And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”. There are 21 NFL Hall of Fame coaches , yes, just 21.  As we start the playoff run of this NFL season, we are reminded that winning championships not only takes great players on the field, but also great coaches and leaders. The question often asked is – are great coaches made or born?  Well, according to Vince Lombardi, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. What’s required to make “Hall of Fame” sales coaches?  . MORE >>

Customers have recognized needs, researched solutions, prioritized options, set requirements, and benchmarked pricing.  I identify the short list of suppliers who can provide me a machine that meets those requirements, and then I reach out to each in turn to determine who can offer the best price. Welcome to the world of the blue arrow, where you make into the top three, but wind up competing on price every time.  So if I can get your solution at their price, then I think we’re good to go!”. Is the Challenger approach really all that new? In many ways, no.  MORE >>

So……let’s talk price.” If they can rely on social networks and third party consultants to force us into a price war, they’d be foolish not to do that. In late November, we released the first five trends of our annual “10 Trends” blog post. Thanks for sharing those as extensively as you did! And thanks to the many readers who insisted we publish these 5 more quickly. Without much fanfare, let’s dive into the remainder of the list. As usual, we look forward to your thoughts and feedback. Your customer becomes your biggest competition. Then they call you in to present. Why not? MORE >>

The Buzz Deal Desk PricingLet’s face it: deals are not becoming smaller or simpler.  In fact, growing demands for customization from buyers have increased both deal size and complexity, prompting many sales organizations to consider the creation of a deal desk that advises and supports field sales on deal economics. Over a year ago, SEC conducted a deal desk survey to gather benchmarking information on what they do, where they are located, who has them, and why they are increasing in popularity.  What are newly-established deal desks doing differently than older deal desks? MORE >>

It’s the world of the commoditized, price-driven sale; the one in which we’re one of three suppliers to submit the bid.  What happened to our motivated buyers and decision makers?  They used to be so easy to identify, evaluate and work with.  We were able to create opportunity scorecards based on known and defined criteria to identify the high-value opportunities and accounts.  These are the same people and companies we’ve sold to for years, but doesn’t it feel like we need to sit them down and say “you’ve changed.  I don’t even know you anymore”? Well, it’s because they HAVE changed.  MORE >>