I spent much of my childhood trying to persuade my father to give up smoking. Things reached a climax when I miscalculated a small explosive charge I’d inserted into one of his Gauloises and pitted his face with tobacco strands. Fortunately he was too startled to be angry. But I was amazed when my former …
What is the Minimum Viable Message (MVM?) that you would like other people to be sharing about your business (by twitter, in a bar, over breakfast – wherever and whenever)? If you feature in an unforgettable and brief message, your reputation will build well beyond your sales funnels, and your prospects will be surrounded by …
What would you like others to be tweeting about your business? Read More »
B2B Sales involve the sharing of complex information, and alignment with procurement processes. It’s no surprise that the chances of lining up your pitch with their buying timetable – and getting the essential information exchanged between you – with a single pitch are remote. In fact, the most successful B2B sellers don’t attempt to pitch …
Clusters of companies provide ideal conditions for spotting successful and unsuccessful behaviours. One of the most notable distinctions between those that achieve rapid growth and those that do not is the share of sales that come by referral. What share of your sales are referral sales? At Level39 I worked with over 200 companies to …
No matter how skilful and hard working you are, your environment – and in particular your relationships and reputation – will shape your results. Often we focus on evaluating our skills and energy, neglecting our networks and the effects that they have on our outcomes. Your Personal Network Identity (PNI) helps you to identify how …
The shape of your network is a key driver of your career. Do most of the people you know already know each other? Then you’re a “closer”. On the other hand, if you know plenty of people who don’t know each other then you’re a “broker”. Traditionally, salespeople have been brokers, questing out to meet …
Sales success isn’t only about you – it’s about the way people relate around you – to you and to each other. In other words your success depends on the relationships you build and the way you manage them – your network personal identity. It’s like your personality, but magnified by the people around you. …
Over the past decade I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with hundreds of entrepreneurs and sales people. Some successful and some less so. The common characteristic of those who are successful is their behaviour and position within their networks. They enjoy more referrals, stronger reputations and shorter sales cycles. The are also quicker to …
