Blogs from Art Waskey

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Maximizing Talents Maximizes Success

As managers, we are successful when those who are in charge make the most of their talents. Identifying each individual's talents and aligning them with their positions, however, is a tall order, as each person is unique. Here are some tips on how to maximize talent...

The Talent Match

A poor fit As managers, we are responsible for helping those we oversee succeed in jobs that match their talents. Sometimes we find we are dealing with a good person who is a poor fit for the position he is in. I encountered this early in my career as a sales manager....

Spend Time with the Right People

As a Sales Manager, I learned the importance of spending time with the right people. While it is logical to focus attention on reps who may be underperforming, to help them improve results, it is equally important to acknowledge the work of your best reps. The...

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Signature Strength: When Challenge and Skill Merge

Core Strength A highly successful independent technical specialist recently contacted me for help. His dilemma — he was bored and this left him anxious. My first question to him was: “If you were to...

What Should I Do With My Business Now?

Get Organized Twenty years ago, as the VP of Sales for industrial gas and welding supply company, I started writing a monthly column, “The Art of Sales,” for CryoGas International (now Gasworld)....

Managing Change and Building Trust

Be a differentiator The distribution business is built on managing change, building trust, strong relationships, and the ability to find solutions tailored to customers’ needs. The digital...
The three most common uses of AI

The three most common uses of AI

One of AI's greatest advantages is its ability to significantly reduce the time required for routine processes. By automating tasks such as order...

Togetherness Breeds Success

Togetherness Breeds Success

Togetherness breeds success. In their book, Who Not How, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy discuss how to use teamwork to your advantage. They...

“Whos” Help Leaders Lead

“Whos” Help Leaders Lead

Leadership involves the ability to communicate a vision that is both compelling and clear. In their book, Who Not How, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin...

“Whos” Can Help?

“Whos” Can Help?

Getting unstuck I work with distributors that know they need to move forward on their digital journey but can’t seem to get to the next step. Others...

Consumers Want to Buy

Consumers Want to Buy

Just sit there Today’s consumer wants to buy. They do not want to be sold. If you want to succeed in 2024’s marketplace, your sales team needs to...

Build a Customer Success Team

Build a Customer Success Team

The customer experience The digital transformation has radically changed the Customer Experience. To stay competitive the independent distributor...

Getting the contract signed

Getting the contract signed

Once you have identified your customer’s needs and those making the purchasing decision, move into investment discussions and present your...

Validate the Decision Makers

Validate the Decision Makers

A critical phase of a successful sales cycle is validating the decision maker(s). Digitalization has made communication — the centerpiece of any...

Identifying Customer Needs

Identifying Customer Needs

Once you have built trust and understand your customers’ backgrounds and motivations, you can identify their needs and begin to formulate solutions....

Understand your customer

Understand your customer

Building trust in customer relationships is critical to a successful sales cycle. To establish trust you need to understand your client’s needs and...

Trust in Customer Relationships

Trust in Customer Relationships

Selling involves the transfer of trust, and a successful sales cycle revolves around establishing trust in customer relationships. The manner in...

Building a Permanent Filing System

Building a Permanent Filing System

Having a consistent digital filing system that supports your business's objectives is critical to success in the digital era. Here are 3 key actions...

How to Better Manage Your Email

How to Better Manage Your Email

A full mailbox is a time sink. Many people assert that checking emails is the biggest time-waster among all management tools. This makes it...

An Effective Calendar System

An Effective Calendar System

The digital calendar Today’s digital calendars offer highly effective calendar systems that greatly improve our ability to manage time. When...

Integrity, Intensity, Intelligence

Integrity, Intensity, Intelligence

Generating insights As I age, I find myself taking more time with a friend or colleague over a cup of coffee. Gone are the “all business” meetings...

Managing Your Contact List

Managing Your Contact List

Your Contact List is your lifeline. Managing it well is essential to your success. Let’s look at the skills required for an effective automated...

Use Available Digital Capabilities

Use Available Digital Capabilities

Many purchasing decision makers are now digital natives and that number continues to grow. This makes the excellence of your digital capabilities...

Customer personalization

Customer personalization

Independent distributors succeed based on the added value they bring to the customer relationship. In 2024, strengthening customer personalization...

Adopting AI in Marketing

Adopting AI in Marketing

The traditional marketing landscape is changing rapidly as Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are introduced. AI is disrupting the usual sales...

Adaptability

Adaptability

Looking Back As I start the New Year, I like to make observations about the previous year. Looking back, 2023 was a year replete with some big...

AI and Cost Containments

AI and Cost Containments

One of the greatest advantages of deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications is the effective cost containments they yield. AI can help...

Consider Implementing AI

Consider Implementing AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications offer exciting possibilities for transforming how business is done. Its applications are complex and very...

AI and Marketing Productivity

AI and Marketing Productivity

Coming to your market Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are rapidly infiltrating market spaces. McKinsey has declared that “AI is poised to...