Michael Harris

With the rise of the empowered buyer, it is no wonder that the Microsoft, and SAP have embraced insight selling. But these companies have also learned that there is a gap between theory and the practical application, because insight selling is more than just using data, facts and brilliance to shock and awe buyers about the error of their ways.

When the world’s largest business software company recruits a Chief Storyteller, it's news because it is a first for the industry. And when the decision was made by SAP’s CEO, Bill McDermott, it becomes a great story. What insights can we gain from McDermott's decision?

Here’s a sales story about Paul, a VP of Sales at Software Inc., who has unfortunately inherited a sale cycle that drags on forever. That’s when deals happen. But most of the time, his team loses to their biggest competitor, the customer sticking with the status quo.

The results are in, and it’s time to fire 15 percent of your sales team. But do the numbers tell the whole story? Many factors can contribute to the success or failure of your salespeople. Empower your sales team with these tips and the top CRM software solutions.

Only 10 percent of salespeople are able to trade in pitches for business conversations. Here are 7 ways to turn a bland pitch into a Buying Simulator. So how does that help the other 90 percent? And how does it affect your company's sales performance?

A managing director joked: “Michael, you’re in sales, you’re too stupid to understand.” Really, our sales team was ill informed and lacked the right tools.

Salespeople are selling blind, because they are not being coached on customer knowledge. Without an accurate customer map, they can’t link their capabilities to their customer’s pain points. This results in lost sales, because customers are left to try to figure out why it makes sense for them to buy, or even worse, why they should care.