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Tools can help us work more efficiently so we can sell more and increase our impact.

There are many options for productivity tools out there – it becomes important to find the tools that work best for each individual. Of course, it can take some experimentation to get there. This week on the blog, I share some tools I’ve found to improve my effectiveness and productivity in the sales profession. What are your favorite productivity tools?

One way you can break through in the new sales economy is to build upon your already strong client relationships by cross-selling services. Growing existing relationships is a strategic way to lower your business development costs while increasing overall margins and client loyalty.

In my new guest blog for the National Society of Accountant’s Main Street Practitioner, I share four sure-fire steps to leverage your existing client meetings to uncover new cross-selling opportunities. You can check it out at the link below, and be sure to watch for follow-up articles in the coming months.

Time, motivation, discipline, and energy. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve written about these before. They are the “non-renewables.” With so many demands on our days, some specific approaches can help us to better decide where the resources get allocated.

Modern selling lists are one strategy for helping you focus on your most important activities– and elevate your productivity. These are more than typical “to do” lists. Several of can be used in collaboration with your CRM, and can give you that extra boost of focus.

This week on the blog, I share a few lists to get you started. I share more in my book, The Modern Seller.

As a former sales professional in the tech field turned entrepreneur and consultant, I’ve experienced this first hand. Selling an expertise is more complex than selling a tangible product because prospects can’t see it, touch it, or demo it. On top of that, in the professional services realm, we’re faced with new business development challenges brought on by the new sales economy– like commoditization, falling utilization rates, less loyalty in our client base, pressure to deliver faster ROI, and talent drains. To overcome those challenges, those in professional services need new skillsets.

In a new article for the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ CPA Now, I unwrap the five key skills behind the skills for building a better book of business as a modern business developer. You’ll find it at the link below. And watch for my podcast with PICPAs soon, too.