Share what you know with millions of people

Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content

×

Meridith Elliott Powell

Follow Following Unfollow

Coach, Speaker, Business Development Expert, MotionFirst

50 points

I am passionate about the power of connections and the power of strategic relationships. Success in life is directly related to the more people you know, the more people you help, and the more people who know how to specifically ...

I am passionate about the power of connections and the power of strategic relationships. Success in life is directly related to the more people you know, the more people you help, and the more people who know how to specifically help you. I work with business owners, corporate executives and teams helping them develop strategic networks that produce bottom line results.

The founder of MotionFirst, I am a
master certified strategist, coach, and business development expert. I am dedicated to helping others learn to be successful in all areas of business development, including networking, sales and service. Before founding MotionFirst, I spent more than 20 years working for corporations as both a financial specialist and marketing professional. It is there that I gained invaluable experience and insight, and I have been able to use everything I learned to develop unique programs, innovative coaching techniques and powerful strategies that help people ignite their internal business development flame.

I am an award winning business professional, speaker and author of the books 42 Rules To Turn Your Prospects Into Customers and soon to be published, Mastering the Art of Success.

» read more » read less

WEB: Blog

Aug. 9, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell is now following Kelly Daly-Ford

March 30, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 23 other people answered this question

How do you motivate your employees when there is limited upward mobility for them in the company?

Great question and so important given our current economy - and less opportunity to "move up"
If you want to motivate - you have to create a culture or environment of motivation - that is all you can offer - people motivate themselves...
1. Purpose - people ... more

General Management

Leadership and Management Development

March 20, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 15 other people answered this question

How do you convince old school sales reps to embrace social media as part of their sales strategy?

As an "old timer" (45!) I agree with Anna - I do a workshop on combining your online and traditional sales behaviors - and we start out with the statistics (in a fun and engaging way - sales people need to be entertained :) and ... more

March 15, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 23 other people answered this question

How can you create a sense of urgency to finish a transaction when your client doesn't feel the same

I would argue that if you have to create a sense of urgency in the customer you did not sell the customer. We are living in different economic time, we have gone through or are going through an actual shift and the consumer is now ... more

Feb. 27, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 8 other people answered this question

Do you think commission is a good way to increase the sales?

Good point! That was my question Jacob.. I would want to know that first. If we need to increase sales why is it or can't it come from sales and marketing? Are there changes we can make there? I also agree that a consistent part ... more

Referral Programs

Feb. 22, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 28 other people answered this question

Should customer service be taught?

Can customer service be taught? Yes. Will the lessons be implemented? That is the real question. I do believe that customer service can and should be taught, but only if the culture has been created that will support the implementation of the lesson.
Often as leaders ... more

Customer Service

Human Resources

Corporate Learning

Feb. 7, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 1 other person answered this question

Do you blend your traditional and online business development? If so how?

Hello Howard,
It does .. thank you! You are right, it is a difficult question, and one I find I need to continue to find some form of answer. I too work B2B, and I stay visible and in contact with my clients in a variety ... more

Professional Networking

Jan. 31, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 23 other people answered this question

What are your two favorite open-ended interview questions to ask Inside Sales candidates and why?

Good open ended questions are so important, as quality conversation is so much more powerful than a resume or references in determining fit.
All of these questions are terrific. I would like to add two of my favorites.
1. I like to ask people to share with ... more

Inside Sales Interviewing

Jan. 15, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 7 other people answered this question

What are some things that sales managers should NEVER do?

This is sounding like a terrific book...
I agree with all of the above... and will add:
1. Not listening to their teams. So often sale managers direct their teams rather than lead their teams. Listening to the people who know and work directly with ... more

Management Best Practices

Sales Management

Jan. 14, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 12 other people answered this question

Sales Training Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for successful sales training?

Great discussion and great answers... I will keep mine simple.
1. People need to understand the why. What is the purpose of this training and why does it matter for them, their clients and the company. Great sales training helps people connect to the importance of ... more

General Management

Jan. 14, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 1 other person answered this question

What are the top sales management trends to watch in 2011?

The days of the "easy sale" are long gone and sales leaders will be more important to overall sales success in 2011. Sales managers are truly going to have to be leaders and coaches and their ability to inspire will be as critical as their ... more

Sales Management

Jan. 14, 2011

Meridith Elliott Powell and 26 other people answered this question

Sales Presentation Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for giving a successful sales presentation?

Great question and great discussion!
My top three tips for a great sales presentations are:
1. Make it all about them - operate from the premise that people are far more interested in themselves than they are in you. That goes for companies and organizations too. Design ... more

General Management

Following 0 Topics

Following 1 Person

Followed by 5 People

Knowledgeable in 15 Topics

#464 of 2156

#66 of 217

#113 of 341

#130 of 419

General Management

#284 of 1194

Sales Presentation

#18 of 22

Sales Management

#165 of 522

#18 of 21

Training and Development

#15 of 24

Sales Training Techniques

#30 of 41

#49 of 72

#151 of 194

#197 of 290

Customer Service

#543 of 785

Human Resources

#784 of 1481