2019-10-29 17:46
The best practices for sales compensation plans have changed. No longer is a blanket, flat percentage commission per sale sufficient. In this interview with Selling Power, Janek Managing Par… Read More
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The Janek Performance Blog provides expert advice, best practices, and sales training enablement content for sales professionals.
2019-10-22 21:29
Every step of the sales process has gone smoothly – you’ve uncovered needs, presented the ideal solution, gotten agreement from the customer, and all seems good. The client even… Read More
2019-10-15 16:29
Sales training events are always considerable undertakings. When they involve a multinational corporation, however, the process becomes even more arduous. In this three-part series on global… Read More
2019-10-09 17:06
In today’s sales environment, you’re increasingly likely to deal with multiple people who partake in the decision-making process. This is especially true for complex B2B sales in… Read More
2019-10-02 18:00
A common concern among many of the clients we provide sales training solutions to is how to effectively design, implement, and execute a strong, coherent qualification process. Given how oft… Read More
2019-09-24 16:49
Determining the best candidate for a sales rep position is a blend of art and science. Your ability to make a homerun hire requires smart utilization of all your resources. One of the best s… Read More
2019-09-16 16:07
An effective sales presentation can often mean the difference between closing a deal and losing out to a competitor. That means it’s important to get it right and wow the influencers a… Read More
2019-09-11 17:07
There’s quite a few key personality and emotional intelligence traits we talk about being important to those in sales careers. The one that’s arguably most critical is social sen… Read More
2019-09-04 17:17
In sales, trying to do everything last-minute rarely goes well. That means now, late in the third quarter, you need to be laying the groundwork for the closing months of the fiscal year. Her… Read More
2019-08-28 15:55
We’re back with another installment of Monthly Sales Insights, where we list some of the most interesting thought pieces and scholarship we’ve found recently Read More
2019-08-21 23:46
Storytelling and sales have always gone hand in hand. Science and art agree on this point: employing narrative is more persuasive and engaging than a mere listing of objective statements. Bu… Read More
2019-08-20 22:52
It’s one of the facts of sales life – buyers often don’t respond. They don’t pick up their phones, don’t respond emails or other various ways to get in touch. T… Read More
2019-08-14 21:02
As sales is shifting to more of the process occurring over the phone and via video conferencing, the speaking voice is becoming an increasingly critical skill for sales professionals to deve… Read More
2019-08-13 15:44
The US Women’s National Soccer team recently became just the second to win two World Cups and the first to perform the feat back to back. They accomplished this success despite FiveThi… Read More
2019-08-07 20:50
As a sales rep, you can read all the sales books and blogs, watch all the instructional videos, and become something of a minor theoretical knowledge expert. And while this is both valuable… Read More
2019-08-06 19:45
One of the growing realizations in the field of psychology in the last few years is that people have what’s called an affective presence as part of their personality. Simply speaking… Read More
2019-07-30 23:18
Requests for Proposals (RFPs) can be a significant source of revenue for many sales organizations. But they’re also time- and labor-intensive, and using the wrong strategies in pursuin… Read More
2019-07-29 17:10
Last month, we debuted Monthly Sales Insights – an assortment of compelling, ground-breaking, or just plain interesting sales research and thought leadership pieces. This month, we con… Read More
2019-07-24 16:03
In sales, there’s countless demands on your time. The incessant cascade of emails, phone calls, texts, meetings, digital and hard copy recordkeeping – one could literally spend v… Read More
2019-07-23 20:06
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” Read More
2019-07-15 23:46
A short time ago, I spent the week with my sister, my uncle, and one of my nephews, cleaning out my parents’ house to prepare it to sell. Along with the usual sharing of stories or exc… Read More
2019-07-08 17:59
Word of mouth can be either the stuff of dreams or nightmares for sales professionals. When it’s positive, it can have a major beneficial impact on lead generation and winning new sale… Read More
2019-06-26 22:05
There are many theories on the differences between top performing sales professionals and their underperforming peers. Given the divergence of opinions, it can be challenging to determine wh… Read More
2019-06-25 16:26
One of the most turbulent times a company can go through is a merger or acquisition. Anxiety ripples throughout stakeholders who wonder what the post-world will look like, and competitors ci… Read More
2019-06-18 19:16
Henry Kissinger’s primary axiom regarding international diplomacy negotiations (to paraphrase) was that everyone goes home unhappy, but not unhappy enough to start a war. While that wo… Read More
