2013

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The "Bell Curve" Dilemma in Sales Management

Anthony Cole Training

I'm not sure if the word "dilemma" or "problem" best describes what I'm trying to say. It's like trying to compare the words commitment and resolution. I'm reading the book, "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" , and on page 54, Lincoln is quoted as saying: "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.".

Sales 213
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Don’t Hire People Who Aren’t Great At Something Else!

A Sales Guy

'I am well aware this post is going to rile some feathers. Yup, I know it’s controversial. I know some of you aren’t going to like it. It’s one of those posts that just touches too close to home for many. I get it. With that said, I will also qualify this post with the statement that I have no empircal data to support my believe. Although I believe very strongly in my theory or hypothesis, I have little evidence to back it up so therefore if you don’t like what I say then

Hiring 151
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5 Marketing Automation Do's and Don'ts

eTourism

If you've ever daydreamt about sitting back and letting someone else do all your marketing for you, implementing a marketing automation system could be the answer. Well, almost.

Market 52
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Lunch and Learn - 12 Sales Lessons from Rich Ambrose

Anthony Cole Training

Learning about sales and selling is one of the things I enjoy most about what I do. When I started my personal quest to improve my understanding of sales, my ability to execute a sales process effectively and to ultimately improve my sales results, there was much for me to learn. My first introduction into sales was with Nautilus Equipment Inc. in Dallas, Texas.

Sales 211
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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Predicting Sales Success: As SIMPLE as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7

Anthony Cole Training

Predicting sales success is something that many companies attempt to do, but they still struggle with forecasting accuracy. Over the last 10+ years, tools like SalesForce.com, ACT, SalesLogic and Base have been developed that provide capabilities for sales management and finance to gather data, gain insight, manage sales opportunities and predicit future sales success.

Sales 211
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The Truth About Sales People #2 - They Need To Change Their Focus

Anthony Cole Training

'Your sales people are probably focusing on the wrong thing(s) when meeting with new prospects. But.it isn''t their fault. From the time they join your organization, you teach them, or reinforce with them, that in order to persuade a prospect to buy, they must be able to effectively communicate a unique selling proposal, a competitive edge, or a dazzling 30-second commercial.

Sales 205

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The Truth About Sales People #4 - They Don't Prospect Very Well

Anthony Cole Training

'Sales people have to prospect! At least that was the case in 1983 when I was selling Nautilus exercise equipment, and it still is today even as president of Anthony Cole Training Group. I know this is not a great revelation, and you are probably wondering why I would even add this to the list of truths about sales people. Honestly, I have to say I''m confused by this.

Sales 204
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Top 7 Sales Lessons from BISA's 2013 Annual Convention

Anthony Cole Training

BISA is the Bank Insurance and Securities Association. During their annual conference, many topics, methods, strategies, and product evaluations are presented and discussed. There are several GREAT speakers in the general sessions, but it is not a conference where you will find constant discussions about the art and science of selling or sales management.

Sales 198
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Pay Attention To What Drives Sales

Anthony Cole Training

'Sales don''t just "happen". At least, not in my business nor in the companies that I have the opportunity to work with. Over the last 20 years of partnering with sales organizations from coast to coast, from large metropolitan areas to small cities, sales have to be generated not merely collected. Sales have drivers, leading indicators and activities that, when executed at the right amount and the right way, will generate sales results.

Sales 195
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Today is Global Belly Laugh Day

Anthony Cole Training

By Mark Trinkle, Sales Development Expert, Anthony Cole Training Group. “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints….only the good die young”. Our sales brew today is all about celebrating Global Belly Laugh Day. Yep, you can Google it if you want. January 24 th is Global Belly Laugh Day. So, what does laughter have to do with selling?

Sales 194
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Diving into Diversity: Decoding the Foundations of Inclusion in Hospitality Talent Acquisition

Speaker: Lauren Fernandez - CEO & Founder, Full Course

Companies all over the world, including Marriot International and Hilton Worldwide, are aware of the value of including DEI in their talent acquisition strategy. However, despite these initiatives, there is still plenty that the hospitality sector can do to promote DEI. When comparing the hospitality industries in India, Iraq, the UK, and the US, you will see that there is a consistent underrepresentation of persons from different ethnic, gender, and disability origins across all levels of the i

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Hiring Better Sales People (pt.1)

Anthony Cole Training

'How do you go about finding sales talent? What challenges have you had trying to hire better sales people? When you replace someone, because they leave or you let them go, is the replacement better, the same or worse than the recently departed? At Anthony Cole Training Group, we spend a lot of time helping presidents of organizations answer the burning platform question: How do I drive consistent sales growth?

