Reactive Selling Isn't a Sin if You Do It with a Purpose By Frank Hurtte Proactive, proactive, and more proactive! Selling stories flood the internet like a tsunami of advice. Is it just me, or is every sales expert on the planet preaching some kind of “Max Overdrive” model of proactive action? Truth be told, that approach might be completely impractical for a big segment of our industry. We’ve bought into it, too. Every time a sales manager steps up in a conference room and unveils their vision of a 100% proactive future, the team shudders, digs in their heels, and covertly begins planning how to avoid it. True Confessions I used to be one of those guys at the front of the room pontificating about proactive selling. These days, I’m convinced reactive selling has an important place, especially in the world of knowledge-based distribution. Through up-close observation and dozens of interviews with successful sellers, I’ve learned that reactive selling, done right, is far from passiv...