All leaders set out with the best intentions. They all desire greatness. No leader ever wakes up in the morning and says “boy, I hope I really screw up this leadership thing today.” So what separates the greats from everyone else? In Amy O’Connor’s extensive study, she’s found there are four primary pillars that all great leaders embody.

​Mark Twain once said, “Those who do not read are no better off than those who cannot read.” Have you been thinking that reading is a habit you should develop? Here are ten books to help you on that journey. 

Buyer objections are a challenge. They sometimes make salespeople feel antsy, panicky, defensive or even annoyed. And when the salesperson experiences any of these negative emotions it often shows up in their nonverbals. Here’s the big problem, buyers pick up on these (sometimes not so subtle) cues.

We don’t get better by thinking about doing something. We get better by developing better habits. Check out this short blog post I wrote to help you take action.

On Ryan Taft’s first day in new home sales, he was couldn’t wait to go into a sales meeting because he loves to learn and was excited to learn from his sales leader, who we’ll call Jim. Little did he know he’d be learning what NOT to do as a sales leader. Here are 5 leaderships tips that Ryan learned to keep from becoming Jim:

​One thing I know about sales leadership – it’s a lonely business. Seriously, there are days when you feel like you are on some kind of weird island where all you do is walk around putting out fires. At the end of the day you are totally exhausted but unfulfilled. If that resonates with you, keep reading to find out how you can fix it.

​Proper influence and persuasion is about making it easy for people to do what is in their best interest to do. Our job in sales is to help people achieve whatever mission they are on. The best helpers are the most successful sale people. How do you become more helpful? Focus on these three character traits.

Most salespeople become desensitized to their own product and service. You see your product every day, so it makes sense that it would lose its flare to you. But if you want to intensify your customers’ experience, you must Emotionally Endorse your product or service before your customer is even introduced to it, sees it, or uses it.

Great sales leader understand the value of coaching and carve out designated time for one-on-one development with their sales professionals. But carving out time for this crucial activity isn’t enough. They must make their coaching encounters strategic and intentional.

​Alright, it’s time to rattle a few cages and ruffle a few feathers. I want to start with this, you have permission to disagree with me – I think disagreement is a beautiful thing. But disagree based on strategy, not tradition. “Because I’ve always asked that question” isn’t a strategic statement. With that, here are five common sales techniques that I believe you should get rid of. Let me know what you think.