How to succeed with cold calls

Dear WW: Is anyone else having trouble getting through to people today? Is there something that other people are doing that I don’t know about? VERY COLD CALLS
Dear COLD,
I had an out of town guest visit me recently. We were listening to the Seattle weather report and she started laughing because of all the different [...]

How to deal with a lost customer

DEAR WW: I’ve just started working with a new company that doesn’t seem to care when they lose a customer. I’m sure there are things to do, but I don’t know what to suggest. LOST & FOUNDDEAR FOUND:
When I read your e-mail, I thought of Shahimi Abdul Hamid. He’s a Malaysian who recently challenged the [...]

Keys to managing a sales team

DEAR WW: I’ve never had to manage salespeople before. They strike me as a different breed, so please tell me what I need to know to be successful. NO CLOSER
DEAR CLOSER:
Recently, I learned an amazing trick that many people have turned into an art form. When asked a question one doesn’t want to answer, the [...]

How to sell more

Dear WW: I’m feeling that our product isn’t selling like it should be selling. We’ve tried everything to boost sales and nothing works. Any suggestions? NO GO
Dear NO,
Your email reminded me of Tony Alleyne. He tried to sell his apartment for two million dollars. Why so pricey? Alleyne spent 10 years creating a detailed model [...]

How to negotiate contracts successfully

Dear WW: I’d like the people in my company to do a better job of negotiating contracts with our customers, but most of the materials I’ve seen on negotiating are very complex. Can you suggest a simpler guide to negotiations? NEGOTIATING OUR WAY
Dear NEGOTIATING,
Merle Crossman filed a lawsuit against his fire insurance company claiming they [...]

How to manage a group of salespeople

Dear WW: I’m new to sales management. I’ve got a huge team of sales people and I’m trying to have them focus on what’s really important. But some of them just aren’t getting it and my patience is really getting stretched. Can you give me some advice? DEATH OF A SALES MANAGER
Dear DEATH,
Your question reminded [...]

How to sell to a team of people, instead of just one individual

Dear WW: I’ve always sold to one person. Suddenly I’m working our biggest account and I’m dealing with a committee. Help! I’M SURROUNDED
Dear SURROUNDED,
Spencer Tunick might just be the best salesman ever. He’s an artist and his specialty is taking photographs of nude crowds in urban settings. Yep, you read it correctly, nude crowd scenes. [...]