Practical Wisdom from Kahle Way Sales Systems
289 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago -Focused on business professionals, sales leaders and professional salespeople we help you sell better, lead better and live better. Enjoy.
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Episodes
How Perspective Shapes Our Lives
July 21, 2022 10:30 - 10 minutes - 7.84 MBOur perspectives shape our behavior and set our character. We can change our perspectives and thereby change our lives.
Q&A: Selling Commodities & Having to Be The Low Price
July 14, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 9.61 MBHere's my answer to two common questions: How do you sell commodities? and What do you do when the customer is only interested in low price? The Sales Leader's Excellence and Influence Course. Learn more here.
How Do You Make Customer Service Reps More Proactive?
June 30, 2022 10:30 - 11 minutes - 9.8 MBHere’s my response to this question: How can we get inside sales to do some proactive sales activities each day? We want our inside sales people to use some of their time to shift into the proactive mode to make outbound phone contact to existing and new business. Check out the Sales Manager's Group in the Xi Community here.
What's a Professional Salesperson/Salesforce?
June 23, 2022 11:00 - 13 minutes - 11.8 MBListen to my reply to this question: “Q. Dave, I’m from outside the industry, and am accustomed to what I see as a much more professional sales force than what I currently have. Am I off-base in expecting a professional group of salespeople, as opposed to the ‘nice guys’ who don’t seem to take their professions seriously that I inherited?” Check out the Xi Community.
Your Strategic Advantage for the Information Age
June 16, 2022 10:30 - 15 minutes - 12.4 MBThe rapid change whirling around every company puts great pressure on organizations to change themselves. Not only must the organization as a whole change, but the individuals within each organization must themselves change, learn and grow more rapidly than at any time in the past. This ability for an organization and its people to change in response to the changing world around them may be the ultimate success skill for the Information Age. Check out the Xi Community here. https...
Using Specific Expectations to Transform Your Sales Force
June 09, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.9 MB: “Lack of directability is one of the problems common to sales forces. That means the sales force rarely does what management wants them to do. Instead, they do what they have always done, or they work only in their own best interests instead of the interests of the company. This robs the company of an incredibly powerful strategic asset- a directable sales force. Here’s the first step to overcome that problem. Learn More about The XI Community
Is it Time to Focus on Sales Productivity?
June 02, 2022 10:30 - 8 minutes - 6.99 MBLots of people understand 'productivity', and 'sales' is easily understood, but when you put the two words together, the concept often becomes baffling. Sales Productivity can be the key to growing your business and taking market share. Begin here. Download Kahle's Kaculation here.
Consequences of an Entreprenurial Sales Team
May 26, 2022 10:30 - 9 minutes - 8.2 MB: Many sales models are built on the concept of the entrepreneurial salesperson. There was a time when this model was effective, but in today’s competitive economy, there are serious difficulties with the entrepreneurial model. Let’s consider this together. Check out The Xi Community for Sales Leaders.
Is It Time to Revise Your Sales Compensation Plan?
May 19, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.2 MBIf you're paying your sales reps straight commission, you're using an obsolete formula. If you're paying your sales reps a straight salary, you're also using an obsolete formula. Both of those formulas are vestiges of an earlier, simpler times. You may be like thousands of other companies who are using compensation plans that served them well in the past. Let’s dig into this. Check out The Xi Community for Sales Leaders.
Are You Significant?
May 12, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.2 MBWhile there is a degree of significance to be achieved though one’s family, my focus in this article is on a higher level of significance. Having “notable worth or influence” implies that significance of that level is relatively rare. People take note of it. Suppose you could lay a foundation of significance with your family, and then reached out to ‘matter” to a larger world. Suppose you could seek significance in your career and your business.
Harnessing the Power of a Manifesto
May 05, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.3 MBThere is something incredibly compelling about being a part of an organization that aspires to something larger and more noble than others of their ilk. Something in the soul of human beings longs to be a part of something that not only strives for a better future but works to enhance the present. A well-written manifesto taps into that power. It claims the best for its adherents and attracts the best people to it. The Significant Business Manifesto The Significant Christi...
Improving Your Sales Force Begins with The Sales Managers
April 28, 2022 10:30 - 9 minutes - 7.74 MBWhen budgets are limited, the single most effective use of training money is not on the salespeople, but rather the sales managers. Let’s dig into this. The XI Community Sales Leader's Group: https://www.davekahle.com/leadership-and-b2b-sales-management-groups/
What Holds You Back?
