Author Archives: Michael McGaulley

At last!

non-verbal communication No Comments

A few weeks ago, I expressed my frustration in getting the new series of sales training books up by quoting Yogi Berra: "Things take longer than they do." Still true, but now I'd add a corollary: "And sometimes things take not only longer than they do, but even longer than you can ever imagine!"

In any case, the three new sales books are finally out, as you'll see in the column on the left. (How to Sell Face-to-Face Survival Guide (for people very new to, and maybe a little intimidated by, the thought of selling face-to-face); Sales Training Tutorials (more detailed, with more advanced guidance); and Sales Presentations and Demonstrations. 

(Alas, there's still a small glitch:  as of this moment, Amazon is showing the cover for Sales Survival Guide both for that book as well as for Sales Presentations, which has a green cover.  "Within the week it'll be fixed" — so I'm told.)

By way of celebration, I'll be putting up free sample chapters within the next few days. (That is, samples beyond the free sections available via the link at the top of the left column.)

That said, this blog has been in semi-hibernation while waiting for the books, and now will begin adding fresh material. 

“Opportunity” entrepreneur or “necessity” entrepreneur?

Sales training Selling skills for new business start-ups No Comments

Sunday's New York Times (August 23, 2009) ran an article apropos to this blog, and I thought you might want to check it out.  The title is "Unemployment can lead to entrepreneurship," with a secondary title of "On to Plan B: Starting a Business." 

Continue reading → “Opportunity” entrepreneur or “necessity” entrepreneur?

Sales courtesies and customs, part #1

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Seems to me there's too much emphasis these days on "social networking" as a business-building tool.  Not just Facebook and Twitter and all of those ways of getting your name out, but the plain old networking— going to civic clubs and business expos and handing out your business card.

All of that is well and good (provided it doesn't take over your life, as I'm hearing about some of the online social networkers/addicts).

But it's not enough to have your name out there and recognizable:  even more important is to have a GOOD name, one that carries a positive aura.  We'll be focusing on that issue in this and the next item in this series.

Continue reading → Sales courtesies and customs, part #1

“Want a recession-proof job? Think direct sales”

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"Want a recession-proof job? Think direct sales"  — that was the front-page above-the-fold cover story in USA Today a while back.  Seemed a story that really should be touched in this blog, so I clipped it and put it in a file . . .  and, as you may have guessed, forgot.

Anyway,  better late than never, here's the link:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2009-05-13-direct-sales-jobs-recession-unemployment_N.htm

Second careers: reinventing yourself

Sales training No Comments

Did you see "Second Careers: Pushed by the recession, millions are making dramatic job changes" — the lead story on USA Today last weekend?  (July31-Aug2, 2009) or this link:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2009-07-30-recession-change-jobs_N.htm

Several case studies of laid-off workers who have either reinvented themselves, or taken advantage of career retraining programs. Among the stories, a former auto-worker who retrained as an intensive care nurse, a Wall Street financial whiz training to be certified as a math teacher, and a real-estate broker moving into computer network administrator.