Recent Articles from Gary Harvey
Five tips to reach your goals
I focus a great deal in my training and coaching on goal-setting. Now that we’re two months into 2013, are you still focused on the goals you set on Jan. 1? Here are some tips to keep in mind: Make goals meaningful. Goal-setting for the sake of goal-setting almost always ends in disappointment. Goal-setting is […]
Success and your belief inventory
A large component of success starts with your beliefs. As Henry Ford said, “If one person thinks he can and one thinks he cannot, they are both right.” When I train and coach people, I can assure you their behaviors are rooted in their beliefs, whether positive or negative. Based on that, I run my […]
Tripped up by the what ifs?
If you’re in sales, odds are there are a number of roadblocks that get in your way to success or more success no matter how good you are. I see some very common roadblocks that the rookie salesperson to seasoned veteran and the successful to unsuccessful salesperson have that I call the “what if’s.” • […]
Listen your way to a sale
People buy for their reasons, not yours. Sometimes they even buy in spite of you. Once you accept that premise, your mindset should be to find out what is important to the prospect. The easiest way to do this is by asking questions, and by listening to their responses. By listening, I mean taking note […]
My top 10 rules for sales success in 2013
As a sales, management and leadership trainer and coach, I am often asked what separates those who succeed from those who do not. The list can be quite long. However, I see what I call a “top 10” list of commonalities that these achievers have. These are not in order of priority; you can organize […]
Do you need an accountability partner?
Do you need an accountability partner? I am often asked this question by clients. Overall, my answer is, yes: Having one can have great benefits – if you do it the right way and truly hold each other “accountable.” It shouldn’t just be a way to have coffee with a friend. Coffee with friends is […]
Defining sales discipline
Burning the midnight oil when you would rather sleep? Taking the extra step when you would rather sit? Going the extra mile when you would rather stop? Lifting up your pride when you would rather quit? We hear a great deal about discipline, but what is it, really? How do you define it? And more […]
Habits of highly successful salespeople
Numerous articles and books have been written on habits of successful people. Overall, I think any habit that produces successful results and successful behaviors is worth exploring. Let’s examine an exercise I use as a sales coach for my clients that might, at the very minimum, help you start thinking about how your own habits […]
Top 12 rules for cold-calling success
One thing I always say in my training sessions is, “Salespeople will not look for places to be rejected.” No wonder so many are averse to cold-calling. They also might see it as an exercise in futility if they do not apply some rules that help make cold-calling more successful. Maybe these can help. 1. […]
Prospecting rules to live by
Any salesperson knows to be successful in sales, prospecting is a must. Under the heading of prospecting, there are obviously many avenues to use, including cold calls, referrals, networking, and trade shows. No matter which option you use the most, below are some of my rules to live by when prospecting that might help you. […]
Stop dancing for sales!
I do believe that many prospects play games with salespeople, and frankly, many salespeople play games with prospects. We call it the “Buyer-Seller Dance.” One example? Prospects say “think-it-over” when they actually know it’s a no. They don’t want to say it and hurt the salesperson’s feelings. Haven’t we all said “think-it-over” to a sa[...]
Stress-free prospecting
I often hear from salespeople, “I always do well once I get in front of someone who will hear my story, but how do I get in front of more prospects?” Prospecting, the art of finding customers, is the area where most salespeople are the weakest. Most likely, this occurs because prospecting takes place at […]