July 22, 2018
There’s no doubt the APQ Sales Aptitude Assessment stacks the odds in your favor when selecting qualified sales candidates. It checks the candidate’s scores against the ideal ranges for a wide range of job roles, thus determining suitability for positions such as outside sales hunter, farmer, CSR, or sales manager. This reduces bias in the hiring process and is the recommended scientific approach to sales recruitment.... read more
July 21, 2018
Sales training seminars can enhance the lives and performance of salespeople (and the businesses they work for) because of the gains in confidence and competence – not to mention the nice increase in pay from closing more deals.... read more
July 20, 2018
Although I find it easier to close deals in person, certain professionals have mastered the art of closing deals on the phone. Think stockbrokers and telemarketers. However, I would not look to these professions for general guidance in how to close a deal in the B2B world due to the high-pressure and perhaps questionable tactics they have a reputation for using.... read more
July 11, 2018
I love to teach sales closing techniques. Closing is what brings home the bacon and makes the world go round, from national politics to relationships. Without closing skills, salespeople are not salespeople. They are order takers – and only if the buyers decide they want to buy in the first place.... read more
July 9, 2018
Based on feedback received by attendees at our sales training seminars, the jury is still out at many companies whether their investments in social media have paid off.... read more
June 30, 2018
The idea of developing emotional intelligence for sales success is gaining traction. Case in point: an article in the March 2018 print edition of Rough Notes Magazine (a leading trade for insurance agents) is titled “The ‘Other’ Intelligence: Why emotional intelligence is topping leaders’ lists of must-have skills.” In it, writer Kimberley Paterson states “77% of CEOs now see soft skills, like emotional intelligence, as among the most valuable and the hardest to find.”... read more
June 29, 2018
Sales training workshops tend to be a one-off affair, or at best a yearly event for most firms. Many dedicated salespeople attend several per year, but for a large number this is not possible due to economics or logistics.... read more
Sales training seminars are indispensable for any sales organization, even one full of seasoned pros. Conventional wisdom notwithstanding, you can teach an old dog new tricks if you motivate it enough. Not to associate canines with salespeople, but you get the idea – everyone benefits from continued education in their craft.... read more
June 28, 2018
Washington, D.C., June 28, 2018 – Asher Strategies announced today that John Asher, CEO of Asher Strategies is booking a new keynote address for conferences and events. “I want to help businesses grow and share with their salespeople new ideas for making the complex, simple. And how learning to sell to the buyer’s old brain will aid them in exceeding their quotas,” stated John Asher.... read more
June 20, 2018
Salespeople must know how to close a deal in the face of tough objections. First, they must understand the difference between a valid objection, often referred to as a condition, as opposed to simple mental resistance – usually composed of irrational fears.... read more
June 18, 2018
Every salesperson dreams of landing a big account — one that not only will bring in a huge commission check, but also respect from peers and executives. These big accounts, if serviced correctly, tend to bring in other big accounts as well due to social proof – your firm must be good if you handle so-and-so’s business goes the thinking.... read more
June 14, 2018
Closing sales techniques are the key to sales. Similar to plays in sports, they should be practiced over and over in order to build competence and become second nature.... read more
It happens to the best of salespeople. Everything seems to be going smoothly with a buyer, with enough positive signals apparently there to indicate strong interest and a purchase decision. Then, when sales closing techniques are applied to get the commitment, they refuse to close.... read more
June 5, 2018
Washington, D.C., June 5, 2018 – Asher Strategies announced today the book Close Deals Faster, authored by John Asher, CEO at Asher Strategies, has been awarded the 2018 International Book Award in the Business: Sales category. ... read more
May 30, 2018
You can never learn enough closing sales techniques. Even if you don’t use all of them over the course of your sales career, studying closes helps develop a greater competence with the ones you DO use.... read more
One thing which can bruise the egos of salespeople more than anything else is when customers “fire” you and start doing business with a competitor. It feels like a betrayal, doesn’t it?... read more
The absolute best way to tell if someone possesses the emotional intelligence for sales success before hiring them is the Advanced Personality Questionnaire. The test will surface the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate immediately after taking the 25-minute quiz. But what if you have to make a snap decision, with no possibility of getting them tested?... read more
May 27, 2018
