  March 23rd, 2010

Being Stuck Is the Mother of Great Ideas

Have you heard the story about how Richard Branson first got the notion to start an airline? Seth Godin tells it in his latest book, "Linchpin." We're not even sure it's completely accurate, but it's too good not to share...

Volume 8, Number 4:  March 3rd, 2010

3 Ways Salespeople Can Put Social Media To Work

No matter what you think about social media personally, your customers are moving online and into the social Web in droves, so you and your organization have little choice but to figure out how to benefit from this evolution...

Volume 8, Number 3:  February 25th, 2010

ROI: No Small Matter

What do we talk about when we talk about return on investment in the sales sector? "ROI is a buzzword that is being spoken, but I'm not positive that there is a lot of energy around a commitment to actually measure it"...

Volume 8, Number 2:  February 23rd, 2010

Motivate, Recognize and Reward Your Sales (and Sales Support) Teams!

eProduct Showcase...

Volume 8, Number 1:  January 28th, 2010

How Will You Connect With Your Customers This Year?

Contributor, author, speaker and entrepreneur Howard Mann, ironically writes that many of us are consumed with staying connected using all of today's high-tech tools (like those that helped this e-book come together) and in the process we can't see the forest for the trees...

Volume 7, Number 21:  December 16th, 2009

4 Resolutions That Good Sales Managers Keep

Solid year-end advice for all Sales Managers...

Volume 7, Number 20:  December 15th, 2009

Tumi Corporate Gifts Update

Volume 7, Number 19:  December 1st, 2009

Top 10 Stupid Gift Ideas (and some smart ones, too).
[Holiday Business Gift Guide IV]

Volume 7, Number 18:  November 30th, 2009

The Next New Thing for 2010

A vital part of management is finding the Next New Thing. Most managers don't develop these game-changers themselves. Rather, the objective is to remain vigilant enough to recognize important trends as they emerge and become an early adopter once you're convinced it will provide a competitive edge...

Volume 7, Number 17:  November 17th, 2009

Why Santa's marketing works better than yours.
[Holiday Business Gift Guide III]

Volume 7, Number 16:  November 5th, 2009

Who will you gift this year?  [Holiday Business Gift Guide II]

Volume 7, Number 15:  October 29th, 2009

Should you gift this year?  [Holiday Business Gift Guide I]

Volume 7, Number 14:  October 21st, 2009

Lessons From A Real-Life 'Mad Man'

Several of us at SFXP HQ have been big fans of "Mad Men," since it premiered two years ago. The AMC Channel's popular drama set in a New York advertising agency in the 1960s is sexy and smart...

Volume 7, Number 13:  October 6th, 2009

Numbers don't lie

The best business gifts are those that reveal the giver has a strong enough relationship with each recipient to know what he or she likes. Your client list likely will be loaded with diverse tastes, however, which is why a one-stop gift card supplier like Stoner Bunting Gift Card Group is a godsend. ...

Volume 7, Number 12:  September 30th, 2009

Financing for Incentive Programs

Managers looking for money for incentive campaigns are hearing a lot of "Show Me"...

Volume 7, Number 11:  September 16th, 2009

Sometimes size doesn't matter

As salespeople scramble to close large deals and hit year-end goals, smart sales managers should remind their troops about the secret of sequential requests, also known as the "foot-in-the-door" approach.

Volume 7, Number 10:  August 19th, 2009

The Unexpected Impact of Unexpected Gifts

Sometimes an after-dinner mint is more than an after-dinner mint.

Volume 7, Number 9:  July 28th, 2009

There's No Secret To Hard Work

"People are scrambling to find some secret that will help them be more successful," he recently blogged. "In fact, the best-selling book on the planet for the past two years is a book called The Secret. When it comes to this book, The Secret is a total load of crap!

Volume 7, Number 8:  June 23rd, 2009

You've Instilled the Will, But Have You Provided the Way?

Even your most highly motivated salespeople need more than desire to produce results. The SalesForceXP eLearning Center offers an assortment of live seminars on topical skill sets from noted sales management experts. It's an affordable means of providing sales tactics that produce results...

Volume 7, Number 7:  May 28th, 2009

Are You the Kind of Manager Who's Hard to Leave?

It's often said that employees don't leave companies, they leave managers. How you treat your team during tough times has a lot to do with how long they stay with you. Our collection of thoughts on mindful management can help you keep your best performers...

Volume 7, Number 6:  May 12th, 2009

8 Ways to Keep Sales Teams Focused and Fired Up...

The ONLY way to weather turbulent times is with the willing engagement of a focused, fired-up, capably led work force. Because lots of business owners and managers are all balled up worrying about the numbers, however, they take their eyes off their people, who are probably the best answer to getting the numbers back where they need to be.

Volume 7, Number 5:  April 21st, 2009

Cooler heads will prevail...

The stress from the economy and increased workloads associated with repetitive 'do more with less' reorganizing has put plenty of people on edge. As a manager, it can become a pretty serious cause for concern if you have to repeatedly apologize to your sales team for losing your cool.

Volume 7, Number 4:  March 24th, 2009

Keep Your Head or You'll Lose Your Best Workers

Stress created by the economy and increased workloads has lots of people on edge, but it's cause for concern if you have to apologize more than once to your sales team for losing your cool. Besides controlling your own emotions, you must be on the lookout for increased irritation between co-workers and mediate before things spiral quickly out of control.

Volume 7, Number 3:  March 10th, 2009

It's A Great Time To Be Looking for a Job

Author and TV personality Larry Winget sees the business world from a unique perspective. He's sort of an Andy Rooney for the 21st Century, so it's no surprise that he has friends who also see things interestingly...

