The Sales Machine blog on BNet features one of those posts I wish I had authored. The title – Why Office Coffee Tastes So Bad. A great topic for a Monday morning. This post contains some of the most detailed information I have read about bad coffee. Basically, it all comes down to tannins. Contrary to popular belief, coffee is not bitter. It is supposed to be a naturally sweet beverage. However, the way it is usually prepared tends to concentrate the tanins (sic) in the coffee, which makes it unnaturally bitter. Remove these tannins and you get a good cup of coffee. Tannins come from five sources: Exposure to… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Evil Known As Reverse Auctions
Those two words should make every salesperson shudder. I remember when we first encountered the phrase about 5-6 years ago at one of our customers. Their top salesperson’s top account is a local company that shall remain anonymous (retail giant with a bullseye for a logo). When this salesperson first mentioned “reverse auction” to me, I had no idea what he was talking about. Once he explained it, I was taken aback. It is the ultimate commoditization tool. Dave Stein posted on this topic with an example of GE’s colossal IT budget for procurement. One of the quotes from GE’s CIO cuts right to the core of this issue: On… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Brilliance Of B Players
Great article from BusinessWeek.com titled Let’s Hear it for B Players. I realize “B Players” is difficult to define, but these are the: …competent, steady performers far from the limelight. What I like about this article is the fact that B players can consistently deliver for a sales department without demanding star treatment. Unfortunately, their approach can cut against them also as they tend to be overlooked at times. Here is their value stated clearly from the article (my emphasis): B players, by contrast, prize stability in their work and home lives. They seldom strive for advancement or attention—caring more about their companies‘ well-being. Infrequent job changers, they accumulate deep… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Stats Should Be Localized
You ever notice what a mixed bag of economic news we receive these days? Here is one that caught my eye from CNNMoney.com (my editing): The private sector gained 9,000 jobs in July, primarily among small businesses and the service sector, according to a report payroll manager ADP released Wednesday. A consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com had expected a loss of 60,000 non-farm jobs. Can you imagine if the “consensus of economists” bet on football games? They would be making their predictions from the poor house. Nonetheless, I heard a very interesting talk from John Sumser last week in which he discussed that national employment statistics are grossly overrated… Read More
Continue ReadingCasualness – The Candidacy Killer
I remember having a sales job (pre-computer days) where I was expected to wear a suit every day. One day I showed up with a navy sportcoat, tie and khakis and I actually was a bit nervous about what my boss might say. I didn’t get in trouble, but I didn’t wear a sportcoat again. Suffice to say, the average office has become extremely casual over the past 20 years. We get the opportunity to see many different office environments and I am beginning to think that they are evolving into even more casualness. Jeans are becoming more common in the middle of the week, not just on Fridays. I… Read More
Continue ReadingSmall Business Optimism
The economy is slow right now, but to call it a recession at this point is hyperbole. Inc.com has a quick story on a survey of small-business owners. The survey sample is small, but the results are encouraging. Though many in the small-business sector remain concerned with broad economy conditions, a growing number of owners and employees are upbeat about activity in their own market, a new survey finds. Of 500 small-business owners and employees recently polled by Opinion Research Corporation, a Princeton, N.J-based database firm, 65 percent rated their firm’s business conditions as good, while less than a third described them as poor. Though 71 percent said the U.S… Read More
Continue ReadingCyberslamming And Social Network Checks
Using social networks like Myspace and Facebook as part of a background check currently falls into a legal grey area. Apparently this activity is lacking any precedence in the judicial system which means it is risky. I’m not naive, I suspect most companies Google candidates to see what they discover. Recruiting Trends provides an article that describes one area where trouble may arise: There are anecdotes on the Internet of false postings under another person’s name – a sort of “cyber identity theft.” If anonymous information is posted, such as in a chat room, there is the new phenomena of Cyperslamming (sic), where a person can commit defamation without anyone… Read More
Continue ReadingWhen Hiring, Expect Success
Have you ever worked with a “glass half empty” person? They are something to behold especially if you are a bit of an optimist. We get the chance to interact with many leaders of both sales departments (VP of Sales) and entire companies (CEO). One thing that always catches my ear is the leader’s level of optimism. I find leaders who have a realistic level of optimism to be the most effective. I’m not talking about whistling through the graveyard, but rather a measured optimism that seeks positive solutions. The reason this is so important is that employees have a more difficult time rallying behind a pessimistic leader. I have… Read More
Continue Reading10 Most Recession-Proof Jobs
This story from Forbes.com provides a survey with a simple, but insightful structure: To compile its list, Jobfox examined its database of about 4,000 job postings from November 2007 through July 2008 to see which professions have the most openings monthly. Ok, so what did they find? Sales representatives top the list–and, unlike other professions, not because there’s a shortage. Rather, in tough economic times, a good sales force is a critical way to pull a company out of a downturn. I like to say that good salespeople are always in demand no matter what the economy is doing.
Continue ReadingCompensation Consternation
I know, lame title, but I couldn’t resist. ManageSmarter.com offers up this article – Compensation Complexity Hinders Sales – regarding current compensation plans. Here are some numbers they quote within the article (my editing): Only 41% of sales leaders were satisfied with their current compensation plans (down from 59% two years prior), and only 46% believed their plans were promoting the correct behaviors for sales success. Nearly half (46%) of sales force leaders believe their sales compensation programs have become more complex since 2006. I always found the compensation plans to be more “complex” when I wasn’t at quota. Successful selling definitely alleviates many problems. But there is this: The… Read More
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