by Adam Shapiro | Jun 15, 2017 | Marketing, Qualifying, Sales Messaging, Sales Process, Today's Lessons, Tools
For today’s lesson we are going to explore two existential questions: Why does your company exist? Why should your ideal client want to talk to you? Why does your company exist? The answer to this question should scream at visitors to your website and all pockets of...
by Adam Shapiro | May 16, 2017 | Careers, Networking, Sales Leader
You may know that I have been a member of a Vistage Trusted Advisor group for over five years. I consider it my graduate business school. While I have a Juris Doctor, I am not a Master of Business Administration. Because of Vistage, though, I feel I’m actually in a...
by Adam Shapiro | Apr 19, 2017 | Champion, Qualifying, Sales Process, Today's Lessons
During a recent workshop, I described how we salespeople need to constantly work to be perceived as our prospect’s equals. What do I mean? Here are three examples where we are equals, but not necessarily perceived as equals: Like you, I am a busy professional. Often,...
by Adam Shapiro | Mar 15, 2017 | Careers, Presenting, Sales Leader, Sales Management, Tools
Constant improvement is one of my bedrock principles for starting SalesReformSchool 12+ years ago. Recently, however, I received written feedback from a post accusing me of not modeling Active Listening in my public discourse like I teach my clients. It knocked me...
by Adam Shapiro | Feb 16, 2017 | Networking, Sales Management, Sales Process, Today's Lessons, Tools
Many of us salespeople have a dirty secret. We hate building rapport especially with prospects or even just people we don’t really know well. Sure, we are expected to be the life the party and the meeting, the easy-going back-slapper flush with funny stories and...
by Adam Shapiro | Feb 2, 2017 | Closing, Sales Leader, Sales Management, Sales Process, Today's Lessons
You may already know that I practiced law in a prior life. Some of my clients like and appreciate it, but I do get eye-rolls and my fair share of good-natured ribbing. I get it. When it comes up in conversation, I usually add that although the practice of law wasn’t...
by Adam Shapiro | Jan 16, 2017 | Sales Process
A friend of mine’s 20-something son recently received a promotion. He is a consultant and has been asked by management to help open a new office in a new city. They want to build a presence in this new outpost and have tapped my friend’s son as someone who can help...
by Adam Shapiro | Dec 15, 2016 | Closing, Qualifying, Sales Process, Tools
Many of you are trying to close deals with your prospects this week and next to finish the year or quarter on a high note. So, I have a question: Have you included an implementation plan discussion as part of your buyer’s evaluation of your company and its offerings?...
by Adam Shapiro | Dec 1, 2016 | Sales Leader, Sales Management, Sales Process, Tools
Most sales managers I know have the best intentions. They don’t want to manage their reps, they want to coach them to achieve greatness – or at least quota. Many of them, though, struggle with where to start. The comfortable beginning is, “do what I did.” Soon,...
by Adam Shapiro | Nov 18, 2016 | Sales Messaging, Sales Process, Today's Lessons, Tools
Professionally, many of you are looking at your calendars and realizing that you only have six weeks or so left in the year and you are making your calls to try and close deals, or even create deals now to close by year end. Personally, you may have been...
