Sales has long been likened to a competitive sport, where dominance, expertise, and force are seen as the keys to success. But what if impactful selling isn’t about overpowering objections, but about redirecting and flowing with them? Drawing inspiration from the martial art of Aikido, we explore how embracing balance, agility, and empathy can redefineContinue reading “The power of “I don’t know””
Category Archives: Learning
Montreux and AI
What does Montreux—a serene Swiss town nestled by Lake Léman—have to do with Artificial Intelligence? At first glance, nothing. But let me explain… Last week, I was invited to speak at a conference in Lyon about the transformative impact of AI on the sales profession. To frame my talk, I posed three essential questions: The audienceContinue reading “Montreux and AI”
Reclaiming Your Pace: Lessons from the Highway
ot too long ago, I found myself on the highway, eager to embrace the freedom of driving at my preferred speed of 140 km/h. I engaged my adaptive cruise control, excited for a smooth ride ahead. However, the experience didn’t unfold quite as I expected.
As I cruised along, another car entered my lane…
The Salesperson of Yesterday: Rediscovering the Essence of Commerce in a Digital World
In the fast-paced business world, we often romanticize the *salesperson of yesterday*, imagining a bygone era of personal connections, simpler transactions, and trusted relationships. But here’s a provocative idea: *the salesperson of yesterday never existed.* What we understand today as the role of a salesperson is, in fact, a relatively new concept, born outContinue reading “The Salesperson of Yesterday: Rediscovering the Essence of Commerce in a Digital World”
Redefining Success in Sales: Why Winning Isn’t What You Think
Imagine a world where the scoreboard in sales doesn’t just tally wins and losses. It’s easy to fixate on the rush of closing a deal, but what if I told you that’s a narrow view of success? In the high-stakes world of sales, the thrill of closing a deal can often overshadow the true essenceContinue reading “Redefining Success in Sales: Why Winning Isn’t What You Think”
Reimagining Sales: How AI Brings Modern Sales Professionals Back to Their Roots
In the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, sales became a specialized profession. Unlike the multifaceted tradesmen of ancient Mediterranean civilizations, modern sales professionals often focus exclusively on selling, leaving other aspects of commerce—like sourcing, production, and logistics—to separate departments. However, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents an opportunity to reintegrate these functions, enabling salesContinue reading “Reimagining Sales: How AI Brings Modern Sales Professionals Back to Their Roots”
Reflections on VivaTech 2024: A Deep Dive into Innovation and Human Values
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the VivaTech exhibition, one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. The experience was both enlightening and provocative, offering a window into the current state and future direction of technology and innovation. Here are some of my key takeaways: The Mental Health Gap One ofContinue reading “Reflections on VivaTech 2024: A Deep Dive into Innovation and Human Values”
How to Help Sales Teams Focus on Learning Instead of Their Numbers?
In the high-stakes world of sales, where quotas and targets often reign supreme, it’s easy for sales teams to lose sight of what truly drives success: continuous learning and growth. Just like students who are fixated on grades, sales professionals can become overly focused on meeting numerical goals rather than honing their skills and understandingContinue reading “How to Help Sales Teams Focus on Learning Instead of Their Numbers?”
Modern Salespeople Seeking the Virtues of Ancient Tradesmen
Contrary to popular belief, the concept of sales didn’t emerge as a distinct profession until relatively recently. In ancient times, instead of dedicated salespeople, there were tradesmen who handled both the financing, purchasing, marketing, distribution and sales of goods. These tradesmen, predominantly men due to societal norms of the time, played a crucial role inContinue reading “Modern Salespeople Seeking the Virtues of Ancient Tradesmen”
Going Beyond Competition
In a world fueled by comparison and competition, it’s not uncommon to find individuals fixated on outdoing their peers, surpassing benchmarks set by others, and constantly striving to be at the top of their game. Recently, during a conversation with a salesperson, I was confronted with the stark reality of this mentality. This salesperson, visiblyContinue reading “Going Beyond Competition”
Learning for Performance 