Blog - Braveheart Sales Performance

Assembling a Shed – Kinda Like Selling

For the past few years, my husband and I have discussed the need for a new shed in our back yard. We had one years ago that nearly collapsed and had to be removed. So, recently we bit the bullet and made the purchase.

The boxes came and sat in our yard for a couple of weeks. Neither of us was keen to tackle the project. We had assumed that it would overwhelm our non-DIY abilities. And I think we were both a little frightened what the for-certain arguments that would ensue might do to our 30-year marriage.

I know I was […]

We Took Our Own Advice…And It Worked!

I’ve frequently pointed out, both verbally and in my writing, the need to pivot sales during this crazy time. For example, up until when the pandemic hit it was extremely difficult to attract sales talent. There were more sales positions than qualified people to fill them.

Well, in the blink of an eye, that all changed. Companies have had to put hiring plans on hold and in some instances have had to furlough or lay-off teams of salespeople, either because the market evaporated, or other parts of the company could not support the ramp-up time associated with new salespeople.

Expand, Not Cut

Since […]

Can a Sales Process Help Sell Value?

Discounting and selling in bad economic times seem to go hand in hand, and they shouldn’t. Selling value is the way to avoid discounting. The mindset of the salesperson plays a role. Here’s another way to help sellers avoid discounting and sell value – A repeatable sales process.

Not only does following one provide a roadmap for the salesperson to know where to go in a sales conversation, which our data indicates can increase closed business by up to 15%, but it also enables sellers to more consistently sell value, thus not feeling the urge to discount. Let me show you […]

Stop the Discounting…Even When Business Has Slowed

We are seeing a selling panic ensue due to the turmoil of the last few months. Salespeople have been doing anything to win business, no matter what the price. This trend obviously isn’t a good one, so I have reviewed some data and contemplated exercises to help salespeople sell value rather than sell based on price,

Yes, we can certainly coach salespeople on what to say and when. But that likely isn’t enough. You see, selling value isn’t just a tactical skill set. It is a combination of skill set and mindset.

There are many factors that go into the […]

Sales Leaders: The Next Step is Most Important in the Sales Process

I was working with a sales team last week that we have been working with for just a few months. They have, on the whole, a pretty strong group of salespeople. We were discussing certain deals in their pipeline and where they were in the process. Many of the conversations were similar. “They really liked what we had. They need to talk to their boss and then they are supposed to call me back tomorrow.” Or worse, “They were supposed to call me back last Wednesday and I have called, but they don’t call me back.”

There are two common flaws […]

Get Lean and Mean, and Bigger, Stronger, Faster, Too

It’s official. We are in a recession, so business leaders need to be lean and mean. Sometimes that means making cuts: Maybe expenses, maybe headcount.

If it’s the latter, be especially aware. When leaders consider reducing headcount in their sales force, too often they hang onto the veterans who manage the largest accounts or who are responsible for the biggest book of business. And, unfortunately, they all too frequently cut the sellers who too new to have proven themselves.

Is It the Best Strategy?

Well, if the business owner only cares about maintaining the existing client base, maybe. But, if they are truly […]

Peddler, Pal or Peer?

Which one of these do your customers think their salespeople from your company are most like: A Peddler, a Pal, or a Peer? Don’t know? Then they probably think they are Peddlers or at best Pals. Here’s how these three categories are defined.

Peddler: The person who hawks his wares. The peddler is basically just a conduit to a product or service. They are focused on “making the sale” not on anything the client cares about. They are concerned more with what they themselves want and need (the sale) and not outwardly on the customer. Peddlers don’t provide much value so […]

10 Tips for “Non-Sucky” Remote Sales Meetings

Even before the virus hit, we witnessed many leaders struggle to have engaging sales meetings that actually improved sales. Now with most sales teams operating remotely, the situation likely hasn’t improved. Working apart, it’s easy to let these meetings slide and not conduct them at all, or just slip into bad habits and have boring, time-wasting ones. So here are ten suggestions to help sales leaders effortlessly conduct better remote sales meetings. And many of these principles can be applied when everyone is back together.

Cameras on. Everyone – no excuses. Since there is no longer “water cooler” conversation it is […]

Recession Proof Your Sales Team

Face it, even before COVID-19, we were long overdue for a recession. Most “experts” predicted one would occur last year, in 2019. So, guess what? We got an extra year of unprecedented expansion.

And guess what else has happened since the last recession? Many salespeople have become complacent. In the pre-virus economy, life was grand. Anybody and everybody were buying. There was so much demand that it didn’t matter if an individual could sell on value and differentiate – they sold. Not because they were good, mind you, but because the buyers were buying.

Those times were so happy that most employers […]

Beliefs Are More Powerful than Skills

I heard author and motivational speaker, Gabby Bernstein, doing a radio interview recently. In it, she made the statement, “Beliefs are just thoughts you keep thinking.” It resonated with me. She was specifically talking about fear and how it becomes not only a habit but an addiction. I, of course, thought about it from the perspective of sales.

Beliefs Limit Success

We know that an overwhelming number of salespeople are sabotaged by their own beliefs. Regardless of an individual’s current success in sales, they can limit that success just based on thoughts they repetitively think. Of the last 100 salespeople we analyzed, […]