Marc Kitz

Articles

Writing on prospecting, differentiation, objections, complex deals and closing.

2026

Handling Objections – Price is too high

Please do not immediately lower your price…when you get this objection an opportunity has been created for you to better understand the client’s perspective. An approach to learning about why you got…

Who is your competition?

Competitors can come in all shapes and sizes. Large opportunities you pursue may attract a variety of competitors and a larger number of them than you are used to seeing. Some ways…

Deals getting close...not closing?

The client is seeing value in your solution, maybe they have mentioned they “would like to partner”…but they have some reason they want to wait…so you feel like the deal is stuck.…

2025

2024

Build client relationships near the holidays

Key contacts at your prospects/clients are naturally changing their mindset toward friends and family as we approach the holidays. What happens? These contacts can become more open and friendly Your competition may…

When to present pricing

Clients push for pricing because that is their basis of comparison. Have you presented pricing too early and regretted it? Here is a process that will help best position what you are…

Customer delays decision, now what?

Most of the time (maybe not in all cases) you do NOT want to completely stop your pursuit and try to reconnect with the customer closer to their decision timeframe...this approach will…

Get customers to commit to a next step!

How many meetings with customers have you left where there was no agreement on the next call or meeting date? How often after meetings are you saying “I wish I had asked…

2023

Before hiring your 1st Sales Rep...

If selling is new and/or uncomfortable for you, immediately hiring a sales rep may not be the right move for your company. Many CEOs/Founders of small companies have hired sales reps that…

Dealing with a gatekeeper?

Sometimes client contacts are reluctant to help. Before you write them off as a gatekeeper, consider that there are varying ways in which client contacts may be comfortable helping. How to start…

Building relationships post sale?

Assuming you have sales goals you are focused on, it is easy to find yourself racing to the next opportunity once a deal is closed. The shortest path to new business is…

Clients delaying scheduling meetings?

I wish there were quick and easy answers on this topic. Suggestions you might find on the internet to, for example, offer a time limit on special pricing (and other similar tactics)…

How a pipeline helps you sell more

Why is having a pipeline to track opportunities important? You are likely juggling priorities, making selling one of many responsibilities. This could help make the most of the time you invest in…

Turning “pilots” into revenue

It is relatively easy to start a “pilot” with a prospective client…particularly if it is at no charge. The common challenge…how to get the client to start paying. Some thoughts on how…

Sales stalled? How to create a sense of urgency

I wish there were quick and easy answers on this topic. Suggestions you might find on the internet to, for example, offer a time limit on special pricing (and other similar tactics)…

Pursuing business previously lost?

What opportunities almost closed in the past 1 – 2 years? Excited to try again? Business you lost can be a good source of potential opportunities. Listen and learn before you proceed...…

Handling Objections – Price is too high

Please do not immediately lower your price…when you get this objection an opportunity has been created for you to better understand the client’s perspective. An approach to learning about why you got…

Follow up meetings challenging to get?

Does the following sound familiar regarding a potential client… Got the first meeting Had good conversation Time flies by during the conversation End of the meeting arrives and the client has to…

Quality or quantity of sales calls?

When you are contacting prospective customers or partners, your goal is…of course, to find those that are interested in the solutions you offer. Customers get tons of calls, emails, notes on social…

2022

Clients picking apart your pricing?

Clients will frequently want to know about pricing as early as possible. How you present your pricing can directly impact the rest of the conversation with the client. How to eliminate getting…

Qualify (and educate) clients at the same time!

Qualifying a new potential client can be challenging. Consider they may not know or trust you...yet. Using a summary of solutions you offer to support a conversation, can be a great way…

Why invest time supporting others

While you surely focus most of your time on your clients and partners, helping others without expecting something in return can be highly valuable. Ted Pizzo, Senior Vice President – Lockton Companies…

Why double your effort this summer

During a normal year people are on vacation for some portion of the summer, including your competition. This year, as you would expect, may have more people looking to take a break.…

Celebrate your wins!

Selling can be hard work. Sales cycles to organizations small and large can take months. In order to energize your pursuit of the “next deal(s)”, taking some time to celebrate your accomplishment…

Deals getting close but not closing?

