We’ve all seen those fundraiser thermometers, haven’t we? It’s a simple and fun way to chart the progress of a charity or organization in their quest for raising the necessary funds. Everyone can visually see if they’re reaching their goal, and it encourages everyone to strive further. Do you use a visual aid of this type for your sales goals? …

If you’re in sales, I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “sell the sizzle.” So what if bacon was the product you were selling?  People love bacon. In fact, it’s so adored that manufacturers offer bacon-flavored gumballs, lip balm, soap, and even dental floss. If people love bacon that much, wouldn’t it make sense to actually focus on selling the bacon? …

As a sales strategist, I have witnessed salespeople try to disqualify a client time and time again. Whether they realize it or not, they’re actually looking for a reason to move onto the next call or what they feel may be the easier sale. They’re cherry picking for the slam dunk, the lay down, or the rollover. I have heard …

Here are a couple simple tips to become more productive and successful at the most important thing a salesperson is required to do: Selling! If you’re not investing your time in selling as much as you possibly can each day, then you may not be making the most of your opportunities. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Well, sometimes we can get …

Being a sales trainer in the health insurance field, I’ve seen many agents who jump into the business when they’re not fully prepared to succeed. I’m going beyond obvious sales skills, such as qualifying, assessing needs, handling what most people call objections, closing and follow up. I’m also going beyond product knowledge. For the sake of time, I want to …

I’m currently consulting for a fairly large insurance agency. While conducting a one-on-one coaching session with one of their sales representatives, I offered some advice that many salespeople–or anyone for that matter–can benefit from. And it starts with this: Get out of your own way! This was the situation. Zach (not his real name) was struggling. He had some personal …

For over a decade, I have been in the insurance business. I’ve worked as an agent, consultant, and sales trainer. And I have seen an enormously-high failure rate when newly licensed agents come on board. Why is there such a high failure rate for new agents, and others that are new to the business? Well, we all make mistakes, so …