I was reading some blogs, email messages and newsletters regarding many different topics and I realized something about successful selling that is often overlooked. Sales is tough – I don’t think anyone would disagree with that premise. It requires a unique blend of abilities that are simply not common in the general population. Unfortunately, many underachieving salespeople look for a monumental solution to their sales struggles…a silver bullet, if you will. Rarely does one exist (I’ve yet to find even one). Success in selling simply comes from a series of small things that lead to something big. What I mean is that the most successful salespeople we evaluate are usually the… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 4 Suggestions For New Sales Managers
SMT (Sales & Marketing Training) has an article in its recent newsletter that surveyed its members for advice they would give to new sales managers. The author has provided the top 4 pieces of advice: Assessing talent is a first step Coaching the €œcoachable€ spending appropriate time on those individuals Avoid falling into the trap of €œwhat made you successful as a rep€ will make you successful as a manager Setting expectations and goals I couldn’t agree more with these 4 items, especially the first one. The contributors expanded on their suggestions: €œAssess the strengths, weaknesses and development needs of your team. Review your team by your success measures. Set… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Success Is In The Questions
A common myth – the best salespeople are great talkers first and foremost. Most people have heard that one yet it is simply not true. The ability to communicate effectively involves speaking and listening – it is difficult to find strength in both of these abilities. ManageSmarter.com offers The Power of Questions which is on topic for this discussion with a good analogy: The most effective way to control the sale is to ask more questions. Selling is like driving a car: The person who asks the questions sits in the driver’s seat and controls the direction of the sale, while the passenger€”the person who answers the questions€”goes along for the… Read More
Continue ReadingNew Article – Setting A Sales Dept. Foundation
The Independence Day week must of got the best of me since I forgot to mention an article we released. The Foundation of Expectations is the first article in a 3 part series regarding proactive sales management. The hiring tension that is building within our economy means that retaining strong salespeople, always a corporate priority, will become the focal point for most companies. This article series will lay out the building blocks for creating a strong sales department that keeps the sales team engaged. The strongest houses are built on the strongest foundations. No matter how well-constructed and reinforced the walls and roof are, none of it will stand under stress… Read More
Continue ReadingLeadership Development
BusinessWeek.com offers a comprehensive article regarding executive development especially in regards to leadership. Sales executives/managers are underserved in this area. The author provides a handful of suggestions for development engagement, but I want to highlight two of them: €¢ Targeted assessment and development planning as part of succession planning or career path planning; €¢ Peer networking roundtables. Those two topics are right in our wheelhouse. We provide sales executive assessments today that help managers understand their natural strengths and potential blind spots. The reports are important in providing the basis for the sales manager to properly onramp a new salesperson and to retain them over time. To the second bullet… Read More
Continue ReadingClear Communication Or Sucking Up
Yahoo.com offers up a unique article titled Five Myths of Managing Up that purports to help employees communicate more clearly with their boss. I don’t know – many of the suggestions seem like sucking up to me. For instance: Conventional wisdom: If you’re even five minutes late, the boss will think you’re a slacker. Why it’s a myth: In an age of flex time, telecommuting, Blackberries, and instant messages, bosses care more about whether you’re getting the job done than whether you’re warming your seat. Try this instead: Make sure the boss knows you’re putting in extra hours at home or on the road, both by maintaining a rapid-response email… Read More
Continue ReadingAttract The Best And The Brightest
Here’s a good read from BusinessWeek.com titled Engaging Employees. Retaining top employees has always been a business priority, but the Millenials/Gen Y will take this management skill to a new level. That generation is looking for a strong bond with their manager and will gravitate towards managers who possess this ability. And here is a clear description of why attracting and retaining top talent is mission critical: Today’s business world is characterized by globalization, increasing competition, an ever-accelerating pace of change, an overabundance of information, a never-ending technology revolution, a growing number of mergers and acquisitions, layoffs, and a declining talent pool. In this chaotic world, a business can only survive… Read More
Continue ReadingMisguided "Hiring A Hunter" Assumptions
I just read another article about hiring sales “hunters” that was filled with simplistic tips and tricks. The article triggered a thought – there seems to be much conventional wisdom about hiring strong salespeople that permeates these articles. Unfortunately, I think the logic behind them is overly assumptive. Let’s look at some of these mythical assumptions: Sales Managers Should Always Be Interviewing Sales CandidatesThis approach sounds good in a theoretical sense but has minimal real-world application. The only sales managers who should follow this approach are ones who head up high-turnover sales departments. A sales managers’ top priority is to increase profitable revenue (with an eye on SG&A at the same… Read More
Continue ReadingValue Is More Than Price
I had an revealing discussion with one of our client’s this morning. This gentleman is the President of his company and we are running our process for a second sales position (selected 1 salesperson already). The conversation centered on the problems he had with a previous salesperson who has since been let go. This salesperson was completely reactive – he possessed no selling system whatsoever. His process was to take a call and fish for a request for proposal (RFP). He would respond to the RFP and hopefully get the business. Sad, but that was his process. The President was hesitant to let this sales guy go because he thought… Read More
Continue ReadingCompensating Mileage
Simple thought here for anyone who hires or manages salespeople. We always recommend reimbursing outside salespeople through mileage as opposed to a monthly allowance. Simple psychology here: Allowance Reimbursement – you are paying the salesperson a set amount of money every month regardless of their travels. Now the salesperson may look at travel as an expense the dilutes their personal profit margin. They make more money by traveling less which is anathema to selling. Yes, it is good to encourage them to be frugal in their travel so they don’t go on a shake-and-howdy bender – better to qualify prospects thoroughly before scheduling a visit. I don’t like the subtle reinforcement… Read More
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