You don’t have to be perfect, but you must be honest. A business acquaintance who started a new career as a financial services agent emailed me recently to request a meeting. I responded that my finances were handled by a longtime, trusted adviser. I was open to hearing about her new opportunity and to helping if possible, but not to a sales call. Was she comfortable with that? According to…

Why prospects dig in their heels—and how to work around it. Have you ever had to tell a little kid they couldn’t do something? If it’s something they’re really into, then the response you got was likely a strong look of defiance, maybe hands on hips and a spirited “no, you can’t make me.” In fact, the harder you pushed, the harder they pushed back—until one of you collapsed into…

President James Madison observed that “the circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money.” In prospecting, confidence and sales revenue are inextricably linked—the circulation of confidence leads to the circulation of money. Although it takes practice, the irony of building sales confidence is that it’s not entirely about you. The more you express genuine interest in your prospects, the less you focus on yourself and the more confident you feel….