April 21, 2022 10:30 - 9 minutes - 7.94 MBOne of the biggest obstacles to the growth and development of a salesperson -- or anyone else – is not their lack of skills and experience, but rather the internal obstacles that hinder their actions. Dig into what holds you back, so that you can break free. The Xi Community:
How to Multiply Your Sales by Creating Partners
April 14, 2022 10:30 - 18 minutes - 15.8 MBDeveloping a handful of ‘partners’ is one of the most effective B2B sales strategies. These are customers who are so committed to you that they form the foundation of your revenue. Dig into the whys and hows of creating partners in this article. The XI Community
Do You Have a Sales System?
April 07, 2022 10:30 - 16 minutes - 14.2 MBAt its most fundamental level, business is always and only about three things: Money, people and systems. There is a huge body of content revolving around money in business and there is an equally impressive body of knowledge and infrastructure for the people component. When it comes to systems, however, there is not nearly the quantity and quality of conversation. And yet effective systems are, at the very least, just as necessary to the growth and health of a business as good peopl...
Should We Proactively Lead the Post-Covid Adjustments?
March 31, 2022 10:30 - 9 minutes - 7.96 MBVery soon we’ll be confronting the next wave of change as our companies and our jobs lurch back to something resembling pre-Covid normal. The question in the back of every executive’s mind is this:” How do we handle the post-Covid changes?” In this podcast, I suggest an approach to using this window of opportunity to make significant, positive changes. The XI Community: www.davekahle.com/lead/
6 Disciplines to Master The Ultimate Success Skill
March 24, 2022 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.4 MBOur times are uniquely characterized by an unprecedented pace of change. If we are going to survive and thrive in this environment, we have to do some different things, and do others much better. One of these is the discipline of purposeful learning. It is the ultimate success skill for our age. In this podcast, I share six disciplines to help you master the skill. The XI Community: https://www.davekahle.com/leadership-and-b2b-sales-management-groups/
Sales Managers -- Equip Your Team with the Ultimate Success Skill
March 17, 2022 10:30 - 15 minutes - 13.1 MBOur times are uniquely characterized by an unprecedented pace of change. We need to do some things differently and some things better than ever. One of those is the discipline of purposeful learning. If we are going to survive and succeed in these turbulent times, we need to make it a part of our lives and a strategic initiative in our organizations. It is the ultimate success skill for our age.
How Can You Lead in These Rapidly-Changing Times?
March 10, 2022 11:30 - 10 minutes - 8.2 MBWe live in a time of unprecedented change. The wise business person will put disciplines and processes in place to keep the organization ahead of what’s next. We’re recommending a SCAN meeting.
How Directable is Your Sales Force?
March 03, 2022 11:30 - 10 minutes - 7.87 MBIn today’s competitive environment, it’s important that sales organizations field a ‘directable’ sales force. The key word here is directable. It means that your sales force can be counted on to quickly, thoroughly and positively carry out your directions. Such a sales force is both rare, and incredibly valuable to the company. In this podcast, I explore that concept. Link to the self-assessment: https://www.davekahle.com/fielding-directable-sales-force/ Link to The Sale...
Answers to 3 Questions abouit Difficult Accounts
February 22, 2022 11:30 - 10 minutes - 8.45 MBHow do we handle an unethical customer? One who says he would do anything to make money on a job, or to get a job? Dave, how can a sales person have a life at night and not be reactive to customers calling at night – seven or eight per night? In regards to personality conflicts with an account, at what point do you walk away and let someone else in your organization try?
The Two Biggest Decisions a Salesperson Can Make
February 10, 2022 11:30 - 15 minutes - 12.5 MB“Sales time” is that portion of a salesperson’s work week wherein they are interacting with their customers and prospects. It can be on the phone, over an interactive webinar, or in person. It’s the heart of the job, wherein the salesperson exercises all the skills, concepts, practices and tools he/she has acquired over the years. Sales time is when the salesperson expresses the essence of what it means to be a professional salesperson. If it were not for sales time, there wo...
10 Commandments for The Ethical Salesperson
February 03, 2022 11:30 - 14 minutes - 12.2 MBSales is a profession that is ripe with temptation. Salespeople deal with a lot of people, and a lot of money. Either one of those by itself presents a challenge. Add them together and it can be overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to help you stay on the right side.
How well are your salespeople serving your customers?
