Blogs from Art Waskey

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Is It Time to Expand Your Business?

Central to any good business plan is the possibility of expanding. I am working with a distributor who asked me to advise him on adding a new branch store. When I was part of a distributorship’s executive team we often met to discuss adding more locations. We found...

Ease, Efficiency, and AI

Ease, Efficiency, and AI It’s hard to underestimate the power of AI. It is adding another layer of sophistication to the digitally transformed world. By enabling businesses to analyze data quickly, AI allows companies to offer their products and services more easily...

AI is here — get on board!

The word is out – or I should say, its initials are — AI. AI is dominating discussions in distribution, from webcasts to conferences. It's reshaping your industry—time to embrace it and stay ahead. Digitize as fast as you can. The benefits of AI Here are some of the...

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Featured

Handling Success Wisely

Being in a leadership position is an honor we work toward, but once there, you may find yourself unsure of how you go about handling success. Have you ever found yourself proud to be put in charge,...

Strategic Communication

Implementation Forming and implementing an effective strategic plan is challenging. It takes building a good leadership team and developing a well-thought-out plan. However, the implementation of...

Outside Sales Is Switching Positions

I was fortunate to be part of the glory days of an outside distributor sales team. We built strong customer relationships. Using our technical skills, metric reviews, planned vendor calls, and...
Guarding the Buyer’s Best Interest

Guarding the Buyer’s Best Interest

My sales career has been in an industry that provides essential products. Sometimes those products can be in short supply, which makes customers...

Developing Strategic Partnerships

Developing Strategic Partnerships

I recently interviewed a man who had been the VP of Sales for a national manufacturer. The company he represented sold through a network of...

Ready to Pivot to Online Meetings ?

Ready to Pivot to Online Meetings ?

Were you able to pivot to online meetings when the pandemic closed traditional sales channels? The owner of a high performance car engine...

Winning New Business

Winning New Business

Unseating the Competition Customers get comfortable with their existing suppliers and this makes it difficult to unseat the competition and win new...

What’s in Your Funnel?

What’s in Your Funnel?

The tactical presentation Selling involves strategy and the driver of any good tactical plan is a robust sales funnel. For a sales presentation to...

What’s Your Sales Strategy?

What’s Your Sales Strategy?

Selling Involves Strategy Like a good game of chess, selling involves strategy and paying careful attention to all the moving pieces.  I worked...

Solving a Sales Dilemma

Solving a Sales Dilemma

A client came to me for advice on a sales dilemma. One of his customers was expanding his business and needed to purchase a couple of hundred...

Job Guidance

Job Guidance

Daunted By New Responsibilities Are you in a new leadership position and feeling the need for some job guidance? As a master coach, I recently...

Gearing up to Hire

Gearing up to Hire

There is bright news on the horizon and companies find themselves gearing up to hire additional staff. As the vaccines for COVID-19 are approved and...

Recap, Review, Realign

Recap, Review, Realign

To effectively plan for the New Year of business, it is important to recap your transactions in 2020, review their effectiveness, and realign your...

How to gain customer commitment

How to gain customer commitment

A rep came to me with the news that he was finally making headway with a prospect, but had trouble with them making the commitment. His new contact...

Building a Business Relationship

Building a Business Relationship

Stalled conversations One of my reps was finding it difficult to engage his prospects and build the relationship.  Seeking my counsel he explained,...

4 Elements to Overcoming Inexperience

4 Elements to Overcoming Inexperience

The seasoned salesperson knows where he/she is going and how to get there. It’s typical, however, to those new to the profession to feel insecure....

Building Self-confidence

Building Self-confidence

Self-esteem can be a bit of a misnomer as it often does not come entirely from within. The process of building self-confidence requires the support...

The Efficient Home Office

The Efficient Home Office

Many of the sales managers and reps I advise have commented that working from home during this pandemic has made them more efficient. This has come...

Shifting Sales and Service Channels

Shifting Sales and Service Channels

Stay Flexible with your Service Channels I recently went to the hardware store to purchase some plumbing supplies for a home project. I was delayed...

Treat Them All the Same

Treat Them All the Same

Now that I am no longer a Vice President at a well-established welding and gas distributor, I find it interesting to note how some people treat me...

Selling to a Unique Interest

Selling to a Unique Interest

Selling is about developing trust that evolves into long-term personal relationships.  I find it most difficult to get past the initial...

It All Starts Inside You

It All Starts Inside You

Stay Positive and Busy I recently received a call from a successful and highly skilled sales executive. I had watched him grow his base of quality...