Editorial

What Makes Sales Relationships Work?
by Gerhard Gschwandtner
At the April Sales Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, during the private dinner organized for all speakers, we discussed sales relationships…cont.

Train Your Sales Team

Train Your Sales Team: How to Use the New Intuitive Model to Sell
Ryan Kubacki of Holden International explains
by Geoffrey James

Selling Essentials

Cloud Burst
Salesforce.com deploys three umbrella strategies to weather the economic storm
by Heather Baldwin
Technology companies have had a tough run these past two years. The recession has squeezed IT budgets, causing a global retraction in IT spending. Though the market is now showing signs of recovery, the effects of the recession will linger…

Funny You Should Say That
A professional comedian provides tips for leveraging the power of humor in selling
by Malcolm Fleschner
The traveling salesman has long been a staple of joke tellers. But while providing others with a convenient source of ready humor, salespeople have just as frequently employed humor to their own advantage…

Give It a Whirl
How one enterprise sales force works with channel partners to maintain and build sales
by Henry Canaday

Play Nice, Now
How a symphony conductor teaches a leadership and cooperation message using an orchestra as the medium
by Kim Wright Wiley
Symphony conductors rarely write business books, but Roger Nierenberg , author of Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening is no ordinary baton wielder. While conducting orchestras in America and Europe, Nierenberg began to seek innovative ways…

Are You Listening?
Eight steps to positive listening skills that can improve your sales
by Abner Littel
Salespeople often think of themselves as being good talkers instead of good listeners. The common misconception is that selling is telling or telling is selling. The truth is that more than 50 percent of selling is listening…

Features

Cover Story
Collaboration Management
Get it together for better sales
by Malcolm Fleschner
DO YOU HAVE A DREAM SALES STORY? A tale of one opportunity when, at every step of the way, your timing was impeccable, your analysis of the customer's complex problem was spot on, and your ingenious, well-crafted solution was welcomed by a client so eager to get started that the price tag became little more than an afterthought?…

Rebirth of the Purchasing Manager
How to harness the power of the new (and much more important) purchasing manager
by Heather Baldwin
Here's big news: Purchasing managers are alive and well, albeit under a number of different titles. Look for them under "chief procurement officer" or "global supply-chain manager." And don't press the down button on the elevator, because they're not stuck in some cubbyhole below ground…

High-Level Access
How to get a seat at the decision-making table
by Renee Houston Zemanksi
IF YOU think you're a consultant, a trusted advisor, and a strategic partner and you're still calling on mid-level managers, we've got news for you: You are none of the above. But here's the real news:…

New Solutions for Managers

Ramp Up Your Leads
How to make your lead-acquisition strategy a performance payout
by Henry Canaday