Lee Novak

Google “what it takes to be a successful salesperson” and one will get 121,000 different perspectives on what it takes to be one. However, in today’s competitive landscape what companies are truly looking for is, the rare individuals who can overachieve the sales and revenue goals, retain and increase the share of wallet of the existing client base and have the ability to drive new business in the unsold prospect arena. Sales Organizations want Magnetic Sales Professionals not simply, successful sales associates. They want individuals who will create a positive legacy and at the same time provide sales results without compromising profits. The attributes of this rare sales specimen are wider, deeper and broader than the average or sales all star which include: Leadership... (more)

Top Ten Benefits of CRM

Would you board a commercial airline if you knew, 1) the plane was lacking a navigational system, 2) you would be flying to the busiest airport in the world without the aid of an air traffic controller or radar, and 3) the pilots would not have any radio contact to direct their take off or landing approach? Most likely not. CRM is not a fad nor is it a way for your company to act as BIG BR... (more)

The True Cost of Not Making a Buying Decision

Dear Lee, Today, after a six month sales cycle that included extensive relationship building, expensive marketing strategies and a detailed return on investment analysis that revealed a monthly savings of $13,347 per month (net after the expense of my new proposal), the client shared that she was inclined to delay the decision by twelve months! Her reasoning? She feels that she can get a ... (more)

Eight Timeless Pearls of Sales Wisdom

Recently a sales mentor of mine from many years ago, named John Tuohy passed away. Mr. Tuohy was an award winning field sales professional in the high tech industry who, had a panoply of tactics and sales strategies that he utilized to sell his products. I was fortunate to have him take a liking to me as a "green pea sales rep" and although he and I worked on two different sales teams at ... (more)

My Quota is Gigantic!

Dear Lee, Last year I was a record setting sales rep at my company selling high tech solutions. Today I received my annual quota for the new year and was shocked to see that my account list shrunk by 10% and my quota is the highest in the company.  I am  very frustrated with this. I attempted to negotiate a reduced quota with my manager but he dismissed my request, saying that he has fu... (more)