Scott Bailey

You may have heard the old saying that 90 percent of success happens between the ears. That’s easy enough to say. But what does putting this principle into practice really mean? What does it look like when it shows up, in a discussion with a prospective buyer, as part of who we really are?

Failure is how we learn and grow. It's how we move forward. People often confuse role failure with self-confidence, self- esteem, or self-concept. Failure to obtain a meeting or close a deal is simply role failure. It’s not who we are. We may fail within a role, but we are always perfect and complete as human beings. Embrace your failure.

Marina was having some problems with the opening phases of her sales process. Her early discussions with prospects were rarely productive. She sat down with Fred, her manager, and did some role-playing in the hope of improving her interviewing technique. During the role-play session, Fred shared a strategy Marina hadn't heard of. He called it “stripping line.”

Do you show up fully prepared to "Wow" the prospect with your sales presentation and walk away with no commitment to buy?  This frustrates many salespeople and sales managers, but they think the fix is to spew more product knowledge and solutions.  Find out the real reasons your "dog and pony show" isn't selling for you.

A good pool of prospects is one of the keys to a successful selling career. Knowing how to prospect effectively keeps a career vital, and is truly the lifeblood of sales.

Across nearly every major industry, we have found a pattern of behaviors and beliefs that almost always leads to sales failures. We offer you the top five.