Volume 7, Number 2:  February 11th, 2009

A Perfect Storm? Really?!?

Whether you call it an economic crisis, a downturn, a credit crunch, or any of the other "hard times" terms the media has used interchangeably since before last summer, sales managers across a wide swath of business-to-business industries agree on one thing: It's been a pain in the ass to sell stuff lately...

Volume 7, Number 1:  January 21st, 2009

The Top 12 of 2008

This edition of SalesForceXPress brings you the twelve most popular articles from last year's e-newsletters as determined by click-throughs from readers...

Volume 6, Number 19:  December 17th, 2008

Can you survive a deep recession?

Asked on MSNBC's "Your Business" for his insights into surviving a recession, sales trainer Dave Anderson offered up this checklist...

Volume 6, Number 18:  December 4th, 2008

7 Essentials of Holiday Business Gifts[Holiday Business Gift Guide IV]

Be sure to read these 7 Essentials of Holiday Business Gifts before you send a "tried and true" corporate gift.  Wise gifters need to consider these seven essentials of buying business gifts...

Volume 6, Number 17:  December 2nd, 2008

Tis the Season To Be...Networking[Holiday Business Gift Guide III]

The holidays are a great time to make networking connections that can ensure you get a strong start for your business or career in the New Year, says marketing services specialist Hank Blank. Here are his tips to maximize your networking effectiveness during this holiday season:...

Volume 6, Number 16:  November 25th, 2008

Desperate times call for superior leadership

You hear a lot of talk about leadership these days. Sadly, much of the discussion focuses on the absence of it - in government as well as in some of the country's major corporate entities. Leadership - good and bad - is magnified at small and medium-sized businesses. And tumultuous times, says Tom Peters, "beg for bold initiatives to increase the odds of staying afloat." These also are times for great managers to get even better. Read more about the right way to challenge yourself and your sales team...

Volume 6, Number 15:  November 18th, 2008

7 Essentials of Holiday Business Gifts[Holiday Business Gift Guide II]

Be sure to read these 7 Essentials of Holiday Business Gifts before you send a "tried and true" corporate gift.  Wise gifters need to consider these seven essentials of buying business gifts...

Volume 6, Number 14:  October 28th, 2008

Why Santa's Marketing Works Better Than Yours[Holiday Business Gift Guide I]

Santa doesn't have to use newfangled techniques when his simple marketing has stood the test of time. If you don't believe in Santa, you'd better change your mind, says Sean D'Souza, founder of Psychotactics Ltd., a New Zealand-based sales and marketing consultancy. The jolly man from the North Pole rocks on - and you can do the same if you stick to these basics...

Volume 6, Number 13:  October 14th, 2008

Motivating During a Downturn

These are nervous times for all workers, but your salespeople are on the frontlines. They bring the bad news of customers' budget cuts back to the office. Keeping sales teams motivated in tough economic times is tough, but essential. We have eight great ways to get workers to invest more of themselves than they absolutely must...

Volume 6, Number 12:  September 23rd, 2008

Identify your sales manager 'type'

At the core of every unhealthy working environment is the toxic boss, manager or supervisor that breeds it. All roads go back to the manager. And if the manager isn't willing to change, then it's a safe bet that in the end, nothing will.

We've identified seven types of managers. Using these as examples, identify the critical competencies necessary to become an effective coach. Which one best describes you or your boss?

Volume 6, Number 11:  September 18th, 2008

Does A $241 to $1 ROI Sound Good to You?

If someone told you there is a sales strategy that has returned $241 for every $1 invested over two years, would you believe him? Jordan Clark of Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's was dubious at first, too, but the Las Vegas hospitality provider is the one that has enjoyed that tremendous ROI. What's the secret? Steering clear of cash incentives is an important start...

Volume 6, Number 10:  September 16th, 2008

How Great Sales Managers Motivate

Younger employees work out of loyalty to people, not to a company, says Cam Marston, a consultant who specializes in the differences in workplace expectations among different generations. Members of generations X and Y clearly take a different approach to carving out a career than their older counterpoints, but when it comes to loyalty in the workplace and how it's earned, not much divides the generations anymore. In fact, we believe you can remove the word "younger" from that first sentence...

Volume 6, Number 9:  August 26th, 2008

Something To Turn You On

What's popular in consumer electronics constantly changes, which is one of the reasons people love them so much. Not long ago, BI, a Minneapolis-based business improvement company, offered about 40 different products in its inventory of consumer electronics available as incentives and rewards. Now, says purchaser Sandy Schrock, the company stocks more than 100 items in the category and updates them monthly if not more often...

Volume 6, Number 8:  July 29th, 2008

5 Questions That Will Improve Any Sales Meeting

If you've been in sales for more than a week, you've no doubt been to a meeting that was...well, less than effective (to put it politely). Sales trainer Kevin Eikenberry says if you ask and answer just five questions before leading your next meeting, you'll get more out of it and so will your sales team...

Volume 6, Number 7:  July 9th, 2008

Are Your Reps Projecting A Slimeball Image?

As if just selling wasn't difficult enough already, a new report shows from Development Dimensions International shows that buyers' poor perception of sales professionals creates hurdles for salespeople and their employers. There are effective ways to combat the snake oil salesman perception...

Volume 6, Number 6:  June 17th, 2008

Why Hiring Gym Rats Makes Sense

Sales professionals are very similar to athletes, says sales trainer Drew Stevens. "They love the thrill of victory and abhor the agony of defeat." It's no coincidence that the characteristics coaches crave in athletes...

