Voice of Value Blog

From the CEO's Desk In the Voice of Value blog, President & CEO Julie Thomas covers the latest B2B selling trends alongside proven ValueSelling concepts.

Three Keys to Successful Sales Negotiations

When you hear the word negotiation, what comes to mind? It likely conjures images of your CRM, a ring light shining in your eyes, a giant cup of cold brew and a computer monitor covered in sticky notes. Your palms might even start to sweat a little at the thought — and that’s only natural.

The Value of Thinking Like an Executive

As many of you know, our headquarters is in Southern California — an area famed for its breathtaking coastline, beautiful beaches, fantastic restaurants and traffic, lots of it.

Creating Anxiety Without Going Over the Edge

The pressure on Olympic athletes is staggering. One false start can send a sprinter or hurdler home. That’s all it takes to destroy more than four years of labor and dedication — and yet, these incredible athletes come back after another four years of hard work.

O-P-C: The Framework for Asking Thoughtful Questions

Pitchverb; gerund or present participle: pitchingto throw or fling roughly or casually."He crumpled the can and threw it into the alley."By definition, “pitching" is done without care and often ends with a lackluster result. While the definition we use in sales may be more targeted, the outcome is the same.

O-P-C: The Framework for Asking Thoughtful Questions

Pitch verb; gerund or present participle: pitching to throw or fling roughly or casually. “He crumpled the can and threw it into the alley.” By definition, “pitching” is done without care and often ends with a lackluster result. While the definition we use in sales may be more targeted, the outcome is the same.

Mastering the Art of Virtual Selling

GUEST: Darrell Amy, Author of the Best-Selling Book, Revenue Growth Engine: How to Align Sales and Marketing to Accelerate Growth

The First Step to Selling Higher: Be Real

When it comes to digital experiences, B2B buyers are drifting through a sea of sameness. In his opening keynote for the recent Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, Brent Adamson shared a shocking statistic: 64% of B2B buyers cannot differentiate one brand’s digital experience from another’s. Yikes.

Busy Sellers ≠ Sales Results

Remember the old adage of the elevator sales rep? The long and short of it is this: An elevator company hires a salesperson. He immediately identifies all of the new construction in his territory and goes after everything, relentlessly — only no opportunities move forward.

Why Your Revenue Pipeline Has Run Dry

It’s time to get back to basics. That means developing the sales prospecting techniques to reliably fill the pipeline with qualified opportunities. Here’s a real-world example of what I’m talking about.

Why Your Revenue Pipeline Has Run Dry

It’s time to get back to basics. That means developing the sales prospecting techniques to reliably fill the pipeline with qualified opportunities. Here’s a real-world example of what I’m talking about.

2020: What Winning Sales Organizations Did Differently

As you well know, 2020 had a tremendous impact on sales leaders, salespeople, and learning and development professionals. The rapid shift to virtual selling and the collapsing delta between B2B and B2C buying behaviors fundamentally changed how most of us interact with customers and prospects — and the results weren’t always pretty.

What’s on my mind as we settle into Q1? Renewals.

Renewals, especially when it comes to the “as a service” business model. After all, we’re living in a subscription-based world. A friend of mine just had a baby, and she gets her baby food via subscription. That’s how I get my multi-vitamins. We even have an associate who’s wild about a sock subscription service!

Be the Best Choice by Differentiating on Value

The changing sales cycle now involves remote selling, digital buying, and plenty of internet research. Within a sea of competition, how do you stand out

5 Motivational Strategies to Get You in Gear for the New Year

As we enter a new year, it’s a time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. This year especially, most of us are ready to turn the page and focus on what’s ahead. Here’s our advice to get you motivated, invigorated, and ready to start the new year!

The “Why” Behind the “Buy”

How can you differentiate your company’s solution, especially in a crowded or commoditized market? First, you must recognize that being different is not the same as being differentiated. Being different is merely a tally of your unique capabilities and attributes. Differentiation means you successfully connect your unique capabilities to your individual prospect’s problems.

How to Avoid the “P” Word

How do you have a conversation with a prospect that focuses on value, rather than the “P” word – price? We all understand that price will be a consideration when making a purchase, but when you compete solely on price, you’ve pigeon-holed your offering as a commodity. The first step to competing on value is to make sure your solution is differentiated in the buyer’s mind.

The Science of Customer Connections

GUEST: Dr. Jim Karrh, Consultant and Professional Speaker at Karrh & Associates and Author of The Science of Customer Connections

Finding Meaning: Significance vs. Success

GUEST: Aaron Walker, Professional Life & Business Coach, Mastermind Group Facilitator, Coach and Trusted Advisor at View From The Top

Why Sales Discovery is Not only an Up-front Process

While curiosity may have killed the cat, it also helped the sales rep close the deal … Successful sales professionals are curious by nature. They are interested in learning about their prospect’s business, their circumstances, challenges, and the situations in which they find themselves. When sales reps authentically engage with a human-to-human connection, they are much more effective than reps who only focus on presenting and pitching their solution.

Getting over the Objection Hurdles

Most salespeople dread objections. Objections from prospects that typically surface toward the end of the sales process can feel like a roadblock to success. Although you may see objections as signs that your prospect is not going to move forward to purchase your solution, try to shift your perspective.

Never Underestimate the Power of Communication

As toddlers, if we are around other humans…we can’t help but learn to communicate. We all learn how. But we could all benefit from doing it more effectively.
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