Why Sales 101 No Longer Works

By Thomas A. Freese

To me, it’s ironic that the world of strategic sales training has stayed pretty much the same over the last 15 years, but for most companies, the selling environment has changed dramatically. Consequently, salespeople are having to work harder to penetrate new accounts, while prospective customers are working even harder to keep salespeople at bay.

Don’t blame the customer. In the past decade, downsizing and acquisitions have burdened corporate decision-makers with greater responsibility, oftentimes ... Read More

Apple’s Commitment to Post-Sales Service an Example to All

Randall Stross wrote a great piece in yesterday’s New York Times as recounted by Andrea Learned on Marketing Profs site. The quote from the Times that I most appreciated: With regard to the Apple store’s "Genius Bar," what other brand would think/commit to dedicating more than half of its retail staff to post-sales service?

Does it take a rock to fall on the rest of us?

The rest of Andrea’s posting does a nice job of showing how Apple sells to women. Another example we could all learn from. ... Read More

Segmentation Around Customer Needs Instead of Company Sales Needs

By Dale Wolf

Two quotes (below) came across my desk this week.

One I agree with and one I don’t. Vishwanath has over-simplified the value of segmentation, especially when it comes to understanding customer needs. This is vital in delivering a superior, differentiated customer experience that leads to profitable growth. If the only criteria we maintain are those that actually drive purchase decisions, we will miss the subtle characteristics upon which we can design campaigns that are more relevant to customer needs. A focus just on the company sales and profit view without caring about customers is wrong-headed.

The second quote from Robert McKee is well worth taking to heart. McKee understands the human factor that Wiswanath is overlooking. We can segment ... Read More