I can trace nearly anything significant that has happened in my life to the power of strategic relationships—their connectivity, and their give and take. Especially as sellers, our success is dependent upon who we know… and in turn, who they know. For that reason, the social “dimension” is one of the key skills behind the… Read More
About Amy Franko
A Winning Framework: Align How You Sell With How Your Clients Buy
We’re operating in a new client economy, and most, if not all, of the industries that we serve are experiencing rapid change. This rapid change is coming from evolving business dynamics, technology, and cultural shifts. Sellers need to evolve too. Here are three of many trends we’re seeing: Innovations, like data analytics and artificial intelligence… Read More
Building a Better Sales Pipeline: Know When to Walk Away
Building a better sales pipeline is a lot like that famous lyric from Kenny Roger’s The Gambler: “Know when to walk away, know when to run.” It’s a business developer’s nightmare. Just when you think everything is in place to land a big deal… poof. You begin to get the cold shoulder. Maybe someone you… Read More
Closing Strategies for Big Sales Success
The skill of closing business is one of the most critical skills to master. But closing business is something we tend to build up in our minds as extremely complex, intimidating, and even as something to avoid. Or we take the view that it needs to be aggressive to be effective. I’ve also seen situations… Read More
Do’s and Don’ts for Standout Sales Proposals
If you’re selling complex solutions or consulting, you’re likely designing and presenting proposals as part of your sales process. Would you be surprised to know that over 50% of proposals don’t win the business? Modern selling requires us to think beyond features, benefits, and pricing that are in most proposals. Proposals are an opportunity to… Read More
How Taking Risks Can Lead to Sales Success
Do you play it too safe? If you look at some of the most successful people of our time, one trait you’ll find in common is that they are risk takers. One of my favorite stories of a risk taker is inventor James Dyson. He has said, “The key to success is failure… Success is… Read More
Reach More Decision Makers with These Prospecting Strategies
Prospecting. Cold calling. New business development. Whatever phrase you use to describe it, most sellers and business developers don’t love it even during the best of times. When outbound business development isn’t a consistent habit, we often don’t feel the pain right away. It usually arrives further down the road, times like now, when our… Read More
Want to Improve Your Sales Results? Build Your Territory Like a Supply Chain
There are two moments in my sales career that crystallize for me that I’ve landed in the exact right profession. The first: there was a time where my first, second, and third line sales leaders were all women. They were my role models, and because of them I could see myself as a seller and… Read More