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Deb Calvert

About Deb Calvert

President of People First Productivity Solutions where we build organizational strength by putting PEOPLE first. Deb is the author of Stop Selling & Start Leading® and DISCOVER Questions® Get You Connected (one of the “Top 20 Most Highly-Rated Sales Books of All Time” according to HubSpot). Named one of the "65 Most Influential Women in Business" by Treeline and a top 50 Sales Influencer. Founder of The Sales Experts Channel on BrightTALK.

10 Novel Ways to Increase Your Sales Right Now!

9 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

Think you’ve “been there, done that” and are tapped out on ways to increase your sales? Think again! Join us to cut out continuances, put an ending to pending and stop stalling out with 10 NEW ways to increase your sales. Don Cooper, the Sales Heretic, joined CONNECT! Online Radio for Selling Professionals to share… Read More

Filed Under: Business Development, Podcast

10 Reasons Why I’m about to Leave You

17 May 2014 by Deb Calvert

Sales professionals, you know I love you. But there are some things you do that really irritate me when I am your buyer. You upset me when you do these things because I know you’re better than that. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, hold onto the hope that you just… Read More

Filed Under: Article, Customer Experience, General Sales

12 Surefire Ways to Connect With Buyers

24 August 2016 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, General Sales

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

8 April 2017 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Sales, Women in Sales

5 Leadership Lessons from Ned Yost, Manager of the Kansas City Royals

22 October 2014 by Deb Calvert

With the opening of the World Series tonight, here’s a timely look at the leadership of the often-maligned manager of the Kansas City Royals, Ned Yost. Like all leaders, Yost has made a few mistakes in his career. To his credit, he seems to be learning along the way – all the way to the… Read More

Filed Under: Article, Leadership, Sales Management, Sales Training, Self-Improvement

5 Reasons I Disagree with Most Sales Experts

20 August 2014 by Deb Calvert

When it comes to sellers asking their buyers questions, the majority say sellers should prepare a set of questions before the meeting. I don’t agree. I’ve spent over 20 years observing how questions are asked by sellers and received by buyers. My conclusion is this: the single greatest barrier to sellers forming and sustaining meaningful… Read More

Filed Under: Article, Relationship Selling, Sales Process

5 Things I Learned about Sales by Publishing a Book about Sales

13 March 2014 by Deb Calvert

I’ve been surprised and humbled by publishing a book. Along the way, I knew there would be lessons learned and discoveries made in 20+ years of field research. I fully expected to gain insights and deeper understanding, too, in the actual writing of a book about sales. But I did not anticipate how much I… Read More

Filed Under: Article, General Sales

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

4 February 2019 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Sales Management, Sales Meetings, Sales Training

7 Sales Lessons from Restaurant Servers

17 July 2016 by Deb Calvert

After you make a sale what do you do to encourage follow-up business? Next time you’re enjoying a relaxing meal in a fine dining restaurant, observe these six sales lessons that will help you get follow-up business from your customers, too. Fine dining restaurants depend on the upsell and work to maximize each diner’s tab…. Read More

Filed Under: Article, Customer Experience, Customer Retention

A Difference of Opinion

17 May 2014 by Deb Calvert

“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

Filed Under: Article, General Sales

All Good Things Must Come to an End

28 May 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Customer Experience

Are Speaking Skills More Valued than Listening?

13 May 2014 by Deb Calvert

(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

Filed Under: Article, General Sales

Are you Guilty of These 4 Clarity Violations?

16 September 2014 by Deb Calvert

In Sales Clarity is absolutely essential. Talking too fast, using too much business jargon etc can all lead to a lack of clarity. Don’t be guilty of these clarity violations; make sure your customers understand what you are saying: https://s3.amazonaws.com/TopSales/sales-library/2014/september-15/clarity_2.mp4

Filed Under: Customer Experience, General Sales, Video

Are You Mentoring or Coaching? There Is a Difference!

10 July 2019 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Sales Coaching, Sales Management

Are You Over-Selling?

17 September 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, General Sales, Presentations

Are You Really a Partner? Should You Be?

15 July 2014 by Deb Calvert

Many people use the word partner to describe the role they play as a sales person to their accounts. But I don’t know if the word partner is accurate. The dictionary defines a partner as a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor. Using that definition, I suppose it… Read More

Filed Under: Article, Relationship Selling

Becoming a Change Agent

10 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: General Sales, Lead Generation, Podcast

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

13 May 2014 by Deb Calvert

(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

Filed Under: Article, Relationship Selling

Buyer’s Habits Have Changed. Have Yours?

3 September 2014 by Deb Calvert

Selling Has To Change To Keep Up with Buying! Selling today simply isn’t the same. Buyers are more savvy, more informed and more in control than ever before. Sellers need to modify their approach. In this broadcast, we’ll highlight some of the biggest differences and how top sellers are keeping up with their customers. From… Read More

Filed Under: General Sales, Podcast, Sales Strategy, Sales Trends

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

8 September 2016 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Customer Experience, Customer Retention

Can You Get the Sale by Being Nice?

17 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Podcast, Relationship Selling

Can You Hear Me Now?

15 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: General Sales, Podcast, Self-Improvement

Chameleon-Style Selling

15 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Article, Sales Strategy

Connect Outside Your Comfort Zone

26 June 2014 by Deb Calvert

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

Filed Under: Podcast, Sales Process, Self-Improvement

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