This brief series kickoff episode is classic Weinberg with simple, blunt observations about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to developing new business.   In introducing this series, Mike comes out swinging to set the stage for tackling one of the biggest challenges facing salespeople and sales teams today - getting downgraded in the customer’s eyes and perceived as just a “vendor” instead of the value-creator, consultant, professional problem-solver, and trusted advisor we so badly want them to be.   Mike was inspired to do this short series based on the feedback and reaction from sales leaders who wrestled with this topic at recent Supercharge Your Sales Leadership events where he shared these…   8 Common Reasons that Salespeople Get Viewed as Just “Vendors” and Commodity Sellers:   1. They Arrive Late to the Party (last a sales opportunity) 2. They Lead with Product (or their service/solution) 3. They Conduct Lame Sales Calls and Premature Presentations 4. They Look, Sound & Smell Like Every Other Salesperson (same, same, same) 5. They Play Order-Taker, Do Whatever Customers Request, and Don’t Own Their Process 6. They Aim Too Low in the Customer Organization 7. They’re Insecure About Price or Too Quick to Make It About Price 8. They Can’t Tell the Story (ineffective, self/product/company-focused messaging)   We are creating a free, downloadable handout and slides to use with your sales team that will be available with subsequent episodes in this series. Mike’s hope is that you can use these episodes and the accompanying material as “mirror” to help your team members identify which of these common issue may be damaging their own sales efforts and how customers perceive them.    Enjoy this kickoff episode and encourage your sellers who would benefit from a wake-up call on this topic to listen as well.   Here’s to great sales leadership and helping our salespeople upgrade from “vendor/supplier/commodity seller” status to value creator!