Volume 6, Number 5:  May 13th, 2008

Snuffing the Slimeball Image

As if making a sale wasn't difficult enough, a new report shows that buyers' poor perception of the sales profession creates hurdles for salespeople and their employers. There are effective ways to combat the snake oil salesman perception...

Volume 6, Number 4:  April 8th, 2008

Get VIP Treatment in Vegas

It's no surprise that "21," the movie about a real-life team of MIT mathematicians who raked in millions counting cards in Las Vegas, has been the top-grossing film at theaters nationwide for the last two weeks. The world loves Las Vegas. Movies about Las Vegas are fun, but being there is even better. The business world loves Las Vegas, and no business group is too small to get VIP treatment...

Volume 6, Number 3:  March 13th, 2008

Part-Time Meeting Planners Take Note

Some people are born to plan off-site meetings and others have off-sites thrust upon them. We admire the former and empathize with the latter, which is the impetus behind our March/April cover story, "Inside the Meeting Planner's War Room." We gathered some of the best tips from meeting planning professionals that executive assistants and managers can use when they're putting an off-site program together...

Volume 6, Number 2:  February 12th, 2008

Lead, or Your Saleswomen Will Run You Over!

A woman running the White House? The next thing you know, members of the so-called softer sex will be showing up your top salesmen and staking claim to the seat next to you at the next President's Club awards banquet! Or maybe you have already passed that milestone. Are you paying attention to what makes the women on your sales team tick and how you can motivate them more effectively?

Volume 6, Number 1:  January 23rd, 2008

Year in Review:  The Top 7 of 2007

Of course, it never hurts to review what you've already learned, which is why this edition of SalesForceXPress brings you the seven most popular articles from last year's e-newsletters as determined by click-throughs from readers. Stick with us in 2008. Together, we can weather any economic storms that come our way.

Volume 5, Number 20:  December 18th, 2007

The 8 Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

How I deal with increasing demands, competing priorities and ever-growing performance expectations and still remain jolly.  By Santa Claus.

Volume 5, Number 19:  December 11th, 2007

Avoiding Holiday Gift Gaffes

Cecil Donahue, GQ magazine's columnist on office life, states in the December issue that "The surest way to commit career suicide is to be the drunk, horny loudmouth at the office holiday party."

Volume 5, Number 18:  November 27th, 2007

Why Santa's Marketing Works Better Than Yours

Santa doesn't have to use newfangled techniques when his simple marketing has stood the test of time. If you don't believe in Santa, you'd better change your mind, says D'Souza. The fat man from the North Pole rocks on - and you can do the same if you stick to these basics:

Volume 5, Number 17:  November 20th, 2007

Sometimes no means know

No product or service is objection-proof, but, says sales consultant Anne Miller, "you don't need to eliminate all objections, only the critical ones." One way to encourage sales reps to persevere through objections is to illustrate how a "no thanks" from a prospect provides an opportunity to explain and save the sale rather than lose it.

Volume 5, Number 16:  November 13th, 2007

Why We Are Pro-Choice

Smart sales reps finish first, and the smart ones these days are presenting customers with plenty of options. Negotiation specialist Brian Dietmeyer explains why giving customers freedom of choice will keep both them and you happy.

Volume 5, Number 15:  October 24th, 2007

A Management Strategy That's Scientifically Proven

Research involving 133 sales professionals shows that the more often an employee recalls receiving an incentive, the stronger that employee perceives he or she is supported by the employer. It's a strong argument supporting the use of merchandise incentives rather than cash.

Volume 5, Number 14:  October 10th, 2007

5 Questions To Help You Assess Your Sales Training

If your company provides its salespeople training on a regular basis, pat yourself on the back. You're doing better than most, experts say. But if you can't answer "yes" to these 5 questions on sales training, you still have work to do...

Volume 5, Number 13:  September 26th, 2007

Are You Keeping It Real?

Consultant Steve Finkel says some salespeople dislike role playing because it exposes weaknesses in their approach. More of them, however, blame a lack of reality. Good role playing helps salespeople go from knowing to doing, but if you're not simulating real-world sales situations, you're wasting the sales team's time.

Volume 5, Number 12:  September 11th, 2007

Cash Can't Do What You Want It To

They may never admit it, but some of your salespeople make more than enough money to keep them happy. That helps explain why cash incentives often don't produce the increased performance that many sales managers expect they will.

Volume 5, Number 11:  August 21st, 2007

What Gets Priority: Golf Swings or Sales Skills?

Sales performance company Miller Heiman recently reported that most sales organizations spend 50 percent more on entertainment  than on training (3 percent of 2006 total sales was spent on entertainment vs. 2 percent that was designated for training).  For a company with 200 sales reps and a $250 million annual sales objective, that breaks down to $660,000 spent on  entertainment and $440,000 allotted for training - a difference of $220,000!

Volume 5, Number 10:  August 7th, 2007

We Like Rabble-Rousers, How About You?

Any third-rate consultant can tell sales managers to make sure their reps keep their sales funnels full, focus on customer needs and play up added value aspects to avoid commoditization. We like contrarians like Robert Sutton, who argues that sales superstars are overrated and recommends creating smaller rather than larger pay differences between top performers and everyone else.

Volume 5, Number 9:  July 11th, 2007

Is Rudy Giuliani A Leader?

The former mayor of New York wrote a book called "Leadership," but does that automatically qualify him as a leader? And are leadership traits transferable? That is, are the characteristics that make a person a strong political leader the same ones that make for strong leadership in the workplace?

