Tips on the Final Presentation & Closing the Deal

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Wed, Nov 30, 2016

It all comes down to this..

  • The 13 week sales cycle ends a day like today
  • Final Tufts management presentations today and next Wednesday
  • Close the deals today and next week successfully, and everyone goes home with high marks

When I first started teaching Marketing at Tufts 10 years ago, I knew that I had to do something different because there was no way that I would hold the attention of 30 bright Millennials, who were not majoring in marketing, past one class, let alone 13.  So, I took best practices that I had learned from Professor Jung-Hoon Chun at MIT, and, at that time, my 10 years of teaching business planning and marketing in his mechanical engineering course, where I continue to lecture.  Those best practices provide...  

Read More

Tags: sales coach, sales management coach, sales tools

Technology, Thanksgiving & Togetherness

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Thu, Nov 24, 2016

As a 7th generation Vermonter, other than my years living overseas in the Peace Corps, I've always found my way back to the Green Mountain State for the celebration of Thanksgiving. Probably not a DNA thing, since none of my relatives live here anymore, but mostly, it's a Thanksgiving tradition thing and a welcoming back of friends on the slopes of Stratton, where I've been coming every Thanksgiving ever since it opened. 

This morning's trip from the NH beach to the bustling town of Bondville, (pop. 647), known for being the oldest summer fair in Vermont, took just three hours (ayah...can't get theah from heah) which always makes me think about how technology advances have changed our Thanksgivings. 

Read More

Tags: sales tools, entrepreneurship, thanksgiving

"What Wakes Me Up in the Middle of the Night"

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Tue, Nov 15, 2016


Last week was Not a time for sleep!

In addition to my two "day jobs" of running our firm in Boston and teaching at Tufts, I spent hours and hours last week preparing for and then actually voting in my quirky little NH seacoast town.

More than anything else, standing out in the 35 degree Tuesday morning cold at 8:00 AM while waiting in line and sharing free coffee and hand made pastries from the local PTA, once again, I realized that this election process is a true testament to both "The American Way",...and also why New Hampshire is lovingly labeled "The Live Free or Die State". 

 

All of this may not be perfect, but, it sure works more than the alternatives.  Both the running of the country and the running of our businesses are fueled by growth, and it's time to put the election process behind us and get back to growing our companies.  

 

 

Read More

Tags: sales productivity, sales enablement, sales plans

Jack, I love that strategy stuff, but I'm way too busy!

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Thu, Nov 03, 2016

Rich Horwath, CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, found in his recent research that...

Read More

Tags: sales plans, strategic planning, sales planning meetings

How to Use Marketing to Get Ahead of the Competition…While You Still Can

Posted by John Routhier on Tue, Nov 01, 2016

Every industry faces competition and a disruption in the market.  The wikipedia definition of disruptive innovation is, “an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leaders and alliances.”  

Read More

Tags: marketing, marketing plans, SEO