Stories abound in the business press about particularly enthusiastic and engaged executives and sales professionals who encountered major business opportunities outside the office: at the soccer field, in a restaurant, on a flight, or in church or civic settings. The key lesson is to always be open to new introductions and new relationships. You ne

“I’d be happy to. Help me out; we have a lot of different things I could send. What were you hoping to see in the literature, so I can narrow it down and send you the right thing?”

the best way to get my own needs met in life is to give to others first.

Think about how you currently start various types of sales interactions (initial call, initial meeting, follow ups, presentations, etc.). Revise your approach to make sure it includes a statement that invites discussion of what’s important to the buyer, what you want from the conversation, the possible outcomes (no go, or go on to the next step), a

Get a free, downloadable PDF of the “Sell Like Jesus Workbook” which contains all chapter summaries and action steps by going to: www.debbrownsales.com/sljworkbook.

“Sell Me A Pen,” used by many sales managers to evaluate their salespeople’s powers of persuasion. Most salespeople, feeling the pressure to perform,

“I appreciate that. Now, I know you’re a very busy person with lots of things that need your attention besides making a call back to me. If I don’t hear from you at the appointed time, what would you have me do?” Or, “That would be great. Now, life has a way of throwing us curveballs, so on the outside chance that I don’t hear from you, what would

“I’d be happy to share all about what we do, how we do it and what it costs. Before I do, it would be helpful to hear from you, so I don’t spout off a bunch of information that isn’t important to you. What is it that’s pressing on you that you were hoping we could help with?”

The key to change is to take action; do something different! Head knowledge is just that: it stays in your head. Understanding comes through actions that apply what you know. Wisdom is the result of knowledge plus understanding accumulated through multiple experiences.