Volume 5, Number 8:  June 26th, 2007

Women Want Some "We" Time

Marriott recently announced and then scrapped plans to have an entire floor of a new Grand Rapids, Mich., hotel reserved for women only. The story stirred debates about whether providing women a refuge on the road is discrimination or a solid marketing concept.

Volume 5, Number 7:  June 12th, 2007

Is Just Showing Up To Work Worthy of Praise?

"Uber-stroked kids are reaching adulthood and now their bosses have to deal with them," The Wall Street Journal stated recently in a story on the overly praised generation that is entering the work force and how companies are kowtowing to their demands.
 

Volume 5, Number 6:  May 16th, 2007

Simplify Your Sales Negotiations

Negotiating a sale has been made more complex than it needs to be. That's far worse than confusing, it's disempowering. When it comes right down to it, says Brian Dietmeyer, President of Chicago-based consultant Think! Inc., every sales negotiation ultimately hinges on only two elements.

Volume 5, Number 5:  May 2nd, 2007

Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man?

Henry Higgins poses the question in "My Fair Lady." Eventually, of course, he realizes that it's the last thing he wants. If only some sales managers would recognize as much. Women may approach sales from an entirely different perspective than men, but one isn't necessarily better than the other.

Volume 5, Number 4:  April 10th, 2007

Don't Jack With Sales Reps' Ka-Ching

We were talking with Milwaukee-based consultant Paul Chadwick on Monday for a story on women in sales and he tossed out a worthwhile (but unrelated) tip: "Do your best not to jack with your sales compensation plan."

Volume 5, Number 3:  March 13th, 2007

Fueling Your Reps' Fires

When recognition is applied to the basics of solid sales management - goal setting, communication, trust and accountability - it serves as an accelerator of employee performance and engagement. There are essential ingredients to effective employee recognition, however.

Volume 5, Number 2:  February 20th, 2007

Create Your Own All-Star Weekend

Couldn't make it to Las Vegas for this past weekend's NBA All-Star extravaganza? Consider yourself lucky. By all accounts, the influx of 50,000 tourists for the three-day event resulted in snarled traffic, packed casinos and long lines for everything from buffets to public bathrooms. Why not create your own All-Star Weekend instead? Bring your best performers to Sin City during a stretch when you don't have to be 7-feet-tall to get top-notch service.

Volume 5, Number 1:  January 17th, 2007

A City On A Roll

Las Vegas is hotter than high school love, as evidenced by it being designated one of the top 10 brands for 2007 by Landor Associates, a world-renowned brand and design consulting firm. "Las Vegas has taken the cake as the destination for people of all ages and parts of the country," the Landor report states.

Volume 4, Number 18:  December 13th, 2006

The 8 Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus  (by Santa Claus)

Think your job is tough? Mine would definitely strain my sanity and drain my ego if I let it. Everyone wants a piece of me, yet many of the people I serve don't believe in me at all!

Volume 4, Number 17:  November 28th, 2006

Holiday Business Gifts: It's As Easy As A-B-C

The truth is it's not so much the gift, but the personalized greeting that counts. And don't forget to say "Thank You!"

Volume 4, Number 16:  November 14th, 2006

Don't Put Off 'Til Tomorrow What You Can Gift Today

Finding suitable holiday business gifts is nearly always a challenge, but procrastinating only leads to less-than-stellar results.

Volume 4, Number 15:  October 31st, 2006

Are You On Target With Your Off-Site Meetings?

It all boils down to this: Do you measure return on investment of your off-site meetings? If you're still living in a world of fuzzy, feel-good returns, you're not making the most of off-site opportunities.

Volume 4, Number 14:  October 19th, 2006

8 Steps to More Productive Off-Sites

Planning an important off-site meeting? Go into it with clear objectives and the realization that not all of them will be equally important.

Volume 4, Number 13:  October 4th, 2006

Zone Defense

When an athlete plays at a superb level for an extended period, it's often referred to as being "in a zone." Salespeople hit zones too, but not all of them produce positive results. Many salespeople nestle into a comfort zone in terms of their sales process and stay there even when it's not working, say consultants Mark Shonka and Dan Kosch of Impax Corp.

Volume 4, Number 12:  September 20th, 2006

Sex, Money and Motivation

Money is like sex, or so says Thomas Moore, a former Catholic monk and the author of the New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. "Some people believe that the more sexual experiences they have, with as many different people as possible, the more fulfilled they will be. But even great quantities of money and sex may not satisfy the craving. The soul is nurtured by want as much as by plenty," Moore says.

Volume 4, Number 11:  August 15th, 2006

The Internet: Irreplaceable Sales Tool or Top Time-waster?

Make sure your salespeople aren't getting caught in a "mouse" trap by wasting time on the Internet. Trainers Dan Kosch and Mark Shonka discuss how to turn the Web into a top sales tool.

Volume 4, Number 10:  July 19th, 2006

How to Motivate High-Salaried Salespeople

While creating an incentive program from Barneys New York, Tim Houlihan was surprised to discover that much of the sales staff at the upscale department store is in the same economic stratosphere as their high-society clientele. After thinking it through, however, Houlihan says it made perfect sense - and supports his argument that cash isn't the best incentive for high-salaried salespeople.

Volume 4, Number 9:  June 27th, 2006

Developing Distributors on Their Dime

How powerful a draw is Las Vegas? Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems turned Sin City into "Spin City" with a national sales meeting that draws 2,500 independent dealers who pay their own way...

Turnover Trouble

Companies are not only having trouble finding qualified salespeople, they're having trouble keeping them. Nearly one-fourth of the 2,176 sales executives who participated in Miller Heiman's 2006 Sales Performance Study reported that turnover had increased during the previous year.

