This Selling Life

Painful Sales Call Prompts 3 Fashion Insights

Scott Silverback — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:25:23 +0000

You try to forget the many embarrassing moments in selling. Even so, one of my more uncomfortable incidents stays in mind 20 years later. Maybe that’s because I managed to salvage it — more or less. Here’s what happened. I was heading to New York for first-time meeting with a client I’d been chasing for two [...]

Grab Their Interest Early and Don’t Let Go

Scott Silverback — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:12:22 +0000

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sales presentation that made you wish you were almost anywhere else? In the business-to-business software industry where I work, we’re guilty of heinous neglect of basic communication principles. What’s so bad about our presentations? Nothing — if you don’t mind excessive length, jam-packed PowerPoint slides, lack of [...]

When Senior Executives Hijack Your Sales Opportunities: 11 Reasons

Scott Silverback — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:31:07 +0000

Two earlier articles explained what happened when a senior executive in my company briefly grabbed control of my recent sales opportunity. It appears to have cost us the sale. Because I’ve seen the same thing happen multiple times in the years I’ve been selling, I’ve given some thought to why it happens. When you understand the [...]

Stop Creating PowerPoint ‘Slideuments!’

Scott Silverback — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:58:32 +0000

Steady. I feel a rant coming on… Last week the sales team in my company was working on revising our core sales presentation. That frustrating experience made me think of a little-known idea that I believe is one of the most important points both Cliff Atkinson and Garr Reynolds make in the books I mentioned [...]

3 Solid Resources to Help You Make Better Presentations

Scott Silverback — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:25:10 +0000

This short article introduces three solid resources that can help you make dramatic improvements in your presentations. Read on for a quick list of free online resources and books where you find great ideas on how to maintain your audience’s interest and set yourself apart from your competitors. Strong Medicine for People Who Misuse PowerPoint The Cognitive Style [...]

The Art of the Pitch: An Appreciation

Scott Silverback — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:39:18 +0000

Previous articles have focused on the importance of asking good questions in nearly every kind of selling. One obvious exception came to mind as I idly watched QVC for a few minutes while I waited for my wife to get ready for an evening out. As she pulled on her jacket and checked her purse for her [...]

How to Screw Up a Nice Sale

Scott Silverback — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:24:36 +0000

A prior article set the scene. This one makes you privy to an explanation that most people in my company haven’t heard. First, a quick review of the situation. I’d been working on a million-dollar deal for about five months. Jim, a senior executive in our company (and my boss’s boss), slid into the driver’s seat on [...]

When a Senior Manager Steps into the Driver’s Seat of Your Deal

Scott Silverback — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:00:13 +0000

Tell me if this story sounds familiar. It’s about a senior executive who can’t let go of a deal that someone else is responsible for. I’ve been working on an opportunity for several months. My prospect is a well-known global brand with worldwide annual revenue north of $2 billion. Our team did a good job of working [...]

7 Ways to Improve Your Sales Questions Instantly

Scott Silverback — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:55:23 +0000

Maybe you’re not ready to wade through the 19 books that an earlier article recommended to help you ask better sales questions. Or even to read one book, for that matter. I know. You’re restless, and you’ve come to the right place. So here’s a short list of seven easy improvements you can make immediately. 1. Be clear in [...]

19 Great Resources for Asking Better Questions

Scott Silverback — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:09:38 +0000

Are you picking up the track I’ve been laying down in the last few articles? Do you agree with me about the importance of asking better questions ? If so, then you’re probably chomping at the bit for more specific ideas on how to do it. You’ll get plenty of that in future articles. But we assume you’re [...]