Recent Articles from Gary Harvey
Prospects and clients: How to tell the difference
During a recent training at a world sales conference, a salesperson asked, “Salespeople always refer to their prospects as clients. I’ve heard you use the word prospects, even suspects, instead of clients. Why?” So I asked the question, "How do you know if someone is prospect or a client?" At the beginning, they wondered if I were just being literal. After a few hours, they began to "get" t[...]
Salespeople: How to know if a proposal request is a stall
If you get a request for a proposal before you’ve asked the right questions, and before your prospect has shared the compelling emotional impact of what they need to fix and their reasons, this can be a stall.
Beyond the cold call
Have your salespeople made a prospecting phone call whose central message sounded something like this? "We’ve helped our clients to deliver (so-and-so benefit) with our (Such-and-Such brand product/service), which has (so-and so feature).
Top six ways to improve sales
You know a good salesperson when you see one, and “good” to me doesn’t just mean the salesperson closed the deal. It’s easy to recognize when a salesperson has gone above and beyond to make sure the sale was great and the customer satisfied.
BAGELS and sales
What in the world do bagels have to do with selling? Yes, I like bagels. Most people do, right? However, I don’t mean the kind you eat. BAGELS is an acronym I use in coaching my clients that might help you stay on track of the things you need to do daily to increase your […]
Do you cha-cha?
I’m an inherent optimist. Example: “I heard there’s a recession; however, I have decided not to participant in it.” My dose of realism adds that I’m not advocating in both business and sales you put your head in the sand and hope you survive it. Hope is not a strategy. Acknowledge that it has been...
Seven common deal-ending mistakes
Over the years, I have observed the mistakes attorneys, and many professionals, make in their business development process. Although the actual approaches may vary, there are many common pitfalls. Here are seven: “Sell” is a four-letter word to them. Attorneys, like many professionals, view the word “sell” with distaste. I hear often from attorneys that […]
Sales means getting knocked down
Selling is a “Broadway show put on by a psychiatrist.” Actors have their bad and good days on the stage in their “roles.” Those roles are not who they really are as people. But if they allow accolades or criticism of their performance to impact their self-esteem and self-worth, it can have a major...
The pain imperative in sales
Selling is not all about price. This is a rampant excuse that salespeople use to justify not getting a deal. Low price is not essential to closing a deal. Price plays a role, but it’s essential only if salespeople allow it to be. Price becomes essential when we haven’t provided anything else as criteria for […]
Sales obsession
Successful salespeople have an absolute need to do what has to be done each and every day to reach their goals. They have a need to do those things to their very best ability—no compromises. They are absolutely, positively obsessed with their work while they are doing it. That doesn’t mean they work 15 hours […]
Perfect — and improving
I recently was coaching a client who has a “perfectionist” streak. I asked her, “Describe to me what perfection is?” She did. My reply was, “I’m disappointed because that description doesn’t sound perfect to me.” Of course, I was kidding, and she knew that. But my point was serious. Trying to be perfect is a […]
Why the highest paid make so much
There are a number of theories and concepts as to why. One concept attracted my attention: Winner take all: This theory contends that there are some people who are just really good at their jobs. As technology improves and markets get larger, the best workers know how to leverage those advances to...