The Rainmaker Blog – Building People, Leaders, Teams & Economic Moats (14)

Which Is More Important in Sales - Talent or Tenacity?

Mar 24, 2016

Bob was my third and worst hire ever. In 2000 I was responsible for building the sales team for an online learning start-up. Bob was my third hire. He was a referral from a ...

Sales Culture

Hail Mary Cold Calling Is Dead

Mar 1, 2016

"May I speak with the business owner?" The number on my cell phone screen suggested the call was local. When I answered I was met by a long period of silence. Just as I was about ...

Sales Selection

The HBR Advice You Need Your Competitors to Follow

Feb 5, 2016

Astonishingly mediocre advice. In their February 1, 2016 article on HBR - Hiring Star Salespeople Isn't the Best Way to Grow, Frank V. Cespedes and Jacco van der Kooj ...

Sales Management

No More Half Measures

Jan 27, 2016

I binge-watched the hell out of Breaking Bad. I stayed up way too late when I shouldn't have. Now I am sometimes find myself muttering, "Yo, yo, yo." It's my colleague Joe's ...

Sales Selection

The Ugly Truth: The Real Costs of a Bad Sales Hire

Jan 19, 2016

Hiring costs are just the tip of the iceberg. Ask most people about what a bad sales hire costs and they immediately fixate on the hiring costs including recruitment, training, ...

Sales Management

Your Company Has a Prospecting Problem

Jan 14, 2016

How many of your salespeople are really order-takers? Recently a Client requested sales personality assessment codes to assess sales candidates. In our conversation they shared ...

Sales Selection

The ROI of Hiring Only the Best Salespeople

Jan 7, 2016

If you replicated your best salespeople, how much would you increase sales? Chances are the sales increase would be significant. What are you waiting for? Have you heard of the ...

Sales Performance

It's Too Late To Dramatically Improve Sales In 2016

Dec 29, 2015

Now is the time to shape 2017. Unless you have already made significant ongoing improvements to your sales talent, systems, and culture, there is little you can do to measurably ...

Sales Culture

The Best Christmas Present You Can Give Your Sales Team

Dec 21, 2015

Is radical candor. Right now you may be thinking, "Chris... How do "candor" and "Christmas present" fit together?" Aside from the obvious spiritual meaning, I like to believe the ...

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