Tag Archives: John Graham

Sales pitches are shortcuts that save time and don’t require thinking. They’re the stock-in-trade of salespeople, rolling off the tongue easily and unconsciously. They once worked well with customers, but not so much today. Here are some of them: “How can I help you?” This one gets top billing on the list, and deservedly so. It’s leftover from the last ...

The famed author Thomas Merton said we value people, not for who they are but for their usefulness. This is the same mistake companies make with customers. They value them for their usefulness — for what they spend. Customers see it differently — quite differently. As Gallup, Inc. researchers point out in commenting on the economy, “Consumers are spending money, ...

It’s easy to understand why so many otherwise capable people are distressed, anxiety-ridden and almost paralyzed if they’re called upon to make a presentation — even a friendly audience of three — let alone 300. They often reveal how they feel by starting out with “I only wish I had more time to prepare” or “I’m not really good at ...

Most of us work at finding ways to do a better job, advance in a career, and become more successful. That’s commendable, but we may differ on how to go about getting there. While most are straightforward, tackling one challenge after another, others do it differently and their actions leave marks that affect our success. Most of us can’t choose ...

Sales managers scratch their heads. “Right from the start, I was so sure Carl would be a top performer. I would have put money on it. But before I knew it, he crashed and burned.” It’s an old story, one that often ends with the same words: “I wasn’t cut out for sales.” Maybe. But probably not. Poor training, inadequate ...