Richard Ruff
Richard Ruff
For more than 30 years Richard Ruff has worked with the Fortune 1000 to craft sales training programs that make a difference. Working with market leaders Dick has learned that today's great sales force significantly differs from yesterday. So, Sales Momentum offers firms effective sales training programs affordably priced. Dick is the co-author of Parlez-Vous Business, to help sales people have smart business conversations with customers, and the Sales Training Connection.
Sales call planning – when is a greater investment warranted?
It's difficult to overemphasize the importance of sales call planning. It works and you need to do it. You should commit time...
It’s bad selling to pursue bad business
Too many salespeople spend too little time selling and too much time doing stuff that either needs not be done or should be done...
Selling to the c-suite
Selling to the c-level? Senior executives are not equally engaged throughout the buying cycle. In general, they are involved early and late and...
Understanding the impact of pricing on profit – An STC Classic
In a recent Harvard Business Review post Rafi Mohammed reported on an interesting McKinsey study on the relationship between price increases and profits. ...
Sales strategy – defeating the invisible competitor
Competition is present in every major B2B account. Today it is diverse and dynamic and not just based on price. Having a clear picture...
Medical device sales success – an urgent need to do something different
The medical device market faces transformational market challenges – decision criteria shifting from clinical to economic, decision-making moving from local hospitals to IDNs, the...
3 pitfalls when developing an account strategy
The importance of selling strategically is an idea repeated time and time again – the larger and more complex the sale, the louder the...
Selling to the c-suite – best practices for gaining access and what to do next
In the B2B market the probability of capturing the business is significantly reduced if you cannot successfully sell at the senior level. So,...
Medical sales – transformational changes demand sales strategy shifts
Historically, once a new medical device was launched, add-on innovations were introduced over time that increased the cost. And, all that turned out...
Get sales coaching happening – target trigger events
People who are knowledgeable and experienced in sales excellence know sales coaching is worthwhile; it can make a difference; and it needs to be...
You can’t sell if you don’t know how they buy
It is one of the most fundamental and important propositions in major account selling – you can't sell if you don't know how people...
New hire sales reps – some tips for getting out of the gate
After the excitement wears off of being assigned to that first sales territory, reality begins to set in. Questions start crossing your mind –...
Sales coaching – it’s a game of beat the clock
Sales managers are no different than anyone else – they don't have enough time to do all the things they need to do. This...
Selling to senior executives – one strike and you’re out
In major accounts it is more important than ever to have an effective strategy for selling at the senior executive level. But a...
Product launches – tales of preventable misfortunes
Every year B2B companies market a dazzling array of new products. Some are modifications or minor upgrades of last year's offerings. Others...
New sales reps and the credibility challenge
How can a new salesperson gain credibility? When we pose this question to sales reps and sales managers, the responses we hear share a...
15 tips for getting sales strategy right in major accounts
Major accounts are not just big little accounts; they are quantitatively different. So top performers selling to major accounts cannot just do faster and...
Sales training stickiness – doubling back – An STC Classic
Sales training and "stickiness" – two phrases often heard in the same breath when talking with VPs of Sales and Sales Training Directors. The...
Sales presentations – don’t lose at the very end
Unless you have done a good job selling value throughout the buying process, it is unlikely that even a great sales presentation will turn...
Salespeople – insights from a venture capitalist
Over the years there have been many frameworks introdued to distinguish different types of sales reps – hunters vs. farmers, top performers vs. underachievers,...