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I’m sure we’ve all been in that position where you’ve walked out of a shop, after initially going in to buy something, a suit for example, only to find yourself leaving laden with extra bags containing a shirt, tie, belt and shoes and not really knowing how you ended up there.

So it was said in a recent meeting, “We need to do some coaching and mentoring with him”. To which my question was, “Both, or which one should take precedent?”.

Is the notion of psychology in sales truth or myth? Find out and decide for yourself by clicking here.

One of the most common subjects I come across in dealing with people in all kinds of businesses is change. Not just because, as we all know, change is inevitable, but what surprises me is the inability for some to recognise and really understand that statement.

A recent conversation in a sales meeting revealed something that I hadn’t thought about for quite a while – the seemingly lost ‘Art’ of questioning, which of course is a skill that should always be accompanied by its close relative, listening.

When asked recently, ‘What is the key to business success?’ I was forced into thinking about all the necessary skills and attributes that leaders need in business today. When you look at the typical areas that we associate with good business leaders such as having a degree of acumen, work experience, a good level of intelligence in all its forms, knowledge of the company as well as the market and industry-wide knowhow; it’s all good stuff.

Over the years I’ve known many skilled salespeople and the one thing that they all have in common is the ability to close the deal.

Being More Commercial. So, what exactly does this mean? A few weeks ago, I was asked to attend a sales meeting for a client with a view to helping the sales manager improve her skills in chairing meetings, communication as well as increasing her general level of confidence and presence in conducting such matters.

Many years ago when I was starting out in my advertising sales career, our sales manager would gather us together for creative sessions where the sole purpose of the meeting was to come up with new ideas and innovations for products to sell.

For all new managers the whole notion of delegation can be a little daunting; it sounds easy enough, but in practise, all too often delegation turns into simply dumping a task on an unsuspecting colleague.

Most business people would agree that the wheels of industry turn best when we talk to each other face to face.

Sales professionals and managers read on…