Volume 4, Number 8:  June 7th, 2006

Summer Sales Should Sizzle, Not Fizzle

Slow summer sales drift into autumn and before you know it, you're trying to figure out how to make up ground in 2007! Don't let it happen...

5 Sensible Sales and Marketing Goals No Matter Your Job Title

What does a chief marketing officer do? An article posted recently on MarketingProfs.com reported on metrics that can help CMOs be more effective. It seems to us that if you're involved in sales and/or marketing - CMO or not - these benchmarks will benefit your performance...

Volume 4, Number 7:  May 24th, 2006

Develop Distributors on Their Dime

Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems, one of the best-known names in home heating and air conditioning, has discovered a way to strengthen its relationships with dealers and have them share the cost. The secret: Las Vegas...

ABC - Always Be Cautious (of Sales Tips)

Bad advice has a way of sticking around, says Bob Miller, co-founder of the sales training company Miller Heiman. We'd all be better off if sales managers gave a prompt and proper burial to time-worn tips such as "always be closing" or "the customer is always right."  A few others he'd like to nip in the bud...

Volume 4, Number 6:  May 4th, 2006

There's "Fun to Know" and "Need To Know" Regarding Las Vegas

Las Vegas averages 315 weddings per day; the Strip and downtown combined boasts a total of 15,000 miles of lighted neon tubing; and it takes a 33-member team to stage 30 to 40 dancing fountain shows each day at the Bellagio. These are fun but trivial facts about Las Vegas. More important to sales managers - and often equally unknown...

Beware the Good Times

The U.S. economy is strong, the stock market is up and businesses are reporting impressive if not record profits. But you'd be wise to develop a daily does of paranoia that prevents you from becoming too comfortable, writes sales trainer Dave Anderson in his book If You Don't Make Waves You'll Drown (2006, John Wiley & Sons).  "Realize that the seeds of your next rut are often planted in the good times. It's when things are rolling along that you're most prone to get sloppy and lazy," Anderson states...

Volume 4, Number 5:  April 18th, 2006

Sealed With A Kiss?

A kiss on the cheek is making a comeback as an acceptable social greeting, according to a recent New York Times report, and it's migrating into the world of sales. The social kiss may have roots dating back to the Romans, but its popularity has waxed and waned.  While the handshake still holds sway in big corporations, the kiss can denote a warm relationship, says Barbara Pachter, who heads an etiquette training firm New Jersey. In the sales world, it can encourage buying, but figuring out where the limits are can present problems...

Smarter Salespeople Aren't Built In A Day

Todd Youngblood, a sales and training consultant who works with business-to-business sales teams, cringes when he admits that a significant chunk of his income comes from one- and two-day seminars. Results from these one-shot seminars are a far cry from what you get from continuous training...

Volume 4, Number 4:  March 28th, 2006

Build A Brand, Don't Force-Feed A Logo

Companies are rethinking how they use imprinted promotional products. In fact, as the line continues to blur between high-end, name-brand promotional products and corporate business gifts, many companies are deciding not to imprint their giveaways at all. Promotional products users usually fall into one of two camps, says Vilia Johnson, national sales manager for A.T. Cross Business Gifts...

Is The Enjoyment Greater Than The Effort?

Often, people get trapped doing what they are very good at but not passionate about. Although these efforts may bring rewards, they do not bring enjoyment or significant growth over the long term, write Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura in their new book The Laws of Lifetime Growth (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006).  "People may get marginally better at activities for which they have no passion, but they will never be motivated to grow in these areas the way they are when they do the things they truly love to do," the authors state...

Volume 4, Number 3:  March 15th, 2006

How Do You Treat Training?

Do you view sales training as an expense or an investment? It's a question that's akin to your dentist asking whether you're flossing regularly: You know the right answer and you know the honest answer, and too often they are not the same...

Who's Watching You... And What Do They See?

If you're digging for information on your competitors, chances are they're doing the same. One way that a company can help itself is to understand what it looks like to a skilled outsider...

Volume 4, Number 2:  February 8th, 2006

Inspiration From A Gentle Genius

With the Super Bowl behind us and March Madness around the corner, it's an opportune time to share a slice of brilliance from former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden...

Tired of Price Being the Deal Maker?

Your only defense against commoditization is developing relationships with those who make investment decisions based on how their business will benefit, not on how much money they will save...

Volume 4, Number 1:  January 19th, 2006

Are You On Target With Your Off-Site Meetings?

It all boils down to this: Do you measure return on investment of your off-site meetings? If you're still living in a world of fuzzy, feel-good returns, you're not making the most of off-site opportunities...

More Armor Against Bargain Hunters

Prospects and customers like a lot of other things besides low price, and many of them can be more persuasive as a low price in getting your customer to buy. Lawrence L. Steinmetz and William T. Brooks, authors of How To Sell At Higher Margins Than Your Competitors (Wiley, 2005), review the components within the sales process that often trump price...

Volume 3, Number 18:  December 6th, 2005

The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

Tired of dealing with increasing demands, competing priorities and ever-growing performance expectations? You're not alone...

Do Your Salespeople Make Too Much?

Overpaying salespeople happens more often than you'd think, says Dave Kahle, a Michigan-based consultant and business-to-business sales coach. Calculating the cost of sales productivity is one of many compensation pointers that Kahle and other experts discuss...

Volume 3, Number 17:  November 22nd, 2005

Holiday Business Gifts: It's As Easy As A-B-C

SPECIAL ISSUE:  Holiday gift-giving tips by the letter...

