Jill Konrath | Selling to Big Companies

A Sales History Lesson

Here's a great story about sales legend Alfred Fuller. It's from a "Living & Learning" column written by Larry A. Crider who writes a weekly "think piece" for local newspapers and public radio stations.
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One of the most interesting stories in the history of American business is the story of Alfred Carl Fuller.  Fuller, who grew up on a farm, headed for Boston in 1903 to make his way in the world.  With only $75 in his pocket, the unemployed 18-year-old moved in with his sister and her husband hoping to start a new life for himself that wouldn’t include farming.

Why I Hate Closing Techniques

"My salespeople need to get better at closing," the Vice President of Sales said to me shortly after I arrived in his office.

If I've heard that line once, I've heard it a hundred times. Despite being on an important sales call, I couldn't help but cringe. You see, I will never, ever train people on closing techniques if they sell to the corporate marketplace.

Why not? When you analyze what happens when you teach sellers how to be great closers, you'll understand my perspective.