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Sales Coaches
The Manager Owns the Metric
This is the fourth and final article in the Selling Intangibles series. I hope you’ve enjoyed the previous articles—and more importantly, that you’ve put some of these ideas to work with your team or in your own selling performance. Let us know.
I’m going to make a bold statement about sales managers and intangibles.
The achievement of a calculated intangible metric is more reflective of sales management than it is of the salespeople.
Sales managers need a strategy for increasing performance …
Whose Objection Is It, Really?
This is the second article in the series on Selling Intangibles.
As sales managers, we need to know what the sales associates’ objections are to selling intangibles.
In many cases, the objections the salesperson has to the intangible may be greater than the customer’s objection—or it may be that the salesperson simply agrees with the customer.
We know that salespeople need to believe in the intangible as a valuable tool to the sale. But when they don’t have success using that tool, they often…
Selling Intangibles Starts Earlier Than You Think
This is the first in a series on Selling Intangibles. The specific intangibles I’ll be referring to are appointments (defined as a scheduled meeting—in the showroom, onsite, or using technology), accident protection, and financing.
Intangibles are different. They require an introduction to the concept before the request to take action.
As sales managers, we often say, “Bring it up early and often.” That’s accurate—but what do we really mean by that? Do we demonstrate and practice that process,…
Your 2026 Sales Plan, Simplified
This is the final installment in the goal-setting series, and it brings together a simple, math-based process designed to help you manage both your sales and your income throughout the year.
Nothing here is complicated—but it does require intention.
Let’s summarize what you’ve built.
1. Create a Written Sales Goal for the Year
You’ve already done the hard thinking. Now it’s about clarity and commitment.
- Create a written sales goal for the year
- Calculate it using your commission percentag…
January Sales Skills Series: Goal Setting for Sales Professionals
If you’ve ever set a sales goal with the best intentions…and then watched it quietly fade by March, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why we kicked off the January Sales Skills Series with Goal Setting for Sales Professionals — a session designed to take goal setting out of the “hope and hustle” category and put it squarely into clear, measurable, workable math.
This session isn’t about dreaming bigger. It’s about building goals you can actually work.
Before you hit play, here’s what you’ll le…
What It Really Takes to Hit Your Sales Goal
This is the third installment in the goal setting theme. In the first two installments, we calculated the minimum written number (basement) and then added to that for the actual goal number.
These numbers might seem high at first glance—especially if they are beyond your current level of performance.
Goals are achieved by actions taken, rather than reactions to a specific number.
The activity level required to achieve your goal needs to be in alignment with the goal. For instance, the activit…
BE Proactive: Create the Sales You Want
This is the third installment in our series on Being Proactive. If you missed the previous two, I encourage you to go back and read them — they set the foundation for everything we’ll talk about today.
If you are a salesperson in a showroom (retail or trade), or if you manage one, it’s likely that you rely heavily on incoming opportunities — traffic — for new business. That’s understandable.
It’s also understandable that you may consider your greatest competitors to be other showrooms offering…
What’s the One Action That Builds Momentum?
Being Coachable: What ONE Action Can You Take Today to Start a New Habit?
For Sales Leaders Everywhere
This is the final post in our series on being coachable. Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored what lies at the very center of it all—who you are, what your goal means to you, and what you’re willing to do to achieve it. Good work!
This closing reflection is for both coaches and students. At its heart, coaching is about keeping the process simple and attainable.
Start Simple
At the begin…
Feedback or Criticism? How You Hear It Matters
Being Coachable: What Have You Been Resisting?
For Sales Leaders Everywhere
This is the fourth post in our series on what it takes to be coachable. In the last post, we looked at how ready you are to be coached and explored questions to help you identify where to look. Let’s continue that work. As you consider being coached toward a new level of achievement, ask yourself:
- Does coaching have to look or sound a certain way for me to accept it?
- Do I only want encouragement, or can I also hand…
Be Series 9-16-25 Being Coachable: Open Yourself to Feedback for Sustained Improvement
This month in the Sales BE Series, I focused on the powerful theme of being coachable—a mindset that accelerates both personal and professional growth. With sales managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs gathered, we explored how openness to feedback creates space for learning, growth, and long-term success.
What Does It Mean to Be Coachable?
I began by asking a simple but important question: Do you have a coach right now? Whether in business, wellness, or even learning a new skill, having…
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