Question: Do I have to collect sales tax for out-of-state sales? It depends, and it’s complicated. State governments would like to collect as much sales tax as possible and, with declining revenues over the last several years, are looking to every possible source.
Read More
It’s easy in sales to fall into a bit of a battle-worn mindset. Salespeople face rejection, get stood-up, are misunderstood, get taken advantage of, are shopped, make the sale and then don’t get paid—or get paid way beyond terms. It’s amazing that more individuals in sales don’t suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Or maybe we do.
Read More
For some people, setting sales goals is not a waste of time. It’s all about perceptions, really—perceptions that empower and motivate you—and about being in control.
Read More
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “timing is everything.” When selling promotional products, very often it’s the person that calls at just the right time that gets the sale. Want to be that salesperson?
Read More
One of our biggest challenges is the question of how we can help those promotional product reps actually closing the sales and working with limited resources make it part of their decision to deliver safe and socially compliant product? It’s all in the balance of risk and reward.
Read More
I’ve never been a huge hockey fan, and even living in Boston as the Bruins fought for the Cup, I just could not get into it. But I will admit, I have always liked the phrase “hat trick.”
Read More
How often do you sell something just to make the sale? How often do you approach a supplier at a show and ask “Whatʼs new?” Do you ever show your clients something because you get a special bonus or extra profit for selling it?
If so, you are lucky that no one ever gets sued for malpractice in our business. If so, you are a part of the problem that causes our industry to be perceived as the “t” and “t” words (or worse).
Read More
A sale is not a sale until the check clears. We often seem to forget that and think it ends when we have left the client’s office with the order in our hand. Actually, that might be when the sale really begins.
Read More
The ice cream shop, Baskin Robins, made pink spoons famous. You can walk into the shop and sample any flavor, before purchase, on a little pink spoon. As an ice cream lover, I always enjoy sampling new flavors and coming back for more, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Read More
As a business coach for the promotional products industry I hear lots of challenges that promotional sales professionals are facing. Here’s a recent dilemma that a new coaching client came to me with. Perhaps you can relate.
Read More