Are you interested in strengthening your social network yet aren't sure what you have to offer, are limited in time or don't even know where to start? Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone" and "Who's Got Your Back," talks about "Universal Currency." These are the things everyone has to offer no matter who you are or what your role is at an organization. To me, this is a powerful concept and very simple to implement. One example of univ […]

You may have put lots of effort into preparing for a call with a customer but what can you do to ensure the execution goes well? I'd suggest by focusing on being present, your ability to execute a call is greatly improved. In "The Power of Now," Eckhart Tolle talks about focusing on how being present can serve both you and the people around you. His ideas are best presented in his own words: "Be present as the watcher of your mind – of your thoughts and e […]

I am an engineer, at least that's the program I graduated from at university. I never thought I wanted to be in sales. Sales to me involved people playing golf, building chummy relationships and some fast talking. I liked creating technology solutions to business problems. However, after being exposed to the "Helping Clients Succeed" sales methodology I realized sales is exactly what I wanted to do. Not only that, I wanted to help other people get better at sales. Along […]

I had the privilege recently of speaking with Carol Poulsen, EVP and CIO at Co-operators Insurance, to find out what works with salespeople and what drives her crazy. The Co-operators Group Ltd., founded in 1945, is a Canadian insurance cooperative owned by 45 members including co-ops and credit union centrals. It is one of the largest wholly Canadian-owned multiline insurers, offering auto, home, life, farm, travel, and business insurance as well as investments. They have revenues of […]

I am pretty excited to be at the Art of Sales event here in Toronto for a number of reasons.The speaker line-up is fantastic and it's always exciting to meet old friends and make new ones. (You can also read more about the event here.) I have read Seth Godin's blog daily for the past few years and have read at least five of his books. His words inspire me. Barbara Corcoran will be sharing what it is like to be a shark (she is on ABC's Shark Tank). Keith Ferrazzi's b […]

It seems to me that a salesperson is a lot like an investment advisor. In the traditional sense, an investment advisor provides advice about how to invest your money (usually in stocks, bonds and GICs) to maximize the return according to your risk tolerance.As salespeople, aren't we doing the same thing? Aren't we helping our customers decide how to best invest their resources (time and money) such that they maximize their return according to their risk tolerance?Next time yo […]

At Ninety Five 5 we believe delaying gratification ultimately leads to a better solution (and ultimately a more successful sale) for a customer. Instead of immediately jumping to the first solution, taking the time to fully understand a customer's needs produces a better result.The ability to delay gratification, popularized by the Marshmellow experiment, has been linked to people's ability to achieve long-term success. If you buy into the concept of "good things come to […]

The leaves are changing colors here in Canada and many are already falling to make room for new growth next spring. It brings to mind the reality that from time to time we must also shed something in order for us to grow. Too often, however, many of us try to grow by adding things -- and there is just so much we can carry.So today think of what you can remove to make room for growth. Anything come to mind?

One of the books that had a big impact on me in my software development career was Jim McCarthy's "Dynamics of Software Development." In it he lists a number of rules for delivering great software, many of which focus on the importance of the human elements of software development.McCarthy's Rule No. 4 is "Don't Flip The Bozo Bit." A "bit" in computer terms is either TRUE or FALSE -- and that's it. There are no shades of gray. McCarthy& […]

One of the key skills we advocate at Ninety Five 5 is Moving Off the Solution. Acquiring this skill enables us to open a conversation with a customer to truly understand their needs.When a customer asks for information about a solution, this technique allows us to slow down, and switch the conversation to inquiry mode in a courteous fashion such that we have a true understanding of the customer’s needs.Move Off the Solution can have a tremendous positive impact on our custome […]