Volume 3, Number 16:  November 15th, 2005

If the Sales Thing Doesn't Work Out, Maybe You Can Be GM for the Red Sox

When Theo Epstein, the wunderkind general manager of the Boston Red Sox, announced earlier this month that he was leaving the organization only one year after leading the team to a World Series title, many baseball fans were surprised to discover that Epstein earned $350,000. That's an impressive paycheck by Joe Average standards...

So You've Got A Solution� So What?

Everybody claims to offer not just products and services, but solutions. Do you ever get an uneasy feeling that the "solutions" you bring to the marketplace aren't all that special or different anymore?

Volume 3, Number 15:  October 25th, 2005

 E-Prospecting Made Simple

Leveraging e-mail as an account entry strategy will never replace the phone, but it may be more effective for reaching certain prospects, says sales consultant Jill Konrath. In her forthcoming book, Selling To Big Companies (Dearborn Trade Publishing), Konrath provides some tips for using e-mail effectively in pursuit of a sale...

Holiday Gifts: Business Before Pleasure

You have some time to decide what to get loved ones for the holidays this year, but you need to get your business gift strategy in place. The more time you build into planning business gifts, the more likely it is going to be money well spent.

Volume 3, Number 14:  October 11th, 2005

Take a Bite Out of Business-Travel Expenses

The high cost of fuel is hitting corporate business travel's pocketbook in more ways than one, according to Runzheimer International, a Wisconsin-based management consulting firm specializing in travel management information. Runzheimer's business travel cost forecast predicts overall travel costs will increase 12% in 2006.

Fishing for More Sales Leads?

Growing faster at lower cost is a top challenge that keeps sales and marketing leaders up at night. At the same time, these managers rate lead generation as their top critical growth barrier. The problem is...

Volume 3, Number 13:  September 27th, 2005

The Spirit of New Orleans� 900 Miles North

In the battle for your business meeting and incentive travel dollars, New Orleans normally holds its own against the likes of the Singapore Shangri-La and the Costa Rica Tourist Board at the annual Motivation Show (IT&ME to old-timers), which opened today and runs through Thursday at Chicago's McCormick Place. These are not normal times for New Orleans, however, which is why we were curious to see what the mood would be at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau exhibit.

Why Good Salespeople Behave Badly

Why are some salespeople so productive and others not? John Jack, Senior Vice President of BI, a Minneapolis-based performance improvement company, discusses several key aspects of the psychology behind personal motivation.

Volume 3, Number 12:  September 15th, 2005

Why Cash Incentives Fail

Cash is spent on necessities and quickly forgotten. What's more, it's been proven that cash incentives quickly become part of expected compensation. Can you really afford to continue down that slippery slope?

Hire Smart - Training Will Take Your Sales Improvement Efforts Only So Far

The most important step to developing a world-class sales force is to focus on who makes the team in the first place. While that may sound obvious, too many organizations lower their hiring expectations and then attempt to train average reps to greatness, says Benson Smith, a consultant on sales force effectiveness for the Gallup Organization.

Volume 3, Number 11:  August 17th, 2005

Working Vacation

You can run, but you can't hide from work-related reading. While vacationing in Boston recently, Paul Nolan checked into the Hotel @ MIT and found a copy of MIT Sloan Management Review alongside the Where magazine in his room. A featured story entitled "The Dark Side of Close Relationships" was especially interesting since the recent July/August cover story looked at strategies for strengthening manufacturer/distributor relationships.

You Could Skip the Sales Presentation Altogether

Consultant Jeff Thull argues that a sales presentation is one of the least effective methods for getting prospects to buy. Most salespeople hate to hear this because the presentation is their security blanket and they loath giving it up.

Volume 3, Number 10:  July 19th, 2005

Can You Make Difficult Customers Be Reasonable?

It's difficult - indeed, nearly impossible - to follow a value-added sales approach when a prospect refuses to acknowledge the value that you're adding. Some difficult customers are simply irrational. The majority, however, adopt an irrational stance as part of their "hard bargaining" approach.

Stop Wasting Money on Employee Orientations

Organizations in the United States spend millions of dollars annually on orientation and they don't know why. "People join organizations to do a job, and during their first day on the job all we want to talk about is the rules and reasons we may use for terminating them!

Volume 3, Number 9:  June 21st, 2005

Neglect Distributor Relationships at Your Own Risk

Strong relationships with independent distributors are the lifeblood of many manufacturers. How can you get these resellers to pitch your product or service over a competitor's?

Measuring A Meeting's Success

When a sales meeting is adjourned, there may be as many different opinions about its usefulness as there were people in attendance. Managers should be measuring the effectiveness of meetings as much as they measure sales themselves.

Volume 3, Number 8:  June 8th, 2005

Liar Liar

An item from last week's "What's Online" column in the New York Times reminds us to remind you to never try to be something you're not with your customers.

Quiet Confidence

Speaking of not trying to be something you're not, sales managers and business leaders across the board should take note of comments made by Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Richard D. Parsons in "The Boss" column in last Sunday's New York Times.

Volume 3, Number 7:  May 25th, 2005

Fix Up A Conference Room and Put On A Show!

In every great salesperson there is a little showboat. It only makes sense, then, that sales meetings have a touch of Broadway as well.

Beach Balls Are For Wimps

Today's younger sales force wants more than sun and sand from their incentive travel, experts say. Programs that really motivate feature once-in-a-lifetime adventures that participants aren't likely to experience on their own.

Volume 3, Number 6:  May 12th, 2005

Sales and Profits Are Two Different Things

Everyone talks about holding steady on price, but is anyone really doing it?

