Thursday, April 20th, 2023

Questions, questions, questions!

How and why we ask questions is important. The twins of curiosity and ignorance Dr Marlys Witte is “a surgeon without hands”1, a researcher and educator of medical students and the self-proclaimed mother of the “medical ignorance” movement. She has not just adopted the Socratic method of educating through questions; her medical education model also develops the capability to be… 

Thursday, September 29th, 2022

Making conflict work

While conflict needs to be managed well, it can also be productive. Conflict is a frequent challenge among business relationships with customers, partners and suppliers. Inside organisations, conflicts within teams and cross-functionally are also common, yet sales professionals often feel ill-equipped to manage conflict well. Unresolved conflict can spread and grow, and result in stress and well-being issues for those… 

Monday, January 10th, 2022

Creating an effective coaching culture

How embedded is coaching in your organisation? Introduction In the past few decades, coaching has become an established professional learning method. Some sales organisations have dedicated staff coaches, but leaders tend to underuse coaching to tap into the full potential and motivation of their teams. Frequently job ads for sales leaders include the requirement to coach; however, many feel underequipped,… 

Monday, July 26th, 2021

The gift of anxiety

Perhaps surprisingly, the nature of anxiety means that it offers an inherent opportunity for personal and professional growth. In high-value and complex B2B sales, ambitious sales targets and growth plans are common. Typically, sales professionals are measured on outcomes they can control only to a certain extent. As they mature in their career, many develop ways of managing sales pressure… 

Friday, February 26th, 2021

Team tenure

Why understanding team tenure can be a key to healthy sales-team dynamics and a rapid alignment of teams. The longer a team has spent together with the same composition of team members, the more harmonious interpersonal relationships become. The shared experience builds trust and psychological safety, leading to smoother team processes, more effective use of resources and increased team performance… 

Tuesday, November 10th, 2020

Mapping out the solution

Here’s how to use “systemic intelligence” collaboratively. Article summary Let’s face it! We all need as much as help as possible in the current business climate. Systemic Maps are coaching tools that sales leaders can use for faster problem-solving and more effective decision-making. In this article, we explore “mapping” as a tool, in the sense of a fast and powerful…