January 27, 2022 11:30 - 14 minutes - 12.6 MBI know you are concerned with sales. It’s easy to determine how well your people are selling to your customers. That’s what sales reports are for. But your customers are more concerned with how well they are being served by your salespeople. Why is that important? Because you are in it for the long run. You don’t want to just sell something to a customer, you want to build a relationship that lasts over time and results in years of sales. In one sense, your business is not ...
Dealing with Difficult Customers
January 20, 2022 11:30 - 10 minutes - 9.36 MBA difficult customer – someone who is angry or upset – can be one of the most challenging and rewarding encounters for most companies. If you cam handle the situation well, you will often gain a long-term customer. Mishandle it, and you’ll watch the situation dissolve into lost business and upset people. Here are two proven guidelines to help you cope with angry or difficult customers.
How Sharp Is Your Sales Structure?
January 17, 2022 11:30 - 16 minutes - 12.9 MBInterested in improving the productivity of your sales force? Investing in training and developing your salespeople is always a good idea. But it isn’t the entire solution for many organizations. Often, enormous improvements in sales productivity can be achieved by sharpening the structure of your sales organization.
How to Communicate Price Increases
January 13, 2022 11:30 - 11 minutes - 10 MBIf you are like most segments of the economy, there have been more price increases announced in your industry in the last three months than in the last three years combined. Unfortunately, many sales forces are peopled with individuals who have never lived through a time of price increases. They have no frame of reference from which to view it, and no experience on which to draw. Here are some tips from someone who has been there.
Sales Manager's Most Common Mistakes --Part Two
January 06, 2022 11:30 - 12 minutes - 10.5 MBIn most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. In this podcast, I shine the light on two of the three most common mistakes sales manager's make.
Sales Manager's Most Common Mistakes -- Part One
December 30, 2021 11:30 - 14 minutes - 12.4 MBIn most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field sales person to provide some roadmap as to how to do t...
How Professional Are You?
December 23, 2021 11:30 - 13 minutes - 11.3 MBAh, if only the people around us were more professional. Our lives would be easier, our businesses would grow more effortlessly, we’d find our jobs more fulfilling…the list of dramatic benefits can go on and on. But what does it mean to be more professional? More importantly, what can we do to make sure that we, and our associates, are becoming ever more professional? Sales Leader's Excellence & Influence Course: https://www.thesalesresourcecenter.com/kahle-way-sales-management-syste...
The Rising Challenge of Sales -- Are You Up For It?
December 16, 2021 11:30 - 16 minutes - 14.3 MBThe job of the field salesperson will continue to grow more complex, more challenging and more difficult for the foreseeable future. So what does that mean to you? It means that you will need to continually change and adapt constantly. It means that you will need to become proficient at learning new things and improving yourself. It means that, from this point on, you will have two jobs: Doing your job Constantly changing and improving yourself. Sales Leader's Excellence &...
Learning List
December 09, 2021 11:30 - 19 minutes - 15.9 MBOn-boarding a new employee typically involves someone(s) to train the new employee, and weeks training the new person. But what if you could develop a system that eliminated much of that training time? Years ago, we developed a tool that was originally conceived as a way to rapidly and painlessly bring a new field salesperson up to speed. Since then, we’ve found application for it with almost every job title, and a multitude of other applications. It has become an in...
Are Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back?
December 02, 2021 11:30 - 18 minutes - 15.1 MBAs an educated and experienced practitioner in the profession of helping people change their behavior, I’m come to the conclusion that our set of preexisting beliefs supplies the largest and most potent set of obstacles to self-improvement and the greater success and fulfillment that comes with it. Human beings naturally make observations and conclusions about our experiences as we grow up and experience life. Eventually, some of these become hardened into beliefs. These beli...
Asking Better Questions
November 25, 2021 11:30 - 11 minutes - 9.89 MBOf all the things that you can do and say when you are talking with a customer, there is none that even comes close to the power of asking a good question. It stands alone, apart from every other tactic, as your single most powerful sales tool. Nothing even approaches it. Question Your Way to Sales Success: https://www.davekahle.com/question-way-sales-success/
Are you Afflicted with the Crippling Disease of Moderate Success?
November 18, 2021 11:30 - 8 minutes - 6.94 MBIn my 30 years of practice, I’ve interacted with thousands of executive and owners, and engaged with tens of thousands of B2B salespeople. The overwhelming majority have been lulled by moderate success to a place where they are hesitant to pursue excellence, weary of reaching for their potential, tentative about embracing any new ideas and afraid of stretching beyond today’s comfort zones. That’s one of the main reasons why only five to twenty percent of businesses and salespeopl...