You've Got Leadership Skills, Now What About A Plan?

Speaking of two different things, leadership qualities will get you nowhere without a solid business plan.

Volume 3, Number 5:  April 6th, 2005

Promotion Incredibles!

We sympathize with your search for new areas to cut expenses, but think twice before you erase the budget for branded business gifts and giveaways.

Direct Marketers Reach a New Low

As if the circus surrounding the fight to save Terri Schiavo wasn't enough, a direct mailing firm's announcement last week that it had collected the names of donors to Ms. Schiavo's parents and plans to rent it to other conservative groups proved that some direct marketers will not be fenced in by moral or ethical boundaries.

Volume 3, Number 4:  March 23rd, 2005

Are Your Business Gifts Like Trees Falling in the Forest?

If your business gifts aren't appreciated then they're wasted investments.

Why Pay for Training If You Don't Implement It?

Speaking of investments without a return, too many companies send their salespeople through training that is heavier on theory than practice and contains no follow-up.

Volume 3, Number 3:  March 8th, 2005

Is Your Sales and Marketing Approach As Fresh As Madonna's?

Call it what you want, but few pop stars and fewer businesses have understood the intricacies of Madonna's genius of reinvention and the inevitable end of the business cycle.

Addition Can't Always Be By Subtraction

Despite business leaders' bullish statements, many companies continue to search every nook and cranny of their business model in search of additional cost-cutting opportunities.

Volume 3, Number 2:  February 8th, 2005

Why isn't self-confidence the key to effective leadership?

The most essential quality of leaders is confidence in other people, says Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter. "When leaders believe in other people, confidence grows, and winning becomes more attainable." Is leadership plural in your department?

Have sales managers given up on patience and training?

I thought I had connections in the sales office of my favorite basketball team, then he got fired. SalesForceXP Editor Paul Nolan wonders whether patience and training are in sales managers' dictionaries.

Volume 3, Number 1:  January 12th, 2005

See the Customer� Be the Customer

Nobody wants to buy what you sell. What they want are the business results they can achieve by utilizing what you sell to pursue their own goals and objectives.

Do Your Customers Use Your Products?

As odd as that sounds, you need to verify on a regular basis that your customers are actually using the products they buy from you, says Sean D'Souza, a New Zealand-based marketing consultant. Too many customers purchase a product and fail to consume it, leaving suppliers scratching their heads over why they can't convert more existing clients into repeat business.

Volume 2, Number 13:  December 8th, 2004

Overburdened? It May Be Your Own Fault!

Most managers realize that a key part of their job is to help subordinates develop professionally, including honing their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Experiences Trump Stuff in "Happiness Quotient"

Recent scientific research shows that people get a greater sense of happiness from experiential purchases than from material purchases, which explains why companies are relying on incentive travel to drive performance and retain top salespeople.

Volume 2, Number 12:  November 9th, 2004

Exploding 5 Myths of Performance Improvement

A new SalesForceXP Special Report investigates commonly held beliefs about incentives and exposes five misconceptions as mere myths.

Red Sox Nation Provides Business Inspiration

The never-say-die attitude that brought the Boston Red Sox from the brink of elimination against the New York Yankees to a four-game sweep vs. St. Louis in the World Series is providing inspiration in boardrooms across the country.

Volume 2, Number 11:  October 19th, 2004

Banks Toss Toasters In Favor of Flat-Screens and Cars

Citicorp and J.P. Morgan Chase didn't become Wall Street behemoths by following half-baked marketing strategies. What do they know about the power of merchandise incentives that you don't?

Focus On Talent - Let The Economy Take Care of Itself

No matter where you fall in determining the strength of the current economy, the reality is that employers must continue to focus on talent. Indeed, the survival of their business depends on it.

Volume 2, Number 10:  September 29th, 2004

Intergalactic Incentives

Thousands of business executives have convened this week at The Motivation Show in Chicago to discuss new methods to motivate employees and reward stellar performance.

The Power of Pampering

You don't have to send top salespeople to the moon to make an impression that's stronger than cash incentives. Your salespeople may say cash motivates them, but research shows they'll work harder for tangible incentives.

Volume 2, Number 9:  September 8th, 2004

Right Answer, Wrong Question

Ask your salespeople what motivates them and they'll tell you cash. It's the right answer, but the wrong question, say workplace performance specialists. Instead, ask yourself, what motivates employees to work harder? Research shows that intangibles - merchandise and travel - outperform cash. 

Gatekeeper Schmatekeeper

Success in sales requires reaching decision makers, but that's no simple task. Many executives who make final purchasing decisions have a fortress of "helpers" around them that's akin to the president's secret service protection. Consultants Dan Kosch and Mark Shonka say it's imperative to instill a sense of "unblockability" in your salespeople.

Volume 2, Number 8:  August 24th, 2004

50,000,000 Tom Peters fans can't be wrong� Can they?

By his own admission, Tom Peters says if his fans followed his advice on leading change in the workplace, they were probably less than thrilled with the results. Now he thinks he has it figure out.

Personalize, Don't Vandalize, High-End Gifts

Speaking of gifts and increasing employee morale, companies almost automatically personalize the products they use to launch new sales incentive campaigns or present at off-site meetings. Imprinting the company name and logo on lime green pens and battery-powered hand-held fans is great, but be selective about how you personalize more expensive gifts such as leather goods, clocks and watches, and high-end apparel.

Volume 2, Number 7:  July 28th, 2004

Stop Selling Your Product (Or You May Stop Selling Altogether)

Surviving in the business-to-business sales environment has never been more challenging. Customers feel there is minimal difference between your product or service and your competitors', and more of them are too busy to sit through a sales presentation in which your salespeople could convince them otherwise.

