When the sky turns cloudy, a weather forecast can reliably predict the timing, duration and severity of a storm. But when economic conditions worsen, there’s no resource that can forecast what lies ahead—at least with any reasonable degree of certainty. With multiple signs pointing to an economic slowdown or worse a potential recession, sales leaders… Read More
About Joe Galvin
Accountability: Performance and Professional
Let’s begin by looking at “Performance Accountability.” Top Sales Performers hold themselves accountable at every level. They strive to be masters of their customer-management strategies, to be fluent in their products, capabilities and the value messages that connect with their customer’s. They work closely with peers, managers and support resources, working together in pursuit of… Read More
Customer Growth: Decisions for the SMB CEO
The time is now. Rarely have economic factors aligned to create a growth environment like we see today. Historically low unemployment, record low interest rates and inflation that barely causes a ripple are all drivers to a surge in small and mid-sized business growth. While there are obstacles in future and unforeseen events yet to… Read More
Customer Referrals: Winning Initiative for SMBs
From the very beginning of sales history, word of mouth and the use of customer endorsements to shape or influence the decisions of perspective customers has been a proven, winning strategy for customer growth. Multiple research reports cite referrals and the opinion of trusted others as having the greatest ability to influence a customer decision…. Read More
Hire Me: Foundations for Sales Success
We all started the same way: With an entry-level sales job. At the time, we had no experience. We had no real idea about what we were getting into. And, apart from having ambition, confidence and good social skills, we were unprepared for the job. Our employer was playing a numbers game: They hired a… Read More
How High Performing Small Business CEOs Grow Revenue
The tailwinds of a strong economy are propelling growth for 92% of small and midsized business forward with 28% realizing multiple year double digit growth. Against this backdrop, Vistage Research, in partnership with Salesforce surveyed and analyzed responses from 1377 Vistage SMB CEOs surveyed in August of 2017. In <Customer Growth: Decisions for the SMB… Read More
Inside the ONE Number for Sales
There are no moral victories in sales. You win or you lose. There are no style points, silver medals or commissions for outstanding effort. You get paid based on performance. You are considered for promotion based on performance. You are recruited by others because of performance. There is only one number that matters in sales… Read More
Jumpstart Your Sales In The New Year
With 2019 right around the corner, it’s time to gear up for one of the most important events of the year: the sales kickoff meeting. Many companies underestimate the impact that this meeting can have on their performance. In truth, it sets the tone for the entire year. It presents a rare and powerful opportunity… Read More
Measuring Improvement
Continuous improvement is the mantra of high performance sales organizations. They are always looking for ways to improve performance and increase sales productivity. Like all sales organizations they invest in resources and programs to improve the sales person’s ability to find, win and retain customers. They analyze their people and organization, review the impact of… Read More
Selling in a Soft Economy
After the longest expansion in U.S. history, the economy appears to be softening. In Europe, it’s already slowed and the balance of the global economy is teetering on the brink of recession. The doom-and-gloom prognosticators will recommend heading for the hills. But, by all indications, we are entering a slowdown, not a recession. The economy… Read More
The Importance of the Opportunity Lifecycle
Before analytics, AI or machine learning can become the magical, life-changing technology promised for Sales, the most delicate and precious data source must be validated: The Opportunity Lifecycle. And the only data source for what happens inside the lifecycle of an opportunity is the salesperson. Once the conversation has begun – once the humans connect… Read More
The Politics of Business Decision Making
The “Buyer” has never been more popular than he or she is today. To some the buyer is fully informed, socially astute, connected to the always-on community and is some arbitrary percentage through the mythical buying process before connecting with sales. The buyer has become so knowledgeable that maybe we should Hire the Buyer. I… Read More
Trial and Error
Inventor Thomas Edison, dubbed the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” is credited with saying, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways not to do it,” summing up the inventor’s dilemma. With no proven approach or established best practices to follow, he had little choice but to “figure it out,” one failure at time. The… Read More
Trusting New Data
Sales analytics is the bridge to the digital sales organization of the future. While analogue human interactions will always inject a degree of variability into the equation, the insights analytics provides cannot be ignored. However, introducing new analytic data must be accompanied by a change management strategy that allows sales people, managers and management to… Read More