We've all seen list after list of things we need to do to increase our sales in 2012. This article provides consultative selling expert Mark Hunter's list of 7 things salespeople should NOT do.

It's difficult enough generating interest on calls, yet many salespeople make it worse by saying things that are sure to create resistance. Anything that could potentially create resistance blows your tires out before you leave the garage. Even if you spark some interest, the resistance might overwhelm it.

Four words commonly used in sales and marketing today can have a devastating effect on your sales results. We use these words to describe our offerings and assume the prospective buyer knows exactly what we mean. However, definitions vary widely and miscommunication can be disastrous.

Identifying the elements that make up credibility is important because a high score on one or two elements does not guarantee a high credibility rating. It's the interplay between elements that matters. Once you know the elements and see your strengths and weakness, you can take positive steps to boost your credibility in the eyes of others.

Companies refer to numerous different kinds of training as "sales training." Unfortunately, the sales skills portion of the training (and the related practice) is often insufficient to provide you with any sense of confidence when you start working with real, live prospects and customers. How can you overcome this challenge that is faced by all new salespeople?

Ever have that prospect who doesn't follow through with what they promised to do by the next call? Don't just say, "I'll give you a call back in a few days." Take advantage of the situation and get them involved!

People buy you for their reasons, not for your reasons. So, when we sell people on why they should like us, it backfires. However, when they choose to buy you for their reasons, it creates a powerful connection and a relationship that makes almost anything possible!

One of the most misunderstood marketing concepts is branding. In reality, the brand is absolutely everything, every touchpoint, every action, every message. It represents the entire company or organization -- including the office, the staff... and, yes, you.

Does life teach us about selling or does selling teach us about life? No doubt, it works both ways. But the business of sales and those who find their careers in selling, are unique. Selling involves full engagement and the most successful salespeople agree that they never really leave it; that selling is in fact, a way of life.

In the beginning I took on any client that was breathing, had some cash, and was remotely interested in working with me, despite sometimes having a strong feeling in my gut that I was doing the wrong thing and might regret it. Lo and behold, every single time I took on one of these Non-Ideal Clients, I regretted it. This article describes seven surefire signs of clients to avoid and how to gracefully invite any Non-Ideal Clients to take their business elsewhere.

The best approach to win business from a competitor is to engage the prospect in a two-way conversation. You see, prospects often say "I'm happy with my supplier," because it's an easy way to get rid of a salesperson. Jumping into a pitch at this point not only falls on deaf ears, it's unwise because you don't yet know anything about them.

"Whales" (big company prospects) are afraid of smaller companies; they feel safer with other big companies like themselves. So the key is to allay their fears by controlling the "aperture of perception" - show them many signs that look like, sound like, and feel like "big." This article will show you how to do it.

Consultative Selling is a sales process, not a lead generation system. Is Consultative Selling the right fit for you? The three factors discussed in this article will help you decide.

If you want to improve sales performance (either your own sales performance or your sales team's performance) start by taking a close look at what you (or your salespeople) do and how you (or your salespeople) do it.

When all you offer is a "take it or leave it" proposition, some number of people will inevitably choose to "leave it." On the other hand, when you offer several viable options for people to choose from, they are much more likely to choose to buy from you!

Weeds steal water and nutrients from desirable plants and keep them from thriving. If you just remove the visible part of a weed, it may grow back. This points out the importance of going deep into the ground to destroy the root.