Adele Mclean

Adele Mclean
Vice President
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Recent Posts

Play Better Poker With Your Customers

Posted by Adele Mclean on Oct 14, 2021 9:42:08 AM

When it comes to negotiation, very few sellers spend enough time planning. I encourage you to carve out time to get centered and think about some of the upcoming negotiations you have. There’s a lot to consider, but let's start by thinking differently about your customers and the ways you engage with them.

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Topics: Negotiating with Backbone

Why Pricing Is So Hard and Why Most Companies Mess It Up

Posted by Adele Mclean on Sep 30, 2021 4:15:45 PM

Why is pricing so difficult? And why do so many companies get it wrong?

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Topics: Pricing with Confidence

News from the field: Qualify, qualify, qualify

Posted by Adele Mclean on May 19, 2021 11:21:26 AM

Are your sales teams spending enough time qualifying their opportunities and defining the right solutions for their customers? Here's how to know if they are on the right track.

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Topics: Negotiating with Backbone

News from the Field: Mental Insights

Posted by Adele Mclean on Jul 6, 2020 1:38:12 PM

During our recent Virtual Backbone workshops, our participants have been sharing interesting insights about the psychological aspect of negotiating. We wanted to share some with you:

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Topics: Negotiating with Backbone

News from the Field: Virtual Backbone

Posted by Adele Mclean on Jun 8, 2020 3:46:14 PM

Recently, we launched our Virtual Backbone initiative to help improve sales teams' negotiating performance, all from the comfort and safety of their home office. The results are great, but we wanted to share a few additional insights based on participant feedback.   

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Topics: Negotiating with Backbone

A Tale of Two Transformations - 4 Crucial Activities to Measure Success

Posted by Adele Mclean on Feb 5, 2020 4:56:21 PM

Recently, I was speaking with the Chief Transformation Officer from one of our clients. After we described how a commercial transformation progressed when supported by our Negotiating with Backbone framework, he asked, “Is there anything else I should know?” 

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Topics: Commercial Transformation

Video: Is Your Product Really a Commodity?

Posted by Adele Mclean on Oct 30, 2019 5:30:00 AM

Is your product a commodity? Is it really? Or, do your customers cry commodity during negotiations to get you to decrease your price? Watch the video below and listen as Adele McLean talks about how you can get out from under this tough negotiation tactic and avoid the commodity trap.

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Topics: value, sales, procurement

Profit Decoded

Posted by Adele Mclean on Jun 17, 2019 10:41:14 AM

Recently I was talking with a few business partners about the latest business trends we see with clients. One hot topic is transformation! On any given day, another organization is appointing a new transformation leader, plotting a new strategy for organic growth, and talking about increasing profitability. On the surface, it makes sense. Successful businesses should consistently focus on revenue growth and margin improvement...right? But where is the best place to start?

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News From The Field: Am I the Rabbit?

Posted by Adele Mclean on Apr 25, 2019 9:38:40 AM

Do you have a relationship with key decision makers? 

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Topics: Negotiating with Backbone, winning proposal, buying center, rabbit

Resist the urge to "stick it" to the competition

Posted by Adele Mclean on Jan 25, 2019 11:23:11 AM

When facing low-priced competition, think twice before "sticking it to the competition" by going in with a low, low price. Watch the video to learn why:

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Topics: Pricing with Confidence