Friday, January 24, 2014
"For those considering a career in sales, keep in mind that almost everything you do is selling," Dr. Allan Colman told Rose Dukes, marketing manager for Sales Gravy, in a recent interview. "Businesses expect and actually need sales people, if for no other reason than to keep them current with trends and new developments in their industries. But the key factor is building a relationship. Understanding their business, knowing the pressures they are under, learning who their competitors are and what they produce or promote, keeping them current and building trust – these are the elements that garner new business over the long term."
Sales Gravy is an international website that works to advance sales as a profession and that hosts the world's largest sales talent community. After hearing about Colman's passion to help businesses develop pioneering strategies to close new business, Dukes invited him to participate in an interview to inform the Sales Gravy community worldwide about how to generate business quickly, communicate effectively, and improve their bottom lines during 2014.
While serving as Fresno County's Chief Administrative Officer, Colman realized he had something unique to offer the business world after a local newspaper noted in an editorial that he ran the county like a business. That encouragement led him to begin selling to and for professional services firms. Now, 20 years later, Colman consults with professional services firms about sales performance, speaks internationally and has authored numerous articles and two books. The most recent, "Own the Zone," is a workbook that not only walks readers through the sales process but also helps them discover and solve issues that prevent them from becoming top producers in their industries.
To read the entire interview, follow this link:
http://www.salesgravy.com/sales-articles/featured-interviews/A-Sales-Gravy-Interview-with-Dr-Allan-Colman-The-Closers-Group To find out more about Dr. Allan Colman or to order Own the Zone, log on here:
http://ownthezonebook.com/
About Allan Colman
Business Development Executive, Speaker and Author Dr. Allan Colman understands the challenges facing both entrepreneurs and established businesses. He has advised organizations from 10 to 15,000 employees, customizing growth plans to fit size and industry.
In addition to his thriving consulting firm, Colman co-founded and served as Senior VP of DecisionQuest, working with his partners in growing the firm to 12 locations, selling the company, repurchasing it, increasing its value then selling it again. Before that, Colman served as president of the MCO Company and Litigation Sciences and has been the leader of a 5,600 employee public agency.
As CEO of the Closers Group, a business development advisory, Allan Colman has spent more than two decades helping law firms and professional service firms generate more revenue. He has brought in millions of dollars of new business and built business development structures that continue to perform. His clients call him their MENTOR/TORMENTOR.
Allan is known for his passion in developing pioneering strategies and for his ability to help clients generate business rapidly. He has spent many years listening to in-house counsel and business executives make decisions. Allan understands their reasoning for selecting outside professionals, and has also worked closely with law firms as they select their own advisers and consultants.
Allan holds Masters and Doctorate degrees from New York University. He is a pro bono mediator for the California Court of Appeals and the Los Angeles County Superior Court. His community activities have included Board positions with the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Los Angeles Council of Boy Scouts of America, Rotary Foundation and California Medical Center Foundation. He was awarded the “Masada Samurai Warrior” in 2004 by Masada Homes honoring his pro-bono work.
He has served on the Board of Editors for Marketing the Law Firm and has a featured blog, The Red Zone, on the Law Journal Newsletters home page. Professional articles he has written and co-written have appeared in Bloomberg Law Management, National Law Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, Diversity & the Bar, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Strategies, Of Counsel, Minnesota Bench and Bar, and Law 360.
Allan has been a featured speaker at firm-wide events and practice area groups as diverse as Burt Hill (Architects and Engineers), PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Mississippi and Rhode Island Bar Associations, Legal Marketing Association, American Institute of CPA’s, Federal Defense and Corporate Counsel, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, National Hispanic Bar Association, and companies such as DuPont, Employers’ Reinsurance Co., General Electric and Sears. His webinars on business development have been held by several professional associations.