Research suggests that most social-media initiatives are owned by marketing, not sales. Yet salespeople have the most to gain from the emerging new discipline: social business. Yes, social business. Social media is designed for fun; social business is designed to create customers. While social media often leads to a waste of time, social business leads to more business. The big question is… READ THIS BLOG >

Cash and noncash incentives for sales teams continue to play a critical role in maximizing revenue and profit. READ MORE >

If you do your homework, an objection or angry response should never take you by surprise. You shouldn't take someone's negativity or anger personally. Even if his or her objections are based on factual error, your first response should be to validate the other person's feelings. Objections and disagreements can be useful opportunities to better understand someone. There is no "one answer fits all" for objections or angry outbursts. Recognize that they're a natural part of dealing with people.