For many learning how to close a deal more effectively, whether closing is an art or a science is an understandable confusion. Some salespeople rely strictly on their processes and systems to bring buyers through the sales funnel, while others prefer to engage more organically with prospects and improvise as they go along.... read more
May 15, 2018
Washington, D.C., May 15, 2018 – Asher Strategies identifies 15 trends influencing sales people in 2018. “We want sales teams to be successful and Close Deals Faster,” John Asher, CEO for Asher Strategies said. “With effective sales teams, companies can increase their revenue. They need to understand how trends impact them to help both be successful.”... read more
In sales, to close deals faster means greater growth. In fact, speed alone can determine the viability of an organization.... read more
May 12, 2018
Developing emotional intelligence for sales success is an oft-neglected part of sales training. This is despite evidence which indicates emotional intelligence, rather than IQ, is key in both selling and interpersonal relationships.... read more
May 7, 2018
The APQ sales aptitude test has been instrumental in turning around low-performing sales teams for several decades, in conjunction with sales training and coaching. In the past, sales executives and hiring managers had to rely on imprecise recruitment methods, such as gut instinct and interview performance. With the development of the APQ sales aptitude test they could glean deeper insights into a candidate’s personality and determine with much greater accuracy whether he or she was the right fit for the job.... read more
May 1, 2018
March Madness is the annual college basketball tournament which separates the wheat from the chaff. It’s a dramatic end to the season for hundreds of players for whom the stakes are high: prestige, recognition, and a possible shot at a lucrative NBA career.... read more
April 26, 2018
Sales and marketing today have evolved into more scientific, efficient practices thanks to raw computing power and advances in data science. While psychology has always played a part in sales, we now understand better which parts of the mind and personality most affect success in these fields due to the sheer amount of transactional data and analyses available.... read more
April 23, 2018
The first impression you make with a potential buyer can make or break a deal. We used to think that it took several seconds or minutes for this first impression to form, but recent research shows that it only takes fractions of a second. Once it’s made it is hard to overcome, and a negative one makes it difficult to close deals faster – the goal of all salespeople.... read more
April 18, 2018
April 13, 2018
If you want to become a great salesperson, you need to practice everything from your presentations to the way you ask for referrals. And of course, your sales closing techniques should be rehearsed over and over until you have them down pat.... read more
April 9, 2018
Greater importance is being paid today to emotional intelligence (EQ) than traditional IQ when it comes to sales success. The shift comes after research has proven that EQ is the major factor to better selling, and this is likely due to emotion being the primary driver of decisions – not rationality or intelligence.... read more
Great sales team training ideas don’t always involve booking a trainer, travel, and a meeting hall. There are many activities you can do right in your conference room or as part of your regular sales meetings to keep skills sharp.... read more
April 6, 2018
Why are there so many different workshops to choose from for you or your sales team? Do we really need hyper-specific courses, such as the 75+ ones listed by this company alone?... read more
B2B selling doesn’t have to be a somber, serious affair. In fact, I feel the more fun you have, the better you do. Of course, if you aren’t doing so hot in meeting your quota, it’s going to be hard to have fun. But as your success grows, things tend to lighten up.... read more
March 26, 2018
As stated in my new book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Method, “In a globalized, Internet based economy, there is no excuse for a salesperson not to have done thorough research on the buyer and their company prior to the first meeting.”... read more
March 23, 2018
In Chapter Three of my book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Method, I talk about the importance of using “coaches” or “insiders.” In this post I will explain what these are, why they make a difference, and how to close a deal by leveraging the information they provide.... read more
March 22, 2018
Washington, D.C., March 22, 2018 – Asher Strategies announced today the Close Deals Faster book, authored by CEO John Asher, is among the best sellers at the nation’s airport book stores.... read more
In, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Method, I cover the importance of listening when on a sales call. Closing sales techniques depend on having enough information to strike the right chord with the buyer.... read more
March 16, 2018
Sales training workshops have been a mainstay in the corporate sales world for decades. Whether conducted in-house by company trainers, or at a special conference by sales leaders, millions of sales professionals have benefitted from the knowledge shared and camaraderies developed.... read more
Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is the secret sauce in sales. Studies of top sales people have confirmed it is far more important than IQ for the sales professional. Emotion cuts through all logic and rationale and spurs the buying decision, so those who understand their own emotions and how they affect others’ can make more money. This is what is called emotional intelligence for sales success.... read more
The new year is well underway, and I am happy to say that sales training seminars are not the “same old – same old.” This year promises to build on many exciting new developments made in 2017. New technologies, improved science in sales techniques, and steadily improving teaching techniques are being incorporated by top sales training companies.... read more
Deal velocity is an indication of power for any sales organization. The more deals you can move through the pipeline, and the faster, the better your sales department is running. If deal velocity is slow, then overhead alone could crush a business. You need a significant amount of closed deals within a certain time period to survive, let alone thrive. It’s why learning to close deals faster is a worthwhile endeavor.... read more
March 15, 2018
Washington, D.C., March 15, 2018 – Asher Strategies announced today that CEO John Asher will participate in a panel at the Enterprise Sales Forum in Washington, DC, March 19.... read more
March 14, 2018
John Asher headlines a panel of four experts talking on “The Role of Neuroscience and Mindfulness in Developing Consistent Sales Performance”.... read more
March 7, 2018
One of the giveaways of a new salesperson is when he asks, “How do I get prospects?” For experienced sales professionals, this is like asking “How do I breathe?” More so than worrying about sales closing techniques, this is such a silly question because there are so many ways to get leads. With websites, blogs and social media announcing what we do, not to mention personal relationships, to NOT get a good prospect every once in a while would be pretty strange – even if we just sit there!... read more
March 3, 2018
When interviewing prospects for sales roles, you can sometimes spot who might obviously make a great inside sales farmer, and who might make a great outside sales hunter. The farmer has a nurturing, empathic way about her. The sales hunter has an unmistakable intensity or drive. You can also tell from the way she talks to you that she possesses closing sales techniques.... read more
March 2, 2018
One of the first priorities when meeting with a prospect is to establish rapport. This can involve some initial small talk about common interests, noticing something in the prospect’s home or office to talk about, or even some innocuous subject such as the weather or sports.... read more
March 1, 2018
As I explain in my new book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Method, most buyers are driven by emotions and gut feelings rather than a careful, rational analysis of the pros and cons of your deal. Building rapport with the client and using your emotional intelligence can lead to sales success. This makes the first hurdle any salesperson must overcome to be to get the other person across the desk to like you, otherwise, even if you have the best deal, you will be rebuffed.... read more
February 28, 2018
While a great deal of B2B marketing has shifted online, sales remains very personal, as do the various techniques and tips for how to close a deal. Despite predictions, AI salespeople do not rule the roost. I would say, apart from face-to-face meetings, telephone sales are dominant. Selling via video conference has not taken off in a meaningful way, and when conversations start on LinkedIn, they generally evolve into phone conversations.... read more
February 27, 2018
I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has purchased a copy of my book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Method, and for all the positive feedback and Amazon reviews.... read more
February 26, 2018
One of the giveaways from a new salesperson is when he asks, “How do I get prospects?” For experienced sales professionals, this is like asking “How do I breathe?” More so than worrying about sales closing techniques, this is such a silly question because there are so many ways to get leads. With websites, blogs and social media announcing what we do, not to mention personal relationships, to NOT get a good prospect every once in a while would be pretty strange – even if we just sit there!... read more
February 9, 2018
No matter your product or service, it’s not going to sell itself. At least not in enough volume to make your enterprise viable. The solution is to build a marketing team and salesforce capable of capturing business in an ever-expanding sphere. And a certain percentage of your salesforce needs to be very proficient in how to close a deal.... read more
February 8, 2018
In order for your sales closing techniques to work, your buyer has to be primed. Building rapport, presenting, demonstrating, handling questions and objections – these are all part of that priming process. There is a stage in all these where average salespeople tend to falter, and that is the critical moment where they need to “go for the kill.”... read more
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