Colleen’s Blog

Recently, a Canadian colleague of mine needed to travel out-of-country and wanted to purchase medical coverage for COVID-19. I happily referred her to my business insurance broker. But what happened next sure did not go the way either of us had expected.

Selling has changed. Markets have changed. Buyers have changed. Therefore, advice to sellers must change. Sadly, too many training programs have been slow to adapt, and are still teaching skills from "days of yore." Here are the top 5 unprofitable skills that are still floating around:

Recently, I explained that video is the new default in how we connect and do business with others now. It’s been a huge, rapid shift. A recent LinkedIn State of Sales report tells us that more than three-quarters of businesses today are holding video meetings far more than before.

After months of global pandemic responses, including economic shutdowns, everyone has been thrown off balance. The hurt will be here for a while, and as I’ve pointed out in a recent article, resiliency is what you must summon now—not later—to position yourself for the coming recovery.

I want you to think like your competitor. Why? Thinking like your competitor will help you figure out where you're weak and strong in the accounts you’re managing, which can lead to retention and growth activities.

Recently, I interviewed my good friend, Richard Citrin, author of Strategy-Driven Leadership and The Resilience Advantage. We talked about how resiliency—what he describes as the ability to “bounce forward”—is a hardwired resource in all of us. But you must summon it to make it work!

Today's global pandemic is an extraordinary public health crisis. As we get past the immediate challenge of doing what's necessary and wise to stay well and safe, the next big question is: "What must I do to keep going professionally?" Answer that by looking at the best practices of top sales leaders. The wisdom there is timeless. It applies to every tough situation—including this one. 

We're a couple of months into the year and maybe you're behind. Maybe January and February didn't start out as strongly as you would like. It's not the end of the world. In fact, being behind the first quarter of the year is probably the best time to be behind. However, more importantly, you have to do something about it.

Be honest, is your sales team, or are you lacking consistency?

Quarterly business reviews are essential for understanding potential growth with existing customers, retention issues and future opportunities. They are just as crucial for troubleshooting where sales performance isn’t meeting expectations, as well as for measuring the return on investment your client is receiving for the work you do together. Get serious about doing this analysis.