10 Ways To Become A Better Sales Coach

Research shows that salespeople lose 87 percent of the knowledge they gain from training within 30 days. Kevin Kearns, President and CEO of Huthwaite, a research and sales training firm in Sterling, Va., has some ideas on how to reverse this troubling trend. 

Volume 2, Number 6:  June 2nd, 2004

What do meeting and incentive travel planners have in common with George Clooney?

Group travel planners are migrating to the Internet, where shorter lead times for flights and hotels are de rigueur. Timothy Brooks, president of The Austin Group, a Chicago-based travel management consulting firm, says it's not uncommon to piece together group events with less than 90 days' notice.

Turning customers into coaches

Even top sales managers need help coaching sales teams how to improve performance. Mark Shonka and Dan Kosch of Minneapolis-based sales consulting firm IMPAX Corp., say managers should encourage salespeople to look within their customers' companies for potential coaches.

Volume 2, Number 5:  May 5th, 2004

Are your incentive efforts built to succeed?

How effective was your last sales incentive program in achieving the goals you set before it launched?  Performance improvement specialist Ed Robbins told incentive program planners at the Incentive Show on Tuesday that it's astounding how many managers cannot report on the effectiveness of incentive programs they run because they do not build in measurement capabilities.

Treating Salespeople Like Movie Stars

In the current issue of Fast Company Magazine, business writer Scott Kirsner tosses out an idea for improved internal communication that is pure genius. Inspired by his feature on Industrial Light & Magic, a movie special effects firm in San Rafael, Calif., Kirsner suggests that other industries adopt the movie production tradition of reviewing each day's work as a team before heading home.

Volume 2, Number 4:  April 7th, 2004

How to "Bag" The Competition

Have you looked on while your share-of-market has shrunk or disappeared altogether to an upstart that has customers swooning about its unique qualities and competitive pricing? Take a lesson from the brown paper bag, which as recently as 10 years ago seemed headed for extinction.

How You And Nokia Can Fight Back

Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, announced weak 1st quarter sales. You can bet that the innovative cellular phone maker won't sit pat, however, nor should you if your first quarter didn't finish as strongly as you would have liked.

Volume 2, Number 3: March 11th, 2004

What Would Buddha Do?

Some of the most cutting-edge ideas in business today stem from 2,500 years ago, in the time of Buddha, says Jim Schaffer, a Newton, Mass.-based sales trainer.

Training Day Returns

How long has it been since you've invested in top-notch, formal training for your salespeople? The $51.3 billion that U.S. organizations spent on training in 2003 is the lowest total in more than five years.

Volume 2, Number 2: February 3rd, 2004

Choose your incentives wisely

We were all set to prattle on about how the most surprising - and inexpensive - incentives can motivate a team after reading in the New York Times early last month that Byron Scott, head coach of the struggling New Jersey Nets, rolled out a rewards program that provided small perks for his multimillionaire players.

Female persuasion

Girls may just want to have fun, but women know how to listen, multitask, pay attention to detail and stay focused on a "to do" list. In fact, many executives argue that women have innate characteristics that make them superior salespeople.

Volume 2, Number 1: January 14th, 2004

Gadget Play

Once a year, gadget fanatics from around the world gather at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to get a glimpse of the new products that have been developed for the rest of us to play with. SalesForceXP was on the scene and discovered that the emphasis continues to be on bigger, louder and thinner - all in high-definition, with digital sound and preferably without wires.

What Women Really Want

Speaking of what makes women in sales happy, SalesForceXP talked with high-level female sales executives and frontline female sales reps about what they want out of careers and how managers - male or female - can best assist them.

Volume 1, Number 12: December 10th, 2003

Would Your Customers Cut Off Their Toes For You?

To what extreme will your customers go just to be able to use your product or service?

I'll Drive, You Fly

Road trips to out-of-town functions are more common as business travelers try to avoid crowded airplanes and long delays resulting from increased security. 91 percent of workers in a study said they don't want to ride with the boss and a whopping 99 percent are unwilling to ride with a client.

Volume 1, Number 11: November 18th, 2003

Ready, Set, GOALS!

If a goal is a dream with a deadline, and a dream is a wish that your heart makes, what's a goal that you dream up for your sales team? A nightmare if sales reps aren't asked to participate in setting it.

Books That Are Worth The Paper They're Printed On

Some 4,700 business books will be published this year, according to booksinprint.com, but many business executives at whom they are aimed say the vast majority aren't worth reading. Wall Street Journal columnist Carol Hymowitz recently asked business executives what they have read that ended up being a good investment of their time - titles that "inspired their thinking and enabled them to perform better."

Volume 1, Number 10: October 22nd, 2003

Warm up to cold calling

Chris Yeh, a partner at Porthos Consulting, a Maryland-based sales and marketing consultancy, has 8 simple tips for developing cold calling scripts that will make a big difference in the power of your sales team's performance.

Sales management Soprano style

Could TV's Tony Soprano out-manage the likes of Jack Welch and IBM head honcho Louis Gerstner? Deborrah Himsel, vice president of organizational effectiveness for Avon Products Inc., thinks he might.

Volume 1, Number 9: September 17th, 2003 [Motivation Show Edition]

What is your dog trying to tell you?

Turns out that Lassie wasn't trying to warn that little Timmy was in trouble after all, but instead was expressing that she was feeling emotionally fragile and in need of special attention. Too bad the Bow-Lingual Dog Translator didn't exist back when the canine superhero was saving lives and spreading good will with a few pointed barks.

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