Category Archives: relationship selling
Listen to your salespeople!
Salespeople are “boundary-spanners” in an organization. They may spend more time with customers then with co-workers and have divided loyalties to their customers and firm. Since they see customers — in their setting or context — they have a view … Continue reading
Online networking
(I had the opportunity to attend the 2009 NCSM and PSE conference in Norfolk this past weekend. I will have multiple postings related to the conference the next couple weeks.) Mary Shoemaker gave an overview of research on online social … Continue reading
You are always selling service
Salesperson as product benefit In my other blog (on service innovation) I posted an article about Rolls Royce’s experience in selling service rather than product today. Rolls Royce now sells “hours of thrust” instead of aircraft engines. This example is part … Continue reading
Social Networks and B2B vs. B2C Selling
In his site on networking applications, Chris Brogan made the argument that there is no difference between B2B and B2C Selling from a social network point of view. Certainly it is true that under the relationship model of selling, B2B … Continue reading
Social Media in B2B Sales
Online networking and social media are being hyped for B2B as well as B2C sales. It will happen, but not immediately. Purchasing managers at Boeing are not 19-year-olds, addicted to Facebook (Another decade and they will be in that role, though: God … Continue reading
SPIN Selling
There can be a problem when an idea or term is ubiquitous: it becomes almost generic or commonplace. EVERYONE in sales has heard about SPIN questioning and everyone who has had a sales class — at least mine — can … Continue reading
Death of the salesman
In my research I focus on user collaboration. Social networks are a fascinating phenomenon that expand the definition of collaboration. Does the spread of social networking mean the end of the sales function? I doubt it, but if you … Continue reading
Gaming the Relationship Model and Standard Sales Tactics
After a couple decades in sales, I have taught a university course in professional sales for the past five years. I have used two different texts and have screened three or four others. Each text follows a sales model that … Continue reading
