In recent weeks we have been dealing with a handful of sales managers who all have a different approach to the position. They are all in different industries, but their sales all have many similarities. One of the sales managers has progressed the best so far with his new salesperson during the onramping time. One sales manager has had to fire his salesperson (yes, one we placed) due to many reasons – many of which were the salesperson’s fault. The third sales manager has been tentative with his salesperson, but she is progressing well. The one variable that has had the biggest impact on success has been accountability. The sales… Read More
Continue ReadingSecret Traits Of Top Salespeople
SalesHQ.com offers up an article that discusses the “secrets” of top sales achievers. A couple of the secrets: • Position themselves with the real decision-makers and avoid those without ‘approval power’. They are able to first identify and then access the formal decision making unit. • Recognize when to treat an old account as a new prospect and keep the relationship fresh, alive and maintain profitability And then there is the most important one: • Never entertain business they do not want because they recognize that it takes just as long to work an unprofitable opportunity through the sales funnel, only to lose it at the death, as it does… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Essence of Sales Management
This is a tough topic because there isn’t a cookie-cutter sales manager template that fits for all companies. Our experience has been that smaller-sized companies tend to expect the sales manager to carry a significant quota while larger companies expect the sales manager to manage without carrying a personal quota. The department quota/goals are a different story. Nonetheless, ManageSmarter.com offers up a well-constructed guide to sales management titled Executive Guide: Improving Sales from Managers to Salespeople. A point that often gets overlooked in companies is the essence of strong sales management. This excerpt sums it up nicely: 4. Track where your management team members are spending their time. As previously… Read More
Continue Reading