Why is failure so often a surprise? Why are we often shocked and/or unable to explain what happened to our plan? Why are we so overconfident? In love, it happens more than half the time: Most relationships where we thought we had “the one” don’t end in marriage, and half of marriages end in divorce. […]
Author Archives: Dan Smaida
Love and Selling, Relationships Sales, Sales Relationships
Showing Clients the Love on Valentine’s Day
09
Feb
Feb
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which for a lot of people means an opportunity to refocus on loved ones and show the love in a special way. Doesn’t V-Day hold the same opportunity for sellers? Why not take a moment this week and show your customers and prospects the love? Taking the advice of the World’s […]
14
Dec
Dec
I disagree with Pat Benetar. I’m going to just presume that you know who Pat Benetar is, but if you don’t, here’s her Wikipedia page. Full Disclosure: Here are several true facts (not alternative facts!) about the relationship between Pat Benetar and me: There is no actual relationship between Pat Benetar and me. We have […]
05
Nov
Nov
True story: I once knew a girl who was in love with a boy. She was in love with him because he was perfect in almost every way: Smart, funny, responsible, sensitive, considerate, good fashion sense. She loved him because he was perfect for her in almost every way: Same values, same hopes and dreams, […]
Customers, Relationships Sales, Sales Relationships, Selling Tips
Customer-Centric Selling is Not Enough!
08
May
May
It’s been real popular over the years for sellers to define themselves as “customer-centric.” A search for the term on Amazon yields more than 3,000 book results! There’s everything from customer-centric selling to marketing to service culture…and I think it’s wrong. What’s wrong with all the focus on customer-centricity? Being focused on customers is a […]
04
Apr
Apr
True story: I just took my kids to Florida for spring break. We were gone for a whole week, which included five weekdays. And Monday through Friday, I worked. And I’m not sorry. Now, it’s not like I neglected my children and spent the vacation with a phone glued to my face (or thumbs). On […]
19
Feb
Feb
Just the other day, I threw on some of my warmest gear and went running in the cold. And I mean COLD – the air temperature was -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 Celsius for my international friends). While I was stumbling through a five-mile (8K) festival of frigid, I had some time to think. Many of […]
29
Jan
Jan
Remember that one prospect? The one who seemed so promising at first? You hit it off immediately. They were looking for someone like you. Your timing was right. You had a great first meeting, then perhaps another, and then…. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. ** crickets chirping ** Now, if this was a real-life, love relationship, what […]
02
Nov
Nov
One of my favorite parts of this job is the chance to be a part of a great many sales meetings – from big, giant conferences to everyday district or team meetings. This past year, for example, I experienced sales meetings on four continents and seven countries, some of them outstanding. While every meeting is […]
12
Sep
Sep
When I started hiring and training salespeople twenty years ago, the profile was salespeople with “drive,” “closers.” “Go-getters” who are “aggressive.” Then the psychologists got involved and replaced those dinosaur words with more evolved, academic terms like extroversion, ego drive, and perseverance. I have just worked with a client whose hiring profile included these very […]