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturateed World
November 11, 2021 11:30 - 21 minutes - 17.5 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this twelfth of a series I unpack my recommendations for habits, attitudes and disciplines to intentionally put into your personal routines and your corporate culture to provide the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive in t...
Prioritizing & Focusing - A key process to build into your routines
November 04, 2021 10:30 - 24 minutes - 20.4 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this seventh of a series I unpack my recommendations for habits, attitudes and disciplines to intentionally put into your personal routines and your corporate culture to provide the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive in t...
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturated World
October 28, 2021 10:30 - 16 minutes - 12.9 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this tenth of a series I unpack my recommendations for habits, attitudes and disciplines to intentionally put into your personal routines and your corporate culture to provide the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive in the...
Part Nine: Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturated World
October 21, 2021 10:30 - 20 minutes - 16.8 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this seventh of a series I unpack my recommendations for habits, attitudes and disciplines to intentionally put into your personal routines and your corporate culture to provide the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive in t...
Navigating A Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturated World
October 07, 2021 10:30 - 17 minutes - 15.5 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this seventh of a series I unpack my recommendations for habits, attitudes and disciplines to intentionally put into your personal routines and your corporate culture to provide the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive in t...
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturatted World
September 23, 2021 10:30 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this fifth of a series, I unpack a set of recommendations for strategies, processes, attitudes, habits and disciplines to build into your lives and businesses – things I call sails and keels – to help us survive and thrive in ...
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information Saturated World
September 16, 2021 10:30 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBIn previous podcasts, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing and information-saturated world in which we find ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we will face for the balance of our careers. In this podcast, I recommend another of the fundamental pieces of the infrastructure we need to survive and thrive – an attitude of openness.
Selling Really is Simple
September 09, 2021 10:30 - 10 minutes - 9.55 MBThere are as many misconceptions about selling as there are people. In this excerpt from How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, I provide some common-sense, usable definitions of what selling really is, and get the reader started on understanding how to do it better. The Sales Resource Center: https://www.thesalesresourcecenter.com/
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information Saturated World -- 3
September 02, 2021 10:30 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBIn my previous posts, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing and information-saturated world in which we find ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we will face for the balance of our careers. In this post, I recommend a fundamental piece of the infrastructure we need to survive and thrive – an articulated vision and purpose.
How to Handle an Angry Customere
August 26, 2021 10:30 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBIt is easy to work with people you like, and it is even easier to work with people who like you. But that’s not always the case. Sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with a difficult customer. Here’s a set of proven principles and practices to help you.
Survive and Thrive in Turbulent Times - 2
August 19, 2021 10:30 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBIn my previous post, I noted some of the factors that combine to create an incredibly turbulent, complex, rapidly changing and information-saturated world in which we find ourselves. Our ability to navigate these turbulent waters is the single biggest challenge we will face for the balance of our careers. In this post, I recommend a fundamental piece of the infrastructure we need to survive and thrive – an acceptance of personal responsibility.
Sales Systems Start with Suspects
August 12, 2021 10:30 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBAcquiring new customers is one of those processes that frustrates and discourages most B2B sellers. It doesn’t have to be a frustrating and discouraging process. Like almost every aspect of a sales system, acquiring a new customer is a matter of understanding the processes and methodically implementing them in the right quantity and quality. The starting point is developing a sufficient quantity of suspects.
How to Penetrate a Difficult Account
August 05, 2021 10:30 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBHow do I sell to an account that is firmly in the hands of a competitor – a difficult key account? How do you manage this account? What should you do? Join me to unpack this common and frustrating situation.
Navigating a Rapidly-Changing, Information-Saturated World -- Intro
July 29, 2021 10:30 - 16 minutes - 14.3 MBThe pace of change has increased, the growth in complexity has multiplied, and information has proliferated at an unprecedented pace. We are in extraordinary times. And unprecedented times call for unique and disciplined approaches if we are to survive and thrive. In this podcast, I begin a series to help us dig deeper into the strategies that will help us survive and thrive in these turbulent times. Download the Free E-book: https://www.davekahle.com/turbulent-times-ebook/
Time Management Secret: Nurture Helpful Relationships
July 22, 2021 10:30 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBOne of the top ten strategies for effective time management for salespeople is this: Nurture helpful relationships. Listen as Dave unpacks this powerful strategy and shows you how to enhance your effectiveness by implementing this concept. The Sales Leader's Excellence & Influence Course: https://www.thesalesresourcecenter.com/kahle-way-sales-management-system-course/