“We Just Need to Increase Awareness”… Awareness of What, Exactly?

Ah, the classic marketing cliché: “We just need to raise awareness.” Or its cousin: “We just need to get our name out there more.”  Every time I hear this, I have to ask: “Awareness of what, [...]

The role of a trusted advisor is hallowed ground in rural sales. Many talk the talk, but few walk the walk. Becoming a trusted advisor isn’t an overnight achievement. You can’t just pop a magic [...]

Here’s the thing about problems: they’re public. Pains, on the other hand, are private.  If you want to make more sales, you need to stop focusing on problems and start uncovering pains. Why? [...]

Here’s a truth bomb for rural sales teams: no one sells anything without someone buying.  It seems obvious, right? But too often, salespeople focus so much on selling that they forget the crucial [...]

Rural marketing can be a tough gig. Recently, we asked some of you what challenges you’re struggling with most, and the responses were revealing. Three key themes stood out: How to better qualify [...]

Have you mastered the art of the implication question? If not, you’re leaving money—and opportunities—on the table. In rural sales, it’s easy to stick to surface-level questions. But if you want [...]

Every rural salesperson knows this classic line: “I’m just after a price right now.”  It’s the verbal equivalent of hitting a brick wall. But here’s the thing: when someone leads with price, it’s [...]

What’s the first thing that flashes through your mind when an unknown number pops up on your phone? Chances are, it’s something like this: “They’re going to try and sell me something I [...]

In rural sales, doing what everyone else does is the fastest way to blend in—and get ignored. The secret to standing out? Being counterintuitive. Counterintuitive questions are your hidden power. [...]

If there’s one skill—one single skill—that can take you from mediocre to magnificent in rural sales, it’s the art of asking great questions. Not just any questions. Powerful questions. The kind [...]