2019-06-13 23:44
One of our team members is a former academic who was often fond of telling their students, “There is no research that exists in a vacuum. Rather, it takes place within an already pre-e… Read More
2019-06-10 23:55
We’ve often highlighted the importance of active listening. But that naturally raises the question – how can you become a better listener? What are the drills, the techniques, yo… Read More
2019-06-04 17:34
Most of us in sales have witnessed the virtuoso speaker, whose elegance, energy, and command of the room have injected enthusiasm and a burst of desire to change one’s work habits and… Read More
2019-05-29 22:40
All the signs were there – you were on top of things in discovery, picked out the perfect solutions, and delivered a smashing presentation that wowed the decision makers and influencer… Read More
2019-05-28 17:48
A tricky question for many businesses – especially start-ups – is what price to charge for a given product or service. It’s even more complicated when you conside… Read More
2019-05-20 17:34
Although inside sales teams are becoming increasingly popular - to the point where most experts expect parity with field sales reps usage in the near future - outside sales is still a critic… Read More
2019-05-13 17:36
The NFL Draft has, by the time of this publication, come and gone. Equal parts art and science, the league’s rookie dispersal of college players reminds us a lot of the hiring process… Read More
2019-05-09 21:44
We’re introducing a new concept today – Titans of Sales History. In this series, we’ll be examining historical figures who were key in shaping today’s sales world and… Read More
2019-05-08 23:19
Product knowledge is essential for any salesperson. Whatever you’re selling, know it completely. Because the more you know about what you’re selling, the more confident you&rsquo&hell…Read More
2019-05-01 19:42
Storytelling is perhaps one of sale’s most powerful, yet underutilized tools. In this video interview with Selling Power, Janek Managing Partner Justin Zappulla highlights the value of… Read More
2019-04-26 19:01
I have an acquaintance who is a genuinely nice person and gifted in their career but hasn’t had the type of success they imagined they would have (or befits their talent and dedication… Read More
2019-04-23 17:04
“It’s not about the salary/it’s all about reality”
This couplet, first appearing in 1988 – in N.W.A.’s “Gangsta, Gangsta” and KRS-One’s… Read More
2019-04-22 18:39
One of the most significant shifts to occur in sales training over the past few years has been to train via multiple delivery methods, rather than just one. In this video interview with Sell… Read More
2019-04-17 16:40
The middle of the pipeline can sometimes be an awkward purgatory – you’ve captured their interest, qualified, and are working the opportunity, but the prospect isn’t quite… Read More
2019-04-15 18:24
Today we continue our Personal Branding series by shifting to your external self. What we mean by that is how you present yourself to prospects and clients. This is one of the most important… Read More
2019-04-10 22:36
Before we go into our topic for this post, we just wanted to note we’ve been named the #1 Sales Performance Blog by Feedspot. It’s an accomplishment we’re all quite proud o… Read More
2019-04-09 18:08
Some people in sales fail to understand the interrelationship between engagement and productivity. Or they aren’t aware that just because someone is productive doesn’t mean they… Read More
2019-04-02 16:08
Sales is an exciting, interesting career that exposes you to many different people and challenges. But there can be slow periods or times when a feeling of monotony can set in. Usually it&rs&hell…Read More
2019-04-01 17:48
A common issue among many sales organizations is the lack of a formal sales process. While it’s possible to improve a sales organization without having a universally followed sales pro… Read More
2019-03-27 17:16
Maybe you just graduated college and are looking for a career with great potential. Perhaps your current work leaves you unsatisfied and the dynamic, interactive nature of sales looks like j… Read More
2019-03-19 18:49
The decision to expand from the domestic market to an international presence is an exciting one, full of vast income potential and newness. But it’s one that needs to be prepared for c… Read More
2019-03-18 19:06
I had the stray thought the other day that sales is a lot like dating. Although it seemed like just a funny one-liner if I ever go into stand-up comedy, the more I think about it, the more i… Read More
2019-03-13 17:44
Recently, we provided an introductory guide to personal branding in sales. Today, we’re continuing our series by looking at personal branding on social media. It’s one of those t… Read More
2019-03-11 19:27
One thing many of our customers encounter is the dilemma of not knowing when and how to walk away from a deal that isn’t right for them. There are countless reasons why this scenario m… Read More
2019-03-05 19:38
If there’s one thing that just about everyone would be happy with, it’s earning more money. Frequently, that comes in the form of raises. But for sales reps, managers can simply… Read More
