How to Beat Parkinson’s Law
Before I describe what Parkinson’s Law is, let me give you an example that you might be able to relate to. If you give yourself the whole day to clean out the garage… congratulations, you’ve just booked yourself a full-day event. Coffee breaks. Rediscovering old hockey sticks. “Organizing” a box of wires you’ll never use […]
A.I. Can’t Solve Your Skills Problem
Welcome Northbound’s Newest Team Member
Kristy McGraw is Northbound’s new Business Development Representative and brings tremendous sales experience from several very competitive industries. Her specialty is prospecting for new clients where her skill & tenacity will be put to good use in helping Northbound expand. Kristy hails from our nation’s capital, Ottawa, but because training can be delivered remotely via […]
If You’re Not Tracking It, It’s Just a Wish
Let’s start with a hard truth: hope is not a sales strategy. Yet every year, thousands of salespeople wake up, “feel busy,” talk to a few prospects, update the CRM when they remember, and assume the quarter will magically work out. Then they act shocked when it doesn’t. Sales is a performance profession. And in […]
New Year’s Resolutions: Why Most of Them Die Faster Than a Cold Call on Friday at 4:59
By Michael Caron, President, Northbound Sales Training At Northbound Sales Training, we don’t call them resolutions but every year at around this time, I hear salespeople set their sales goals for the year. And every January, I hear sales professionals of my clients make the same bold resolutions.“I’m going to prospect every day.”“I’m going to […]
Five Strategies to Deal with Gatekeepers
Who gets through and who doesn’t? Only the gatekeeper for the decision maker decides! When attempting to contact your important decision maker, at Northbound a person we like to call The Big Cheese, it can be very frustrating to have a gatekeeper “get in the way”. Naturally, the larger the organization, the more likely that […]
Questions Are the Answer
By Michael Caron In our business, we are often asked, “What is the biggest mistake salespeople make?” Of course, we tend to term them “opportunity areas” rather than “mistakes” but whatever you want to call them, the most common is the area of questioning. The second area that goes hand-in-hand with number one would be […]
Presenting Like a Pro(ish): Tips for Salespeople Who Want to Actually Keep Their Audience Awake
Let’s be honest: most sales presentations fall somewhere between “mildly forgettable” and “I wish I had faked a dentist appointment.” But in B2B sales, delivering an engaging face-to-face presentation is one of the most powerful ways to build trust, demonstrate value, and prove you’re not just another person with a deck full of stock photos […]
How not to practice!
In B2B sales, there is one universal truth that separates top performers from the people who talk a lot about being top performers on LinkedIn: practice. I’m consistently shocked when I hear from salespeople how much time they spend – or don’t spend – practicing their craft. Can you imagine a sports team without regular […]
6 LinkedIn Profile Tips for Salespeople
1. Craft a Customer-Focused Headline Instead of just listing your job title (e.g., Sales Executive at Northbound Sales Training), use the headline to show who you help and how.Example: “Helping B2B Sales Leaders Build Stronger, More Consistent Sales Teams | Sales Development Specialist at Northbound Sales Training” 2. Write a “Story” Summary That Builds Credibility Your “About” section should […]