Nadine Keller · Entrepreneurship & Business Development Expert

Let’s be honest – we have been boring each other for years – at client conferences, at finals presentations, internal strategy meetings and sales conferences.

It amazes me how low the bar actually is in corporate America when it comes to how we present to each other.

One of the reasons I believe we don’t get better is because we really don’t have to. We can and have been successful droning through the PowerPoint that no one can really see. We can and have been successful closing deals with a nine pound pitch book that is more about us than the client. And we can and have been suc…

Fear resonates in today’s market. The resulting reality is that few of us are anxious to buy anything when confronted with headlines riddled with phrases like “freezing credit,” and “worst economic situation since the Depression.”

So, what’s a salesperson to do when buyers aren’t in the mood to buy? The obvious answer may seem to be work harder, make more calls, cut prices, and push for the close. But this approach may actually be counter-productive. The smart answer is to first relax, and then strategize. Here’s how:

1. Decide to focus on the opportunity. Despite the headlines…