Hiring 193
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The Truth About Your Sales People #2 - They Can Get Better

Anthony Cole Training

'Regardless of where your sales people are on the bell curve, they can get better. My good friend at Alliant Insurance Services, Ron Stewart, shared this piece of wisdom with me in our very first meeting: "Just because they aren''t sick doesn''t mean they can''t get better.". Over the last 20 years at Anthony Cole Training Group, I''ve been privileged to work with thousands of sales people.

Sales 193
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Yoga for Jocks - Part 1

Anthony Cole Training

By Bob Wehrmeyer © 2013 Wehr Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I started doing yoga about 10 years ago and now I am a believer. I also like to lift weights, run and play basketball. Actually, I no longer really play basketball. I am more of a basketball watcher. But since I used to play basketball, I get to claim watching as a form of exercise. Generally, regular exercise is important to me, and I have been fortunate enough to make it a regular part of my life.

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Busting Sales Myth #4 - It's the Nature of the Business

Anthony Cole Training

'Over the years, I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of very successful companies in many industries across the US. Over the years, I have found some very common responses to our sales and sales management training programs. Some of the responses I would consider legitimate and reasonable; others I put in the category of myths. Our standard operating procedure of beginning our work with a client is to evaluate their sales organization.

Sales 190
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A Buyer’s Guide to Future-Proofing Your Restaurant Tech Stack

The race to 100% digital is on. With the restaurant industry still in the early innings of its digital transformation, brands need an airtight strategy when it comes to building out their tech stack. Download the buyer’s guide to learn where to prioritize your efforts and get the most out of every investment.

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Building Successful Sales Plans For the Coming Year

Anthony Cole Training

'Many of my clients and prospects tell me that the 4th quarter is when they take time to discuss sales plans (goals) and business plans with their sales people. The purpose obviously is to get everyone on the same page with expectations of performance for the coming year. In my experience in working with approaches to this project, I find the following: The process is either too complicated or too simple.

Sales 189
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4 Killer Sales Manager Questions - Pt. 1

Anthony Cole Training

'I just returned from a conference that I attend annually. The conference is sponsored by Objective Management Group, a company that produces the #1 Sales Assessment tool IN THE WORLD. I am proud to say that, as part of our overall approach to providing critical sales and sales management solutions, we have represented this resource for 18 of the 20 years that we have been in business.

Sales 189
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Don't Be "Fooled" By Sales Force Automation Sales Projections

Anthony Cole Training

Every firm we work with here at Anthony Cole Training Group uses some sort of sales pipeline application. These applications, which range from simple excel spread sheets (SalesForce.com) to internally designed database systems, are used with the hope of assessing sales productivity and/or predicting future sales. Recently, while working with an international insurance firm, I was told that their tool had initially been very usefull and effective.

Sales 189
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Sales Coaching - Are You Stuck in a Groove & Rewarding Participation?

Anthony Cole Training

Some of you are old enough to remember LPs (long playing microgroove records) and record players. Back in the day, that is how we listened to music. The sound was, and still is, incredible. And like almost any medium used to record and replay audio, there were pluses and minuses. One of the negatives of the LP was the scratch. A scratch on the vinyl would cause the needle to skip back or skip ahead.

Sales 189
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Beyond The Meeting Room: Luxury Magazine Resource

Escape into a world of luxury and dive into the future of tech, fun takes on the American pastime, and many inspirational individuals. With engaging reports on fashion, food, travel, finance, sports, and more, download now and enjoy the read!

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Busting Sales Myth #3 - When Enough is Enough

Anthony Cole Training

'Several years ago, while conducting a sales training and sales management workshop to rebuild an insurance agency, I was talking with one of the highly successful agents who asked: "Tony, When is enough enough?" I responded with, "Ask me another question because that''s the wrong one.". Too often highly successful sales peope reach a point in their carrer where they become complacent.

Sales 185
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4 Killer Sales Management Questions

Anthony Cole Training

'I just returned from a conference that I attend annually. The conference is sponsored by Objective Management Group , a company that produces the #1 Sales Assessment tool IN THE WORLD. I am proud to say that, as part of our overall approach to providing critical sales and sales management solutions, we have represented this resource for 18 of the 20 years that we have been in business.

Sales 184
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Competencies That Influence Sales Success

Anthony Cole Training

Sales Success is influenced by many factors. The economy being a major one in that it has a significant impact on 'consumer and business confidence'. Other contributing factors might be the direction of a company or its product offering or it's pricing strategy. All of these do have influence but I believe that the influence has to do with 1) How easy is it to engage a prospect or 2) How hard is it to engage the prospect.

