"The Navigator" News Blog

The Character Diagnosis: Why Sales Is the Only Department Blamed for Its People Instead of Its System

Here’s something I want to credit to Robin Wesolowski at Covisian, who gave me a genius insight and named a pattern I’ve been circling for years. When any other department in a company struggles, upper management’s … Continue reading The Character Diagnosis: Why Sales Is the Only Department Blamed for Its People Instead of Its System →

Sales Is Becoming a Delayed-Gratification Profession — And Most People Hate That

I commented last week on a post by Brian Wells, a building materials sales leader, and it’s been rattling around in my head ever since. Brian asked a pointed question: does anyone in sales leadership actually … Continue reading Sales Is Becoming a Delayed-Gratification Profession — And Most People Hate That →

The Favor Bank: The Account Every Salesperson Has and Most People Overdraw

Every salesperson has a favor bank with every customer and every prospect. You don’t see it, it never shows up on a report, it’s impossible to log in CRM, there aren’t any KPI’s around it, and … Continue reading The Favor Bank: The Account Every Salesperson Has and Most People Overdraw →

The Least Sexy Topic in Sales Is the One Everything Else Depends On

I ran a webinar last month on the Waters — the layer of the Navigator’s Chart that deals with how buyers have changed and what that means for the way you sell. Attendance was low. Genuinely … Continue reading The Least Sexy Topic in Sales Is the One Everything Else Depends On →

You Can’t Hit a Target You Can’t Describe

I ask a simple question in almost every Diagnostic call I do: “Who’s your ideal customer?” It’s not a trick question, and I’m not looking for anything clever. I just want to hear it in a … Continue reading You Can’t Hit a Target You Can’t Describe →

Belief Doesn’t Close Sales. Evidence Does.

There’s a school of sales thought that’s been around for as long as I’ve been in this business, and it goes something like this: to succeed in sales, you have to believe. Believe in your company. … Continue reading Belief Doesn’t Close Sales. Evidence Does. →

Building From Zero: The Salesperson’s Guide to LinkedIn Nobody Actually Gives You

Every traditional way a salesperson used to find new business is dying at the same time, and it’s worth being honest about how far gone they are. The phone still works in some industries, and I’m … Continue reading Building From Zero: The Salesperson’s Guide to LinkedIn Nobody Actually Gives You →

Have Entire Groups of Salespeople Doomed Themselves?

I’ve been thinking about the future of the selling profession quite a bit lately, and I’m not the only one. I first wrote about this question back in 2012, when the prediction making the rounds was … Continue reading Have Entire Groups of Salespeople Doomed Themselves? →

It’s 2026 – Do You Know Where Your Buyers Are?

There used to be a public service announcement that ran on television late at night: “It’s 10 PM – do you know where your children are?” The idea was simple, which was that a lot of … Continue reading It’s 2026 – Do You Know Where Your Buyers Are? →

Your Customer May Not Know What Success Looks Like – And That’s Your Job to Fix

I spend a lot of time talking about how the most important thing in a sale is to define “success” in your customer’s terms, but it occurs to me that I’ve never gone into much detail … Continue reading Your Customer May Not Know What Success Looks Like – And That’s Your Job to Fix →