Here’s a Monday morning thought: There are many facets to successful selling, but none of greater importance than asking the right questions. Think about this, there is nothing prospects like to hear more than their own voice. They have good reason for this – they believe the salesperson is there to talk them into buying something. A fair assumption for sure. The best approach for a salesperson then is to ask the right questions and let the prospect talk. Two critical items underscore this approach. First, the person asking the questions is in control of the conversation. They can direct the topics which leads to the second critical item. The… Read More
Continue ReadingAbsentee Sales Management
Imagine your goal is to lose weight so you sign up for a 1 year membership to one of the large health clubs in town. You pay the steep initial fee and the monthly amount. In the first 6 months, you go to the club and workout a total of 5 times for 30 minutes each time. Suffice to say, you have not lost the weight you expected to lose. In fact, you have actually put on 5 pounds in those 6 months. You could call the club and complain that you have not lost the weight you had intended to lose. They will probably pull up a record of… Read More
Continue ReadingDQ…and I Don’t Mean Dairy Queen
It is hard not to trust Dan Seidman when you learn his is the founder of SalesAutopsy.com. Selling Power has an article titled DQ and Move On which highlights some of Seidman’s approach. I am not familiar with his work, but his advice is spot on. If I could have only one skill in a salesperson, it would be qualifying. It is the backbone of sales success. Every other stage hinges upon strong qualifying. Seidman hits on an absolute truth (my emphasis): When reps don’t qualify well, they spend too much time in front of prospects who aren’t ready or able to buy and that has a direct effect on… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Managers Rate Themselves
From CareerJournal’s article Managers Rate Themselves High, But Employees Are Tough Critics: While 92% of managers say they are doing an “excellent” or “good” job managing employees, only 67% of workers agree. An additional 23% say their boss is doing a “fair” job, and 10% find their manager is doing a “poor” job, according to a survey of 1,854 U.S. workers by Rasmussen Reports LLC Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark. I did so well at statistics in college that I got to take it twice. However, I believe a 25% spread is what statisticians term “statistically significant.” A solution later in the article: Let workers play a part… Read More
Continue ReadingAn Open Letter to Sales Managers
Time and time again we see a similar process play out to the detriment of a company. XYZ Company determines that they need to hire a new salesperson and the sales manager is going to spearhead the search. A problematic approach. The primary focus of most sales managers is to coach, motivate and hold the sales team accountable. Part of these responsibilities includes some direct selling and some organizational tasks (sales reports, meetings, etc.). Hiring is usually not a weekly sales manager activity unless there are larger issues inside the company. So where does this menu of responsibilities leave running a sales search? Larger companies have HR personnel to place… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 10 Tips for Effective Goal Setting
CareerBuilder.com has an interesting management article regarding goal setting that I wanted to pass along. They have 10 quick steps in helping the goal setting process become more effective for managers. Their 10 steps are: Allow Your Employees to Own Their Goals Set Deadlines Make Sure the Goals are Measurable Have Your Employees Write Their Goals Down The Goal Post Schedule Regular Progress Meetings Limit the Number of Goals Base Goals on Company Values Provide Positive Feedback Make the Reward Worth It
Continue ReadingWhy Salespeople Leave
An interesting article ran in last week’s Selling Power Newsletter for Hiring & Recruiting titled “Why Do Salespeople Leave?” According to Compensation Resources, Inc. (CRI), obtained turnover statistics and trends from a broad range of industries and company sizes. The results indicate that both voluntary turnover and overall turnover have slightly increased in 2006 over 2004 when the last data were collected. The report identified an important shift in the motivators for leaving noted by employees. In 2004, the top reasons for moving on were better pay and better benefits. In 2006, the top reasons for leaving an employer is the desire for better opportunities and increased responsibilities. “More and… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Joys of Management
From Bob Rosner’s Working Wounded blog: Worst Employee “I once asked one of my people to stop reading a People Magazine at her desk and to get back to work. She began to cry and went on disability for two days.”
Continue ReadingDebunking the High D Myth
Many companies believe that the High D (Dominance) selling style is ideal for successful sales. First, some descriptors of this style: Direct Daring Innovative Blunt Competitive Bold Risk Taker Problem Solver Challenge-Oriented Self-Starter Inquisitive Power These traits are all admirable in a salesperson but this style, if unchecked, if a ticking time bomb. Yes, sales requires a drive, even an aggressiveness to be successful. In a previous post, I briefly discussed this style in regards to a current news story. The salesperson I mentioned could be a case study in High D sales behavior. Another experience from this salesperson. He used to visit prospects and put an intense sales push… Read More
Continue ReadingDecreased Employee Loyalty
Inc.com has an article from earlier this week discussing worker loyalty in regards to age. I don’t think there are any surprises here in that older workers are more loyal than younger workers. First off, I think this analogy is one of the best I have seen to describe Gen X and Y’s approach to employment: Kevin Marasco, vice president of marketing at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Vurv Technology, a provider of Web-based workforce-management systems, explained that younger employees manage their careers as they would an investment. Just as they want to buy and sell a stock at the right time, younger workers want to build career equity by joining and leaving… Read More
Continue Reading