It was a desire to get out of the wet and cold of Oregon more than 20 years ago that led John Armstrong to make a move to Arizona and ultimately to open his own rep agency.

According to Armstrong, “Since he got out of the Navy in World War II, my dad was a plumber. He also was an apprenticeship instructor for many years. Following in his footsteps, I completed the plumbing apprenticeship program in 1991. It was at that time that I thought to myself ‘This is not a bad gig.’ I turned out of the apprenticeship program … Read the rest

Business concerns specific to reps that work in an international arena and problems encountered by single-person rep firms were the subjects of two MANAchats conducted earlier this year.

“Look for the low-hanging fruit and be quick to build relationships.” That was just some of the advice that developed in a MANAchat devoted to the subject of reps — the majority of whom represented U.S. manufacturers internationally — working in an international arena.

Addressing the subject of low-hanging fruit, one rep explained, “For me, the Middle East represents the best low-hanging fruit. They have the most money and have an even … Read the rest

Recently someone asked me how they can become the absolute best salesperson possible. This question caused me to go back and look at my 35-year sales journey in which I became a number-one sales rep in three industries during my sales career and number one in two more during my sales training career when I had to prove to two eventual clients my ideas would work in their industries too by outselling all their sales reps.

The plan below takes into account everything I’ve learned about what it takes to be number one in sales anywhere in any industry. It … Read the rest

All too often, salespeople are directed by the urgencies of the moment: A lead pops up, a customer calls with a problem or some paperwork to which you need to attend. They find themselves busily pursuing an agenda created by other people. They are busy, but too often with the wrong things.

The best salespeople, however, understand that sales happen as a result of methodically managing people through certain well-defined steps in a sales process. They have refined that process to the specifics of their selling situation, reflecting the uniqueness of their customers and their offerings, while at the same … Read the rest

You’re in for a treat. I periodically dissect real-life prospecting messages sent by real sales reps. Today is one of those days!

Those who know me know I keep a file of bad prospecting emails. It’s one of my nerdy hobbies. In fact, I could probably create my own Smithsonian exhibit of poorly executed sales emails.

What qualifies a message as a bad prospecting email?

1. Talking about features and benefits.
2. Sales reps focusing on what’s valuable to them rather than what’s valuable to the prospect.
3. Wasting the prospects’ time.

Today, we look at a prospecting email one of my friends … Read the rest

You’ve been given a new territory, now it’s time to find a way to get business there. Let’s go through 10 steps to be successful prospecting in a new industry.

1. Know Your Value

What’s the solution you bring to your customers? We don’t sell a product/service, we sell an outcome.

2. What’s the Problem You’re Solving?

The value you bring is different from the problem. If the value is the solution, then the problem is, why do your customers need this? What’s the problem they’re trying to solve?

3. Am I Converting or Educating?

Convert means they’re currently buying … Read the rest

Sales, an integral part of any business, can often seem like a field filled with numerous obstacles.

Every sales professional, regardless of industry or experience level, is bound to face challenges that impede their success. However, the ability to overcome these obstacles can set apart successful sales professionals from those who merely survive. My goal in this article is to focus on exploring various strategies to overcome common obstacles in sales.

Lack of Customer Interest

The most common issue sales professionals face is the lack of customer interest. Customers might not realize they need your product or service, or they … Read the rest

What defines success for a manufacturer’s product representative who is selling to architects and engineers? Success is when a product representative is accepted as a trusted consultant and his manufacturer’s products are included in the specification as the standard of design.

Architects and their consulting engineers are important members of the team that is hired by a building owner to complete a project to meet a specific set of needs. Although architects do not write purchase orders, manufacturers of construction products must call on them to be sure their products are included in the building specifications. Here are key concepts … Read the rest