I am the TrashMan...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Thu, Aug 30, 2012

It’s been a superb summer!  Simply…superb…no better word.

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, Sales Optimization, sales, sales management, sales management effectiveness, sales plan process, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales planning, sales tools, selling, improved sales management, sales management training, selling skills, closing sales, Sales quota, sales training, sales plans

Rhythm of the Seasons...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Wed, Aug 22, 2012

To a fault (yea, I know, I have many), I'm a big believer in the rhythm of business and the rhythm of the seasons.  Maybe as a confirmed 6th generation Vermonter, paying attention to the seasonal ebb and flow becomes a necessity living in an environment which only has two seasons:  "snow" and "bad sleddin' ".  In reality, Vermonters actually live with at least 7 different seasons which include "Mud", "Hayin'", and "Summa' Tourist" intermixed among the Big 4. 

At my house on the NH coast, the year is divided much more simply into the seasons of "Beach", which is anything above 55 degrees and "No Beach", which includes hats, heavy jackets and the necessity to keep walking fast.  Yesterday Jack, my favorite lifeguard who just happens to be a software marketing guru in his alter ego real life, pointed out that there were only 7 more days before the season ended, to which I responded... "What the heck are you talking about???"  But, sadly, he's right.  Jack's starting a great job next week with a big corporate powerhouse in Boston, the kids are back to school, my teaching at MIT and Tufts starts the first week in  September, and I'll soon be back to my daily 4:00 AM morning commute to the Boston office.

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, sales, sales management, sales management effectiveness, sales plan process, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales planning, sales tools, selling, improved sales management, selling skills, closing sales, sales training, sales plans

Reinventing & Rethinking...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Mon, Aug 20, 2012

Who's the Best?

Lots of interesting comments from my last blog on the Rolling Stones.  Everything from “You’re showing your age”, to “How can you put the Stones ahead of the Beatles…Bruce…Zeppelin…Hendrix…Black Eyed Peas...and so on?”   Since I wanted to get everyone thinking about how to keep themselves and their sales personas young, it looks like from all of the emails that I received that I hit a cord.   Sometime this fall, I’ll follow up with my favorite/most successful individual artist.   Someone who, like the Stones, is highly successful, always on the edge and keeps reinventing themselves...but is much younger.

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, Sales Optimization, sales, sales management, sales management effectiveness, sales plan process, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales planning, sales tools, selling, sales management training, selling skills, sales optomization, Sales quota, sales training, sales plans

Back to School...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Fri, Aug 10, 2012

I made the mistake of walking into Staples yesterday and was instantly slapped upside the head with Back to School sales, banners, specials and every possible promotion on pencils, paper, and...yes, even staples.  I'm still warming up for more reading time on the beach while my fellow sandmates are counting the days until their kids head back to school at the end of this month. 

Read More

Tags: sales management effectiveness, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales optomization

The Rolling Stones...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Tue, Aug 07, 2012

No question that the Stones are the greatest rock band in music history...and least in my world.  They’ve released 24 studio albums, done nine concert albums and have album sales estimated at more than 200 million worldwide.  But most importantly, they’re still at it, still writing, still rocking and still living large.  As the Stones celebrate their 50th year as a band, and Mick and Keith both turn 70, there are talks of another world tour.  And, if there is, I’m in the front row, as usual.  Never missed a U.S. tour, and I don’t plan to for what might be the last one, but then I said that about both the Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge tours.

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, Sales Optimization, sales, sales management, sales management effectiveness, sales plan process, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales planning, sales tools, selling, improved sales management, sales management training, selling skills, closing sales, Sales quota, sales training, sales plans, leadership, finding sales jobs

Dilbert & Business Plans...and Sales

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Thu, Aug 02, 2012

I've been a student of the comics forever and well remember waiting dutifully for my father to come every night and hand me the Boston Traveler, which I then immediately thumbed to the funnies.  Today, I'm still addicted to the comics although it's my iPad now that delivers my daily fix, since my daily download of BostonGlobe.com sadly does not include the comics.  Dilbert continues to be one of my favorites for the simple reason that the parallels to daily business life are so close to reality that they either make me laugh or cringe.

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, Sales Optimization, sales, sales management, sales management effectiveness, sales plan process, sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales planning, sales tools, selling, improved sales management, sales management training, selling skills, sales optomization, closing sales, Sales quota, sales training, sales plans, management, business tools, business planning, business coaching, strategic planning