Dave Kurlan
Selling and the Need for Speed
We had Chinese for dinner and my fortune said, "Speed is not as important as accuracy." When you think of speed what are the first things that come to mind? Fighter Jets? The 10 fastest in the world reach speeds of up to Mach 6.70…
The Recession is Here – How to Take Advantage and Prepare Your Sales Team
You boarded your plane, got seated, the plane pulled away from the gate and you fell asleep. Later, a hard landing woke you and you wondered, "Are we already there?" Yes you are and you slept through the entire flight. The same thing is hap...
5 Steps to Grow Sales by 33% in 12 Months
I'm a baseball guy and a die hard Boston Red Sox fan but I can't bear to watch them right now. They are playing the worst baseball since I was 10 years old so that's going back 55 years! It's not hard to understand why…
The Cold Email I Read Through to the End – Is There Hope for...
I bought my first cell phone in 1985. The enormous device was hard wired to the car, connected to a heavy metal box, and cost $2,000 to install. All calls in and out were billed by the minute and my bill averaged around $1,500 per…
10 Steps to Crushing Your Sales Forecasts
One hundred years ago, most men and women wore hats and dressed up to go everywhere. Sixty years later, Dress for Success was founded and at the same time became somewhat of a thing where if you wanted to be successful, you needed to dress…
When Salespeople Can’t Close Closable Business – The Bob Chronicles Part 7
I heard from Bob last week and whenever I hear from him it usually means he got himself into a jam with another sales opportunity. Regular readers are familiar with Bob, one of the worst salespeople on the planet. New readers might want to ...
Has Buying Changed and Has B2B Selling Adapted?
My articles begin with analogies so we'll start by asking, has baseball changed? Games take longer, there is role specialization, starting pitchers rarely complete games, hitters are stronger, pitchers routinely throw in the mid 90's and th...
Can You Find The Perfect Sales Candidates for Your Sales Team?
Have you tried recruiting salespeople lately? It's a lot like it was in 2019, pre-pandemic, only different. From time to time, I help clients recruit for key roles. Unlike recruiters, I don't work on a contingency because I take responsibility fo...
Salesenomics – Many Sales Organizations Are Stuck in the 1980’s
Today is moving day for Objective Management Group. When we first toured our new space, John Pattison, OMG's COO said, "It looks like something the 1980's barfed up!" I'm happy to report that thanks to big-time help from PENTA Marketing CEO...
2 Questions That Will End Every Request for a Better Price
I was thinking about all the things we pay for that used to be free and are still free, yet we pay for them anyway. How many can you think of? I came up with the following: Water - you can get an unlimited amount…
Sales Forecasts Do Not Have to Be as Wrong as Fortune Cookies
There has been much talk in the news about forecasts - and while most have been wrong they are still more accurate than Fortune Cookies! Thanks to satellites, computer modeling and doppler radar, weather forecasts are more reliable than ever before.&nb...
When Your Sales Opportunity Stalls, Do You Call Roadside Assistance?
We were driving on the highway when the dashboard indicated low pressure in the left rear tire. That can't be good! As we exited the highway eight miles later, the tire was flat and we were able to drive another mile to a safe location…
Hidden Sales Competition and Why it Could Happen to You
I recently took these pictures of mushrooms on our property that I had not seen prior to this year. Bright reds, bright oranges, whites and more. After living on this property for the past twenty years, it really surprised me that these bri...
The Sales Compensation Plan from Hell and How to Improve It
Have you ever attempted to complete a jigsaw puzzle when the entire puzzle is a solid color? You dump all the pieces on the table and say to yourself, WTF? Have you ever come to a strange intersection and the signs are pointing in every…
Data: The Top 10% of All Salespeople are 4200% Better at This
My wife and I entered the small jewelry shop and were greeted - not with a warm welcome - but with a matter of fact "my name is...and I'm the owner...and I created everything in the store" which was followed by fifteen minutes of non-stop…
Follow This Advice to Schedule More Meetings and Spend Less Time Doing It
Yesterday I watched a toad walk across the outdoor side of our kitchen window. Picture it! I wish I had video but it ran so counter to what I have observed toads doing over the past 65 years that I froze. I performed a google…
Siri Can’t Help You Close the Deal but Doing These Three Things Can!
When it comes to navigation I usually opt for Waze but sometimes Siri can find a way out of traffic that Waze can't. On the other hand, try asking Siri to dial a phone number while she's navigating and you'll quickly learn that she can't…
Why More Salespeople Are Being Recommended for Difficult Selling Roles
We are finally doing things we haven't done for quite a while including dining inside restaurants, flying, staying in hotels, going to and hosting parties, attending packed stadiums for sporting events and more. Something else we haven't done for...
The Bob Chronicles Part 5 – Bob Can’t Win This Argument Over a Sales...
Most of us have strong passion in support of our own beliefs and opinions and the degree to which we are willing to embrace the opinions of others varies wildly. Allow me to provide two examples where people tend not to change sides: Boston...
A Properly Constructed Sales Process Can Help You Experience the Euphoria of a Walk-Off...
We attended last night's Red Sox Game. Unlike most games at Fenway Park, this contest was a pitcher's duel and the Red Sox held a fragile 1-0 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the top of the 9th inning. The Red Sox closer,…