Sales 183
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Coaching Sales People & Raising The Bar

Anthony Cole Training

At Anthony Cole Training Group, we perform a sales team evaluation before we begin working with a group. The findings provide everyone - the sales executives, the individual sales people and us - with actionable insights as to “why” the sales team functions the way it does. Additionally, the Impact Analysis (findings) gives us a guide as to what can and should be done to improve sales outcomes with the right sales leadership, management systems and process.

Sales 182
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ABM Evolution: How Top Marketers Are Using Account-Based Strategies

In times of economic uncertainty, account-based strategies are essential. According to several business analysts and practitioners, ABM is a necessity for creating more predictable revenue. Research shows that nearly three-quarters of marketers (74%) already have the resources needed to build successful ABM programs.

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Performance Management - Building Successful Sales Teams

Anthony Cole Training

Performance management is generally considered to be the 2nd step in building successful sales teams. Some would argue it's the 3rd. I'm not here to argue, however, based on my experiences and what I've learned, I believe there IS another important step that must come before performance management. Let me take a moment to define performance management: www.successfactors.com : Performance management - includes processes that effectively communicate company aligned goals, evaluate employee perfor

Sales 181
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Selling With Enthusiasm

Anthony Cole Training

I was in church on the 24th of December for Christmas Eve mass. Seated in front of me was a mother and daughter. The daughter looked to be about 6 or 7. She had jet black curly hair, dark complexion, brown eyes and a wonderful child's smile. To begin the mass, we all stood as the cantor instructed us where to go in our hymnal to find our opening song.

Sales 181
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Hire Better Sales People, Part 2

Anthony Cole Training

'In my previous post, I discussed the cause and effect of hiring better sales people and generating sales growth. I took a dive into the first step of correcting that recruiting problem by creating a profile that attracts more of the right people. This next part will deal with finding those people. In today''s world, communicating nearly everything is done online.

Hiring 175
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The Magic in the OMG Sales Candidate Assessment

Anthony Cole Training

'I would like to invite you to join me for the following complimentary Webinar that is taking place September 18th. The Magic in the. OMG Sales Candidate Assessment. Have you ever hired a sales person that.didn''t work out even though you were sure they would? Or do you know you need stronger sales people to combat how difficult selling has become in 2013 but you know you need a better tool?

Sales 175
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ABM Success Recipe: Mastering the Crawl, Walk, Run Approach

Shifting to an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy can be both exciting and challenging. Well-implemented ABM motions build engagement with high-value accounts and drive impactful campaigns that resonate with your audience. But where do you begin, and how do you progress from crawling to running? Watch now as Demand Gen experts delve into the essentials of each stage of the ABM process.

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The Truth About Sales People #3 - They Are All Terminal

Anthony Cole Training

'In the book, "Tuesday''s with Morrie", the author, Mitch Albom, makes a comment about Morrie''s terminal condition. Morrie responds with, "Mitch, we are all terminal; it''s just a matter of when.". And so it is with your sales people. This is even true for you - the owner, executive, founder, partner of the firm you lead. Everyone associated with your team today will one day NOT be there.

Sales 174
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The 11 Things Great Sales People DON’T DO!

A Sales Guy

'There always seems to be lots of ideas and discussion around what great sales people do. I think it’s just human nature to evaluate success and emulate it. We take inventory of what the successful are doing and we copy it. I’m just as guilty, as I’ve written a number of posts highlighting the things the best sales people do. Don’t get me wrong, knowing what the best of the best do is noteworthy.

Sales 147
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8 Must Read Books to Become a Bad Ass Sales Person

A Sales Guy

'Success is not static. Growing, getting better and honing your craft is critical. There are 1000′s of books out there ready and willing to help sales people get to the next level. However, all sales books are not created equal AND becoming a bad ass sales person requires more than just studying sales. It’s not enough to focus on selling.

Sales 137
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Sunday Morning Blog — Smart Selling Tools

A Sales Guy

'When I was a kid, I used to build forts. I loved it. We’d snag all the scrap building supplies from the houses going up in the neighborhood and build the elaborate forts. They were multi-story, multiroom shanties. These things were a kids paradise. You could never stand up in them, but they would have carpet from ceiling to floor. You’d be able to go from room to room through trap doors and secret cut outs.

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How Intent Data Helps Marketers Convert A-List Accounts

One of the biggest challenges for any B2B marketer is understanding your prospects’ next move — who is most likely to buy and when. Without these insights, marketing campaigns can feel more like guesswork, with high investment and little return. We’re here to tell you there’s a better way. By tracking buyers’ digital footprints and online activity, such as website visits, product reviews, and spikes in content consumption, you can engage prospects with a message that really resonates.