June 2009

Note: The June issue of Selling Power has been mailed to all subscribers. The magazine is available on 2,200 newsstands nationwide (check at your local Barnes & Noble store). You can also order your single copy online now, or get your personal subscription today.

Editorial

Why We Need to Stop Selling the Way We Sold in the Past
Gerhard Gschwandtner
Abstract:
As the recession drags on, I hear more sales leaders complaining about their inability to increase sales by relying on tried-and-true strategies for creating value for their customers. What they overlook is that selling has fundamentally changed, and pursuing the old tried-and-true tactics results in more of the same: higher stress and lower sales.”…read more

Managers’ Forum

Let’s Focus, People
Sales Challenges? Sales Solutions!
Henry Canaday
Abstract:
Sales managers discuss the challenges of reaching out to and effectively connecting with independent reps and decision makers, and sales experts offer advice on making those meaningful connections.

Manage Your Sales Team

Sales of $1.5 Billion from Only 200 Salespeople
What Braham Shnider is doing right with his channel-sales strategy
Geoffrey James
Abstract:
When meeting your revenue goals depends on a well-functioning channel sales program, you better know how to maintain sound channel partnerships.

In this article, Braham Shnider, the founder and president of Channel Enablers whose clients include AT&T, Cisco, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, Nokia, SAP, Symantec, and Telstra, helps a software company create a profitable partnering strategy.

Selling Essentials

Managers’ Corner
Competition Pays Off
At MIT, an international sales contest puts MBAs to the sales test
Henry Canaday
Abstract:
At a sales competition organized and hosted by MIT, top students from MBA programs around the world found out that selling is not a game for the theoretical or the faint of heart.

Skills
Words That Sell for You
How to choose and use the right words to close more sales more often
Renee Houston Zemanski
Abstract:
What if some expert told you the secret behind making or losing a sale is the words you choose? Now what if a hard-nosed sales rep who depends on the right words to close the sale told you the same thing? You’d probably listen to at least one of them, so listen up. According to the experts who share their insights in this article, particular words can make a big difference.

Motivation
The Greatest Motivator
Current and classic motivation from the master himself, Zig Ziglar (at 82, still going strong)
Selling Power Editors
Abstract:
Zig Ziglar has been a positive thinker and professional motivator for more than five decades. His electrifying speeches have a reputation for drawing standing ovations and leaving audiences spellbound.

We recently had the privilege of interviewing Zig and his son Tom at Splash Media in Dallas. Here, we share some memorable quotes from the interview that might rejuvenate your ambitious selling spirit.

Selling Tips
Dream It, Believe It, Decide It, Do It! • Value Proposition • Voice of Reason • Motivate Your Sales Team • Hall of Famer: Madam C.J. Walker • The Right Words • The Bottom-Line Focus • No Reason Not to Succeed • Do I Have a Shot at This Sale?

Motivation
How About a Little Respect Here?
How to encourage respect from your sales manager (and managers, how to give it)
Kim Wright Wiley
Abstract:
Respect. Everyone agrees it’s a good thing. And almost everyone agrees it’s a two-way street. In other words, in order to get respect, you have to give it to others. So what do you do when your manager ignores your contributions? The following tips will help you get the respect you deserve – without conflict or confrontation.

Cover Story

Lifesaving Sales
How sales reps become lifesavers just by being on the job
Geoffrey James
Abstract:
They’re the heroes. They’re the cool kids. They’re the indispensables. They’re in medical products sales. These days, the life of a medical products sales rep is all about saving lives and the great feeling that comes from serving others.

Yep, this story’s all about the reps who bring lifesaving devices to those in the most need, sometimes just in the knick of time.

Features

And the Good News Is…
How to help your sales team deal with doom and gloom
Henry Canaday
Abstract:
Even when things look their worst, there are ways and means of improving the sales picture, keeping your sales team focused, and helping your team navigate through the gloom at every corner. This article gives you some specific ways to help your team thrive even though the recession is not [yet] over.

Sharing a Lifetime of Leadership
When Marilyn Carson Nelson stepped down as CEO, she found new promise to inspire the next generation of leaders
Kim Wright Wiley
Abstract:
In case you think Marilyn Carlson Nelson inherited wealth and power, think again. The only reason her father finally handed her the reins to the family business was because she had no brother. But under her stewardship, the company expanded, and with steady profits.

When Nelson finally stepped down as CEO of Carlson, she found new purpose in her life and a new promise to inspire the next generation. In this article, she speaks plainly about her former role, how she thinks about leadership, and what balance really means (and what she says will surprise you).

New Solutions For Managers

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