The Secret of Finding Great Sales Training
Written by Jan Visser on November 29, 2007
Do you ever read online sales articles or sales tips?
How about listening to sales podcasts? Or watching an inspirational video clip?
We do. Quite a bit actually.
But where do you find the really good, fresh sales ideas? I mean, visiting every sales-related site is very time consuming. In fact, it’s likely you’re not even aware of many sales blogs that are out there.
Sure, there are article sites that give you, well, articles - but that content is often far from new and typically recycled over many websites. So much for original and fresh ideas.
Meet SalesMarks.com - a new sales tool that helps you find, share and discover the best sales tips, articles, audios and videos online. It’s like Digg and del.icio.us for salespeople!
7 Must-Have Sales Tools
Written by Brandon Hull on November 28, 2007
Here’s a quick roundup of seven of our favorite sales productivity solutions you’re probably not using today.
Some we’ve profiled in the past, others are new.
Next week we’ll follow-up with Part II, including seven additional tools you really need to add to your productivity arsenal.
We’re interested in hearing your suggestions, too, feel free to comment.
Stop Complaining, Start Selling
Written by Brandon Hull on November 21, 2007
Sam Parker is one of the founders of JustSell.com. We’ve told you about their stuff before (50 Ways and Places and How Mentally Tough Are You?).
He and his partner, Jim Gould, are sharp guys. Some of you are also familiar with their viral campaign, 212, encouraging all of us to give that little extra effort.
Well, they’re back at it with Complainless, a pretty clever concept complete with bulk-quantity reminder wristbands. The idea (despite our headline): complaining less is more realistic than never complaining. I like it, and it’s a great seasonal message in the United States. Plus, that shade of blue works with just about everything.
RingCentral, the Communications Workhorse
Written by Brandon Hull on November 20, 2007
We previously introduced you to GrandCentral. For some of us, it’s become a great tool for consolidating incoming calls.
But if you’re okay with putting up a few dollars each month, RingCentral takes things to a whole new level. This is a particularly powerful tool for small, local sales teams wanting to consolidate their calls and give the impression of a much larger firm.
Since RingCentral has been around awhile, we’ll spare you the complete list of features. Instead we’re going to mention just a few creative uses for the service.
Jawbone Sells Itself, Does Your Product?
Written by Brandon Hull on November 17, 2007
Do you sell a product? Then demo it.
I could tell you there’s a new bluetooth headset out there called the Jawbone. I could tell you it’s got military-grade noise-cancelling technology. I could tell you it’s better than the rest. I could spit out the specs.
But instead I’ll point you to the demo.
Why Our New Admin Will Never Get A Raise
Written by Jan Visser on November 16, 2007
We recently hired a star performer at SalesTeamTools HQ.
She works 24?7, does not take lunch breaks, never gets sick and you really can’t beat the employee benefits - she works for free!
Now, before you get upset about the way we treat our employees - please meet Sandy, our new virtual assistant.
Sandy notifies you of upcoming meetings, she pages you about a call you need to make or a presentation you promised to email - she even reminds you of your anniversary and that you’re supposed to drop of your car at the garage later this afternoon.
How to Sell from Work.com
Written by Brandon Hull on November 15, 2007
Hey, we recognize the world of sales resources doesn’t begin and end with Salesteamtools. We’ve got our nice little sales tools niche.
So here’s a pretty nice directory of sales and marketing techniques and resources growing over at Work.com.
If you see your role as part of a true profession, not merely a sales job, you owe it to yourself to make time to build your skills.
Don’t wait for your sales manager or your company to roll something out. What I like about the this site is it’s a nice blend of how-to articles and external links to others’ resources.
For example, this section on Sales Systems and Techniques includes suggestions for action steps to take, along with links to others’ training programs throughout the article. Nice touch.
Drop.io Lets You Share Your Sales Documents Online
Written by Jan Visser on November 14, 2007
Sometimes you come across a product or service that’s so clever that you’re constantly finding new ways to use it.
That’s exactly what happened when we looked at drop.io - an online file storage and sharing service.
Now, online storage isn’t new. There are plenty of folks out there that offer data backup and storage services with free or low-cost plans that allow you to upload photos, music and documents. But drop.io adds a different twist to it that makes it a handy tool for sales and business people.
Sign That Sales Contract Like You Mean It
Written by Brandon Hull on November 14, 2007
There are pens. Then there are Pens. There’s $5.98 for a box of 12. Then there’s $200,000 for one.
By all means, we’re in favor of keeping a fine writing instrument in your shirt pocket at all times. It exudes professionalism.
But a diamond-encrusted sword that dispenses ink should be reserved for kings, right? You shouldn’t whip out a Bic to write up a contract. But should you whip out a La Modernista Diamond fountain pen? You be the judge. It’s another angle on the you-can’t-show-up-in-a-Mercedes argument I’ve heard from certain industries.
(Yes, this, too, falls under the Tools You Don’t Really Need category. Although, I’ve just found a second use for the Phone Fingers I’ll be using with my new iPhone. I’ll keep them on to avoid scratching or smudging my fountain pen.)
Make Your Next National Sales Meeting Memorable
Written by Brandon Hull on November 13, 2007
If you’re a sales management executive looking for a way to make your event more memorable, we’ve got a great company you need to know about.
By the way, the tools have always been there to do this. But now there’s a company with the expertise to turn these events into stories your entire team can learn more from. It’s called Storyquest, founded by Tim Keelan, and it’s an end-to-end solution for capturing your sales training events, editing them, then publishing them securely for your sales force to digest.