You have made progress in the customer seeing value in your solution, maybe they have mentioned they “would like to partner”…but they have some reason they want to wait…so you feel like…

Learning when you lose a deal?

We all have lost deals. Some were a surprise (some not). It happens even when you have done a great job planning, paying attention to detail and delivered a well-structured proposal. You…

Distractions in the way of selling?

Managing distractions is not easy whether you are trying to get more comfortable selling or a veteran. If selling is not your favorite thing to do, it is even tougher. You likely…

2021

Ramp up your pipeline quickly

Have you recently started a new sales role or is your pipeline of opportunities not large enough? Finding new opportunities (and growing your pipeline) may be easier than you think. How do…

Why mini-breaks can help you sell more

I used to think endlessly grinding was how I should approach looking for new business. It took me a while to realize that the inevitable fatigue was not yielding the desired results.…

How much do you practice presentations?

Have you ever “winged” a presentation? I know I have in the past…generally, I did not like the results. If you pursued being an athlete, musician or other endeavors, I imagine you…

Asking for an order feel awkward?

Particularly if you are new to selling, asking for an order or to close a deal can generate some anxiety. If you have participated in athletic or other competitions, you have heard…

Getting “ghosted” by a customer?

This is a common topic…my 7/23/2021 email focused on reflecting on your preparation. I thought some ideas on how you might move forward would help… Do not take it personally Move on…it…

Got goals?

What do you want to accomplish in 2021? We all have many distractions…so here is the challenging part…establishing and staying focused on the goals. Why have goals? Ever feel like your selling…

Got issues you cannot control?

We all face many challenges in our selling effort. Some issues you cannot control (e.g. supplier, technology, weather). However, you can control how you communicate with your clients. What is the best…

Which sales opportunities to pursue?

You are one person with “X” amount of time…where do you focus your selling effort? Deciding between smaller opportunities that have shorter sales cycles and larger opportunities that take longer to close…

Have enough contacts in your large customer?

Large accounts are worth pursuing many times because of the potential payoff. Making progress in large accounts requires patience, thoughtful planning, and persistence. After you start doing business with large customers, it…

Getting your customer to leave a competitor

We all wish this would happen quickly. However, many times the customer perceives risk in change. Some thoughts on how to make the decision to change more comfortable for the customer… Understand…

Challenging getting to executives at your client?

Sometimes executives at client organizations are elusive. They filter who they choose to spend time with. The question for you is…who can help you connect and how do you manage that relationship?…

How to approach tough questions from customers

You know you will get them…how to address them? You can either hope you do not get them or take a proactive approach. Likely you will be more comfortable if you are…

College student interviewing for a job?

In my 1/14 post I shared some thoughts about what is fair/not fair to assume about college students who are interviewing. A common concern I hear from college students is “I do…

What I learned from helping college students

I have recently worked with many college student helping them prepare for interviews and getting off to a good start in new sales roles. They are all bright, hard working and overall…

2020

Onboarding new sales reps?

Onboarding new sales reps can be challenging, particularly if you are either in a small organization or have many other priorities to juggle. In my first sales role I was sent to…

Get customers to commit to a next step!

How many meetings with customers have you left where there was no agreement on the next call or meeting date? How often after meetings are you saying “I wish I had asked…

Quality of sales calls vs. quantity

When you are contacting prospective customers, your goal is…of course, to find those that are interested in the solutions you offer. Customers get tons of calls, emails, notes on social media…and ignore…

Following up on video conference sales calls

Customers are busy, have lots of distractions and certainly do not read many emails. They scan…so…when you send a cover note your objectives should include: Keeping the note to “one screen” Making…

Why testimonials are more important than ever

Think about how often you use social media to see what other people have said about home exercise equipment you are checking out, curbside take-out at a local restaurant or organizations that…

Structuring a “Thank you” note after a meeting

Building a working relationship with a new customer is challenging. Sending an effective “Thank you” note can help differentiate you from your competition and keep a customer conversation on track. Here are…

Handling Objections - “I do not have time”

What does it really mean when you hear this objection? Customer is focused on other priorities…OR… You did not prepare well enough for the call You did not differentiate yourself in the…

You got Springsteen's energy and effort?

