Blogs from Art Waskey

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How to Improve Strategic Projections

Like so many areas of business, the art of strategic planning has been greatly altered by the introduction of new technology. Software applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have greatly improved our ability to project and make a strategic plan. Three questions...

How To Sharpen Your Forecasting Skills

Traditional forecasting When I retired from a very successful distribution company in 2018, we were creating our strategic plan using the most current and sophisticated methods available. Sales forecasting is achieved by analyzing previous sales cycles and following...

Intuition vs. Data: Which One Hires Better?

Using intuition As a consultant, I am often asked to interview potential new executive employees for my clients. In my sales management career, I hired many outside sales representatives. When interviewing, I relied heavily on intuition and my success rate was above...

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Featured

Focus on Profit Segmentation

One of the most challenging responsibilities of a sales manager is bridging the gap on account profitability between sales reps and the executive team. For example, a salesperson may have a key...

Pricing— A Core Competency

As customers, we look for vendors who provide stable and fair pricing.  As sales reps, we know that pricing products consistently creates better customer retention. Certainly, today’s economic...

Ask Why They Are Leaving

A sales manager responded to a recent article I wrote which examined the importance of finding out why a customer was unresponsive. He noted that vital lessons can also be found in discovering why a...
What’s Your Sales Strategy?

What’s Your Sales Strategy?

Selling Involves Strategy Like a good game of chess, selling involves strategy and paying careful attention to all the moving pieces.  I worked...

Solving a Sales Dilemma

Solving a Sales Dilemma

A client came to me for advice on a sales dilemma. One of his customers was expanding his business and needed to purchase a couple of hundred...

Job Guidance

Job Guidance

Daunted By New Responsibilities Are you in a new leadership position and feeling the need for some job guidance? As a master coach, I recently...

Gearing up to Hire

Gearing up to Hire

There is bright news on the horizon and companies find themselves gearing up to hire additional staff. As the vaccines for COVID-19 are approved and...

Recap, Review, Realign

Recap, Review, Realign

To effectively plan for the New Year of business, it is important to recap your transactions in 2020, review their effectiveness, and realign your...

How to gain customer commitment

How to gain customer commitment

A rep came to me with the news that he was finally making headway with a prospect, but had trouble with them making the commitment. His new contact...

Building a Business Relationship

Building a Business Relationship

Stalled conversations One of my reps was finding it difficult to engage his prospects and build the relationship.  Seeking my counsel he explained,...

4 Elements to Overcoming Inexperience

4 Elements to Overcoming Inexperience

The seasoned salesperson knows where he/she is going and how to get there. It’s typical, however, to those new to the profession to feel insecure....

Building Self-confidence

Building Self-confidence

Self-esteem can be a bit of a misnomer as it often does not come entirely from within. The process of building self-confidence requires the support...

The Efficient Home Office

The Efficient Home Office

Many of the sales managers and reps I advise have commented that working from home during this pandemic has made them more efficient. This has come...

Shifting Sales and Service Channels

Shifting Sales and Service Channels

Stay Flexible with your Service Channels I recently went to the hardware store to purchase some plumbing supplies for a home project. I was delayed...

Treat Them All the Same

Treat Them All the Same

Now that I am no longer a Vice President at a well-established welding and gas distributor, I find it interesting to note how some people treat me...

Selling to a Unique Interest

Selling to a Unique Interest

Selling is about developing trust that evolves into long-term personal relationships.  I find it most difficult to get past the initial...

It All Starts Inside You

It All Starts Inside You

Stay Positive and Busy I recently received a call from a successful and highly skilled sales executive. I had watched him grow his base of quality...

4 Tips for Speaking Like a Pro

4 Tips for Speaking Like a Pro

I received an email from an engineer inquiring about my seminar, “Speaking with Confidence.” He told me he had to give a five-minute presentation to...

Relationships Matter

Relationships Matter

I was concerned that my salesperson wasn’t fully committed to building relationships of trust with his customers before trying to sell them our...

Securing Lasting, Up-Front Commitments

Securing Lasting, Up-Front Commitments

Presenting your solution to a customer’s problem before securing their commitment can have negative consequences. Be sure you don’t become the...

The Firm Up-Front Agreement

The Firm Up-Front Agreement

Are you often excited to make a sales call because you know you have a product or service that your prospective customer desperately needs? ...