2019-03-04 18:31
Previously, we looked at the large picture issues involved with writing effective sales proposals. Today, we’re bringing you the second part of this two-part series and digging deeper… Read More
2019-02-27 22:19
Proposals. Whether they’re for sales to secure business, for grants to gain funding, or even the most basic of asking someone to marry you, proposals can be stressful endeavors that re… Read More
2019-02-25 19:44
In an ideal world, sales training would involve learners of roughly the same level of experience and knowledge. The reality, as literally anyone involved in education can tell you, is often… Read More
2019-02-21 00:23
If you’re a sales manager these days, there’s a good chance you’ve faced the problem of having young, inexperienced sales reps who don’t have the background or traini… Read More
2019-02-19 00:41
In our digital sales age, we’re seeing increasing attention paid to the idea of personal branding. Although the idea itself is by no means new (a brief history is below), awareness of… Read More
2019-02-12 17:24
We often encounter sales reps and business development reps who have reached out to us and ask “When should we follow up?” and “What do we say when we follow up?”. Ju… Read More
2019-02-04 20:22
One of the realities of our global, digital sales world is that buyers have more options and easier access to those wider choices than ever before. What this means for businesses and their s… Read More
2019-01-30 19:29
In business, and in life in general, it’s a good idea to have at least one elevator pitch handy for when you meet new people. It helps to break the ice and lays the groundwork for a po… Read More
2019-01-29 17:45
In this interview with Selling Power, Janek Managing Partner Nick Kane discusses the onboarding process, highlighting key areas that are stumbling blocks for organizations trying to put toge… Read More
2019-01-23 00:32
Even in today’s value-driven sales environment, price sensitivity remains a constant priority for most buyers. Many companies and advertisers are often competing in a race to the botto… Read More
2019-01-22 00:08
Microlearning has gained much greater currency in the last few years in sales training. In this interview with Selling Power, Janek Managing Partner Justin Zappulla examines microlearning fr… Read More
2019-01-16 21:35
Many of our customers have commented over the years that they don’t know how to sell to the C-Suite. It can be an intimidating process – hard to get the meeting in the first plac… Read More
2019-01-15 00:27
We’ve preached repeatedly that coaching is one of the most effective ways to develop a sales rep. But while there’s plenty of advice here and elsewhere for how sales managers and… Read More
2019-01-10 00:29
There’s a lot of conversation about how to work with millennial sales reps who have different ways of learning and value systems than previous generations (including one of our own pos… Read More
2019-01-08 00:43
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War Read More
2018-12-31 20:18
The New Year is looming, the page set to turn to 2019. With it comes the annual Sales Kickoff for many organizations, who are taking advantage of the new calendar year to generate excitement… Read More
2018-12-26 19:44
2018 marked a banner year for our blog here at Janek Performance Group. More of you visited than ever before and we’re happy you checked us out. In late April, we changed our posting s… Read More
2018-12-21 17:49
Figuring out your company’s sales compensation plan can simultaneously be one of the biggest headaches and one of the most important aspects of your sales organization. Which model you… Read More
2018-12-19 17:24
One of the newest trends I have seen arise in the sales world over the last few years is the creation of a team within organizations called Revenue Operations. Often abbreviated as RevOps, i… Read More
2018-12-14 21:23
From professional sports to retail marketing research, our society is one increasingly driven by data. Numbers and analytics through data mining and mass market research can project when som… Read More
2018-12-12 22:09
The common sales advice is that one of the best ways to increase revenue is to utilize cross-selling and upselling. Indeed, as Marketing Metrics notes, existing customers are 60-70% likely t… Read More
2018-12-11 22:14
In a recent team meeting, one of our instructional designers noted that one of the recent trends in their observation with clients at Janek is the inclusion of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)… Read More
2018-12-05 17:47
Humorist Dave Berry once remarked in a column, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that wo… Read More
2018-12-04 17:13
The image of the lone sales rep trekking across the country, selling products and services, might still come to mind and exist, but more and more, we’re seeing an emphasis on remote sa… Read More
2018-11-26 20:15
Imagine the following: Your most important client is also your most demanding – a conundrum most sales professionals have faced at one point in their careers. Luckily, there’s wa… Read More
2018-11-20 00:30
