Top Sales Library - a resource of all things sales

Deb Calvert

12 Surefire Ways to Connect With Buyers

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You cannot form solid connections without a firm foundation of trust. Trust brings buyers and sellers together and keeps them together. A lack of trust inhibits buyers, and a breach in trust shuts them down completely. Trust is vital to forming buyer/seller connections.When it comes to establishing trust to help sales pros can connect with buyers,… Read More

3 Personal Reflections on Being a Successful Woman in a Male-Dominated Profession

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I haven’t given much thought to this. Until now, in celebration of International Women’s Day, when I’ve been asked to share my reflections on being a woman in sales. Bossy. Bitchy. Competitive. Ice Queen. Opinionated. In my sales and sales management career, I’ve been labeled all the above. I’ve earned a few other labels, too…. Read More

7 Practical Ways to Sell, Train and Manage by Focusing First on Others

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It’s human nature to focus on self. On top of that, the perception (fair or not) is that sellers are even more self-oriented than people in most other professions. To overcome this perception and temper that human nature, sales managers, sales trainers, and sellers need to work more deliberately to focus first on others. Developing… Read More

A Difference of Opinion

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“I can’t believe she didn’t buy it. She must be nuts to turn down this deal. I gave her everything she asked for plus a discounted rate. This just doesn’t make sense.” Sound familiar? Why does this happen in sales? You put together a killer deal and fully expect it will close because, you feel… Read More

All Good Things Must Come to an End

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I’ve been in mourning for a few months now, working through the classic stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally now, I am moving into the final stage of acceptance. This period of mourning has been no different from those times when I’ve mourned the loss of a loved one. Quite unexpectedly,… Read More

Are Speaking Skills More Valued than Listening?

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(This article originally appeared on Deb Calvert’s blog) I blame book reports. I can remember doing them as early as 4th grade in Mrs. Sisney’s class. The one I remember standing in front of the class and describing was a Dr. Doolittle book. Presumably, standing in front of the class was intended to help us… Read More

Are You Mentoring or Coaching? There Is a Difference!

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Sales coaching has a proven ROI and profound impact… when it’s genuinely coaching. Many sales managers don’t understand the difference. They’re mentoring, not coaching. One business coaching pioneer explained it this way: Mentoring views us as empty vessels into which knowledge can be poured. Coaching sees us as acorns. Inside each of us is already… Read More

Are You Over-Selling?

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By over-selIing, I don’t mean overbooking. That’s what happens when you sell more than you have capacity to honor like airlines and hotels often do. What I’m interested in talking about is whether or not you are overdoing it when it comes to selling. That can happen because you’re continuing on and on with your… Read More

Becoming a Change Agent

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People don’t buy products or services. They buy change. As a professional seller, your job is to inspire buyers by showing them the benefits of change. To do that, you need to become an agent of change. Join our guest, Richard Farrell, President of Tangent Knowledge Systems and author of the book “Selling Has Nothing… Read More

Build Trust with Your Buyers by Understanding All 12 Dimensions of Trust

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(This article originally appeared on Deb Calvert’s blog) Trust is absolutely essential in a buyer/seller relationship. Unfortunately, sellers start with a disadvantage because the stereotypes alone cause buyers to be suspicious. That’s why sellers must work diligently to build and preserve trust. In this free chapter from the groundbreaking book DISCOVER Questions™ Get You Connected,… Read More

Buyers Are Telling Us What They Want. Are We Listening?

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There’s no denying that buyers are empowered. It’s one of the most significant shifts in economic history. Dr. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School, describes it as “an enormous global power shift from producers to consumers, from those who make to those who buy.” That’s why selling today is different than it was a decade… Read More

Can You Get the Sale by Being Nice?

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Empowered buyers expect sellers to know, do and be something more than they were before. Sellers may not know how to keep up with these demands and wonder how they should interact with modern buyers. Complicating matters is recent research suggesting the demise of “relationship selling.” Join us on CONNECT! Online Radio for Selling Professionals… Read More

Can You Hear Me Now?

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In your busy selling day, you have more ways of connecting than ever – smart phones, text messages, email, social media and more all just a few clicks away. But how often do you really, truly hear and understand what your buyers are saying? Active listening isn’t optional for sellers. It is imperative. But what… Read More

Chameleon-Style Selling

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The first time someone told me that a good sales rep is like a chameleon, I vehemently argued against the notion that sellers would ever “change their color.” How disingenuous! My position was that the best sales reps are authentic, true to themselves, transparent and consistent in how they represent themselves and their companies. I’ve… Read More

Connect Outside Your Comfort Zone

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Once you’ve mastered the art of connecting with people inside your “inner circle” and figured out how to use the tools and techniques available for connecting with new prospects, you can get pretty comfortable in selling. You may even get a little complacent as you follow the processes and establish your own routines. That’s why… Read More