I imagine you have heard from a coach, professor or a manager there are two things you can control…your effort and attitude. Whether you are in a selling role or not, you…

Dealing with anxiety in a sales role?

The challenges that selling presents can generate anxiety. The next question is…how do you deal with it. Do you face it head on, viewing it as a challenge, or do you find…

Do you know where your leads are?

How easily can you/your company answer the following questions: How are your leads qualified? How are your leads tracked? This is challenging particularly in smaller organizations. Here is a story from a…

Building trust with customers

A former co-worker of mine at Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a great way of thinking about the process of building trust with customers. Progressing from a first meeting to a customer buying…

How easy are you to buy from?

Consider how much disruption you have been dealing with over the past several months. Your customers are doing the same. Customers have less time to consider options much less make decisions. They…

2 questions to differentiate you from competition

Differentiating your “selling effort” whether you are a salesperson, marketing/operations/engineering professional or interviewing can come down to one concept…respecting the time of every person you encounter in your “target” organization. This includes…

How standing up improves presentations

Since most presentations are virtual for the time being, it is harder than it used to be to share your passion and energy during a presentation. We spend a ton of time…

How close is your CEO to your customers?

You, as the Sales Rep, are the face of your company to the customer. Part of our jobs as Reps is to engage your Senior Management with your customers executives. This might…

Inside the mind of your next Sales Manager

If you are considering changing sales roles and/or going into a sales role…read on…some insight that will help you prepare. Ken McGovern , President of KMR Executive Search, has many years of…

Adjusting how you prepare for sales presentations

You likely had an approach to preparing for presentations that worked…until about late February. Creating a new process or adjusting your current process is likely necessary in order to maximize results with…

Keeping your sales toughness

Selling already requires preparation, creativity, patience and persistence. Considering business is harder to find and sales cycles have become longer, your willingness to “keep at it” while being sensitive to customers’ challenges…

What I learned in my first job might help you

Looking back on my first job as a salesperson for NCR Business Forms starting in 1982, I realized I learned a lot from the first few months and years. While some of…

Want a higher close ratio?

It is relatively early in the fiscal year for most companies. If your year did not start as you hoped and/or was derailed by the coronavirus situation, now is a good time…

Getting the customer's attention in challenging times

The current coronavirus situation is, of course, creating enormous challenges for many businesses. Challenges of this magnitude will turn the customer’s attention internally. They are less likely to “make a change” in…

Feel confident going into your next presentation

How many presentations have you done in the past few months? What kind of grade would you give yourself on how they went? I know sometimes I have looked back after presentations…

How to differentiate yourself when you are interviewing

Whether selling is something you are comfortable with or not, a critical part of the interviewing process is understanding the competitive landscape. Here are some questions to consider: How many other candidates…

Understanding your competition

Over the past week or so I have covered three important components of a sales pursuit strategy: 2/14/2020 Key contacts and their roles 2/18/2020 Mapping the customer’s decision process 2/21/2020 Customer decision…

Understanding your customer's decision criteria

Over the past week I have covered two important components of a sales pursuit strategy: 2/14/2020 Key contacts and their roles 2/18/2020 Mapping the customer’s decision process This article focuses on identifying…

Mapping the customer’s decision process

In my 2/14/2020 post you have an outline of roles key customer contacts can play and how they may evaluate solutions they are considering. The next step is to clearly understand the…

Get off to a FAST START by learning from co-workers

One of the common traits in top athletes is that they are curious…always trying to learn, trying to improve. Whether you are a highly successful veteran sales representative or new to a…

Grow your Business by Promoting your Wins

How are your wins (and value for your customers) being promoted in your customers’ organizations? Are they promoted at all? I have had periods of time where I have been focused on…

Add value by NOT SELLING all the time

Early in my career I was solely focused on closing business. You could say I was a “bull in a china shop.” Fortunately, I had some great mentors and co-workers that showed…

More than Speed: How to Get your Customer's Attention

When an email hits your inbox or a customer calls interested in your company’s services, responding quickly is surely a priority. However, giving into the urge to respond too frequently without sufficient…

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