We’ve often stressed the importance of active listening as one of the primary paths to unlocking customer needs and situations in the sales process. Less discussed in the sales world i… Read More
2018-11-14 18:28
While role-playing is an excellent tool for coaching and developing sales reps, specific parameters that more accurately replicate their real-life selling experience is needed to maximize th… Read More
2018-11-10 00:50
While most people who don’t work in sales think it’s the best product (whether in quality or price) that wins out in a selling situation, that’s often not the case. In fact… Read More
2018-11-06 23:20
After a lot of hard work and effort, you or your team has landed the sale and revenue is coming in. But that doesn’t mean the sales process is over. In fact, a new phase begins –… Read More
2018-11-05 19:54
Cold emails are a lot like cold calling – they’re venturing out into the icy unknown and can come with a low response rate. Even worse, many sales reps hurt themselves even more… Read More
2018-10-31 18:12
One of the roughest sales realities is that the majority of your leads won’t pan out. The causes are seemingly endless: the timing isn’t right, something goes amiss with the qual… Read More
2018-10-29 19:25
Last time, we discussed why, contrary to popular belief, top sales reps can at times, make not so great sales managers. Which naturally raises the subsequent question, “When should we… Read More
2018-10-24 17:28
At its best, sales is a wonderful, exciting profession with a thrilling chase for closes, supporting clients in achieving their objectives and being able to meet a variety of people in all k… Read More
2018-10-19 18:50
If finding star sales reps seems difficult, finding stellar sales managers can be even more challenging. Many companies engage in short-sighted thinking, promoting top reps to manager roles… Read More
2018-10-17 16:38
There’s been increasing attention given to the need to train sales reps in a business environment that features customers who are far more informed than ever before. This is certainly… Read More
2018-10-12 18:19
One of the side effects of today’s more informed buyer is an increase in customer cynicism – even to the point where they’ll, at times, reject purchases that are to their b… Read More
2018-10-10 18:35
When Richard Thaler and John Balz of the University of Chicago and Cass Sunstein of Harvard Law School coined the phrase choice architecture in 2008, they clarified how decision makers make… Read More
2018-10-09 19:40
One of the sales skills we think deserves more attention and conversation than it currently gets is empathy. It’s a vital trait to develop in work and in life, allowing you to develop… Read More
2018-10-03 00:02
It’s a common complaint – there just aren’t enough good sales reps out there. Or so hiring managers, business owners, and HR departments think. Conversely, even in an econo… Read More
2018-10-01 18:39
Although the 80/20 rule was first popularized in the business world by Richard Koch’s 1997 book, The 80/20 Principle, the concept itself was devised a hundred years earlier (1896) by I… Read More
2018-09-25 17:19
We here at Janek Performance Group were recently searching for a vendor for a specialized service. What we found was shocking – despite research showing that the response time to inbou… Read More
2018-09-24 23:06
Revenue leakage, or the loss of income from customers spending less than expected over the lifetime of the relationship, is a subtle but significant negative influence on gross income, with… Read More
2018-09-18 19:54
You know that always cheerful, chipper coworker whom you wish somedays would turn down the sunbeam while you’re grumpily reaching for your coffee and mulling over the giant pile of pap… Read More
2018-09-13 17:42
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve states that we forget 40% of new information 24 hours after we learn it - a key factor in why sales training reinforcement is important. ATD affirms the vital… Read More
2018-09-12 18:09
There’s a surprising amount of research on neuroscience in areas related to sales – it’s becoming a field of increasing interest as companies and academia seek to understan… Read More
2018-09-05 22:55
When sales managers think of using gamification in sales, they often default to sales contests. While those are certainly competitions with prizes for wins, we consider contests to be separa… Read More
2018-08-29 18:51
In their preface to their 2016 report, “The Future of Jobs”, the World Economic Forum notes that we’re at the beginning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, powered by adva… Read More
2018-08-28 21:56
While we all know that today’s buyer is much more informed than ever before, doing preliminary research and review to the point where they’re approximately 60% of the way through… Read More
2018-08-23 17:27
Ask 10 different sales professionals whether it’s better to sell a customer on logic or emotion, and most of them will probably say you need to use both. But Gerald Zaltman, professor… Read More
2018-08-16 23:32
The story of Benjamin Franklin is one of our most American – and not only because he’s one of the country’s Founding Fathers. Born into poverty in a family of 17 children… Read More
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