The ability to ask the right question.  From Colleen Francis’ blog:

Over 20 years ago, Neil Rackham concluded a 12- year study analyzing some 35,000 sales calls conducted by 22 companies in 23 countries. The objective of the study was to determine the precise behaviors of successful sales people.

What did he find? That mediocre sales people make statements. The best ask questions.

That is absolutely true and we see it in spades on a daily basis.  Have you ever noticed how people assume someone who is talkative is often told they should go into sales?  I think this conventional wisdom is the reason why there are so many overbearing salespeople in the world.  Successful selling involves many aspects, but the ability to ask the right question, shut up and listen is foremost among them.

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I didn’t know this:

FORGET CYBER MONDAY. NIELSEN ONLINE has confirmed that Monday, December 10th was the biggest online shopping day this season, based on its Holiday eShopping Index. The index comprises data from more than 120 online retailers across 12 categories.

The Index showed 34.9 million at home and work unique visitors on “Green Monday”–a term recently coined by eBay to describe the second Monday in December as the heaviest online shopping day of the season.

Spending hit $881 million on Dec. 10, according to comScore, up 33% from last year.

(From Online Media Daily)

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