I was talking to a sales manager friend today regarding motivating salespeople. This topic could fill a book, but the key point we were discussing was how managers have to focus on motivations and rewards. He told me of a company he used to work for that rewarded the sales team with a trip for the entire team. If they made their group goal, the sales reps along with their spouses got to go on an all-expenses-paid vacation together. All except the sales manager – he did not go with the team. He was not inclined to that group reward and felt he was too busy to attend with his… Read More
Continue ReadingOf Cold, Coffee and Closing
This is not the way to start your day – it is -20 degrees here this morning in New Prague, MN. That’s pretty cold even by our standards. Next I read that there is going to be a coffee bean shortage next season which certainly means that prices will be increasing. Not what you want to read on a -20 morning. However, I was thinking about the importance of qualifying in successful selling based on this post from yesterday. A key point to understand is that qualified deals close themselves. If a salesperson can successfully qualify the prospect, they do not need to use slick closing techniques. The obvious question… Read More
Continue ReadingAccountability
Sales & Marketing Management offers this quick article – Avoiding Accountability Talks. First, the context of the article is the reluctance of employees (and managers) to engage in holding other employee’s accountable. A couple of survey stats: 50 percent say they are afraid of negative outcomes. 16 percent say they don’t know how to start, hold or finish such a conversation. Sales managers take note – this activity is one of the most important components to effective sales management. We encounter this reluctance often. Salespeople need to be held accountable to their activities, their behaviors and ultimately, their results. You don’t even have to be good at it. But you… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Sales Glossary
The JustSell.com guys put out a helpful, quick-read daily newsletter that I recommend salespeople and managers subscribe to. The quotes are poignant and their free resources are extensive. Their salestools section is overflowing with great tools. Today’s newsletter directs us to their Sales Glossary. I have to admit, I was stuck on the site for quite some time. Here’s the first (and most important) sales term I searched: qualify to determine the purchasing potential of a suspect, prospect or customer I love it. That definition cuts to the quick of qualifying. The next one I searched: disqualify to determine the purchasing potential of a prospect or customer as unlikely and… Read More
Continue ReadingA Culture of Fun
From abcnews.com – How to Have More Fun at Work. This topic is going to become more common as Gen X ascends and Gen Y populates the workforce. Already we are seeing numerous articles on work/life balance enter the article sphere. I’ve worked for many Boomer managers who were suit-and-tie, get your work done leaders with no time for, well, fun at the office. At one technology employer, we had a dartboard and ping pong table in the lunchroom that was a huge hit. In the sales department, we would take a 15 minute afternoon break to go trash-talk each other while competing like we were in the Olympics. To… Read More
Continue ReadingCommunicating With The CEO
In Selling Power’s latest Sales Manager’s Newsletter there is an article from Anthony Parinello, author of Selling to VITO and Think & Sell Like a CEO. As a sales manager who is working with a salesperson on their messaging, Anthony makes some great points about assumptions CEO’s hold about the business world. He provides seven assumptions – if your sales approach aligns with the CEO, he/she will not feel you are wasting his or her time: Knowledge is power. CEO’s seek knowledge. They understand that the more they know, the better their decisions. Thus your message must expand his or her flow of critical information, not clutter that flow. Passion… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Perfect Storm
CNNMoney.com offers this quick story – Planned job cuts take big Dec. dip. The phrase “planned job cuts” is a poor construction, but it essentially means expected layoffs. Planned job cuts for all of 2006 fell below 1 million for the first time since 2000, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an employment consulting firm. Be wary of the naysayers spouting an impending doom for our economy. The economy is robust and it truly is an employee’s market right now. The reason why you should be aware of this fact: “With the American economy at full employment for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, the latest job-cut data… Read More
Continue ReadingPour Some Sugar On Me
Each morning I peruse the sales employment ads to see who is hiring and what ads they are placing. I came across a local company I have never heard of and was impressed by a bullet point in their ad: Accountable for achieving sales goals within an assigned territory which has key accounts. The emphasis was theirs. This approach may seem trivial, but it is important in putting the right bait out their to find the right salesperson. Companies often have glorified visions of a single salesperson with minimal marketing help being able to take a zero revenue territory and grow it into a highly profitable territory. This can happen… Read More
Continue ReadingDo We Really Need A Study For Bad Bosses?
This morning I heard numerous references to this Florida State survey regarding lying bosses. I caught up to the story and found a slightly different read – Study: Bad Bosses Abound in U.S. Really? I’m not sure how this is newsworthy, but it hooked me. Here are the stats from the upcoming survey: 39 percent of workers said their supervisor failed to keep promises. 37 percent said their supervisor failed to give credit when due. 31 percent said their supervisor gave them the “silent treatment” in the past year. 27 percent said their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers. 24 percent said their supervisor invaded… Read More
Continue ReadingOvertime Pay for Salespeople?
From our local Pioneer Press – Drug company sales reps sue for overtime wages. Her lawsuit, part of a series of class action claims filed in November against nine major drug companies, seeks tens of millions of dollars in back pay for the thousands of drug company salespeople across the country. Honestly, I have never in my life heard of such hogwash. The victim mentality of the plantiff is only outdone by her lawyer’s quote in the article. If you employ an outside sales force, you need to read this article. The one bit of common sense comes at the end of the short article: Not all sales reps support… Read More
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