I was recollecting about a job I took in which I felt I did everything right. It is doubtful I did, but it is my recollection so bear with me. I qualified the opportunity, the sale, the expectations and the ramp time. All of the responses were a good fit to my abilities. The ramp time was 6 mos. before getting to a steady revenue stream according to the hiring manager. I knew I could beat that and I did by cutting it in half. I had closed a handful of fairly sizeable deals within 3 mos. and was chasing a handful of large deals. And then I was laid… Read More
Continue ReadingClandestine Conversation
I have noticed this of late – salespeople are having more discussions on their cell phone while in the office. Maybe they go into a conference room, a hallway, lunch room, etc. Is there a greater clue that they may be looking for a new opportunity? Granted, these calls may be nothing more than a personal call and not an employment opportunity. However, I always become suspicious when I see that behavior inside an office. Just an observation.
Continue ReadingThe Straight-Up Truth
These are skittish times, aren’t they? I have seen this among reps and myself – every little item is scrutinized. Communication, email, reports…I find myself looking for subtle clues in all of them. Is a layoff coming? How bad is it? What is going to happen next? These are not productive thoughts. As a manager, how do you quell these fears? There isn’t one move, tool or approach that will cure it, but a concerted effort will help to minimize your team’s anxiety. Selling Power offers up an article that has some feel-good points that I question. However, there is something in the article that caught my eye: Don’t make… Read More
Continue ReadingImpending Movement
In sales there has always been career movement. Most successful salespeople have a “hunting” ability for closing deals. They also use this ability to close new deals for themselves in terms of a new job. I believe this approach is intensified in the younger generations – Gen X and Gen Y. This current economy is going to erode much of their loyalty as they watch companies shed employees. This downturn is far worse than that of 2001, but it is two career-altering downturns in less than 10 years. That has to have an effect on younger workers. Some of this movement can be seen in this article from Managesmarter.com: Even… Read More
Continue Reading2009 Prediction Time-Talent Management
The Herman Trend Alert offers up some expected predictions, some insightful ones and some surprising ones for 2009. Here is one that falls in the expected/not surprising category: 1. Certain Skill Sets Continue to be in Short Supply. In spite of the global economic slowdown and massive layoffs, certain skill sets are in short supply. All but the most short-sighted employers will continue to respect talented workers in all fields for their contributions. I don’t think that is surprising at all, but not all companies subscribe to that approach. Here is an insightful prediction: 3. Fear and Apprehension Reduce Productivity. As we have written about some months ago, there is… Read More
Continue ReadingKeep The Perks
The Herman Trend Alert has a surprising report on a survey looking at employee perks for 2008. The economy may be tanking, but employers are aware of the need to retain talent. In spite of the drastic effects of the economy on the labor market with announced workforce reductions up 30 percent, a surprising majority of companies (66.7 percent) have chosen to preserve their employee perks. Ten percent of those employers said they had considered trimming perks, but decided to leave them at current levels. Despite their need to reduce their expenses, almost 55 percent still plan to distribute year-end bonus checks this year (2008). Only 20 percent of the… Read More
Continue Reading10 Ways To Help Out Your Employees
ManageSmarter has a good article that provides 10 ways that you can help your employees through the economic crisis. There are some simple ideas on the list that a manager should do regardless of the economy. What better way to retain your employees than to show your appreciation for their efforts? Shortening the work week to four days with extended work hours will increase productivity and give a welcome break for people. Consider giving turkeys to employees for Thanksgiving and accompany the gift with a card expressing appreciation for what everyone is doing. Facilitate a car pool, coordinating rides or give a gas cards. Hold regular one-on-one meetings with employees to… Read More
Continue ReadingRecession Retention
The economy is foremost on almost every business leader’s mind right now, and rightly so. Many leaders look to entrench their company in a full defensive posture. This approach has to be incorporated, to some extent, during these economies. However, this is an excellent time to be aggressive in the market and to cut against the grain of conventional wisdom. BusinessWeek.com offers up specifics of this approach in their article Managing Employees in a Downturn: For many managers, recessions prompt a near-autonomic reflex: Hunker down, reduce head count, and cut every cost you can. While a certain dose of those bitter pills is unavoidable, smart leaders see downturns as having… Read More
Continue ReadingGarden-Leave Clauses
Proprietary information is a nuclear topic when dealing with salespeople who are leaving a company. Product info, service plans, actual costs vs. pricing are all hot topics. But for sales, the one thing that keeps managers up at night is the security of the customer list. We see many companies who desire to hire a salesperson from the competition with the expressed hope that the salesperson will bring customers with them. Quick note-it rarely happens, but that doesn’t stop companies from focusing their hiring strategy. CNNMoney.com provides an article that discusses the legalities of this approach. In the article is a phrase that I have not encountered before – garden-leave… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Key To Sales Retention
Listen, according to this Selling Power article: “One of the mistakes companies have made in the past is that they make decisions without real input from the people who are most affected by the hiring decisions,” says Opton. “Companies need to realize that they always have two sets of customers – internal and external. The minute that someone comes to work for them, that person becomes an internal customer to the organization. The organization needs to listen to what their needs are and act on those needs.” The article references a survey regarding executives’ wants, but it is representative of employees also. The interesting stat that always seems to come… Read More
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