As the sales leader, you ask yourself: “How are the “troops” doing, working remotely?”

Your inbox has been loaded with ‘advice” on communication, coaching, and giving feedback and encouragement during sales people this unsettling time.

The customers/prospects are “playing defense,” meaning they do not want to lose their business. You want your salespeople to play “offense,” make the calls, adjust their traditional selling style to sell remotely. Strong leadership and management are needed now, more than ever. The Sales staff are now all set up to work from home, learned how to use Zoom. With this change in sales strategy, and each person working alone, without close supervision, in this new environment, what could go wrong?

Sound familiar over the past couple weeks? As a Leader, how do you help your people overcome their fear? What MUST you do to help them separate their “sales mission” from all the “noise” they are hearing (and possibly believing?)

Depending on the age & experience of your sales team, if they didn’t go through the 2008-2009 Financial crisis and recession—they are in SHOCK and DENIAL! This is an unprecedented time.

Help them with their MINDSET. Where is YOUR business today? Give them guidance, hope and direction:

We’ve all been inundated with ‘tips” on the internet on “how to work remotely” over the past week. Sales Leadership is NOW critical.

In this time of remote selling – telephone skills are more important than ever.

Your people want to know: “What should I do?” AND…” What do I say?”  AND… “How should I start my phone call in this “crazy time?”

Time is the salespersons #1 asset. It’s also a “depleting” asset. We can’t “recapture” time.

Insight: “You can’t manage time; you can only prioritize & manage your activities and what you do with your time.”

How we spend our time is most critical.

We’ll share 3 major components of Time/Asset Management.

1. Organization:

• What activity needs to be planned & prioritized in order to reach your personal/sales/income goals…. weekly and daily?

2. Action:

• Focus on “behaviors” which produce your desired results—while also addressing distractions, low priorities and time wastersthat “steal” our valuable time away from sales. (Make a “contract” or agreement with yourself to stay focused on what activities & action steps get you results.)

3.Evaluation:

• At the end of the week: Evaluate your “achievements.” What behaviors and techniques allowed you to achieve your weekly goals?
• What, if any, problems or setbacks did I encounter? How will I address/overcome them ?
• Did I make the “right choices” with my time this week?
• What can I learn from this week to be better Organized next week & the week after?

The “Pay-Off.”  When you follow these 3 step components, every week…you will see an increase in your productivity and ultimately, your results.

It’s like a “Blind Date.” You “Hope” you won’t be disappointed and you “Hope” it might “Work Out.”

Let’s face facts; you’re frustrated because it’s difficult in this 4% unemployment economy-you’ve done some work. Like:

·        You (or HR) have a Sales position job description.

·        You’ve advertised your sales opening.

·        You’ve looked at countless resumes …who have “experience” in sales, but not quite the experience you need for your unique sales role or market.

·        You’re unhappy because you’ve interviewed people who you “liked” but…you’re not sure. You’re not even sure or confident in your interviewing skills (FYI- only 5 % of managers have had any interviewing training—you’re not alone.)

·        You are “subjective” and follow your “gut instinct” when interviewing—“After all, they were likable & they have a great personality… AND…I’d buy from them.”

·        Poor hires have cost you a good amount of money in the past, not to mention lost time and lost opportunities.

·        You’re tired of “being sold” by sales candidates…who, once hired, don’t produce like they said they could in the interview.

·        You’ve heard about Sales hiring assessments, maybe have even used a personality test in the past, without much success. It didn’t really focus sales capabilities like sales skills & competencies, Sales DNA, Sales development or questions to probe in an interview.

Let us share solid, data driven information about the #1 Sales Hiring Assessment from our Partner, Objective Management Group. 

Click here: To Explore the Data and Science of Salesforce Selection

Today’s decision makers are busier than ever, many are doing “more” with less.

Fact:

Decision Makers face ever-escalating “unrealistic” expectations to do more, do better, be faster!!!

Many are: Too Busy to: Deal with problems that haven’t YET reached the “crisis stage”

The result?

In a world of procrastinators, there always appear to be delays or excuses (often times in the summer, prospects tell salespeople that they’ll address something after they’re back from vacation). These delays are frequent as holidays (like Labor Day) approach, as it is convenient for the prospect to procrastinate, “with the holiday approaching…” 

Here’s a quick, effective way to help move deals forward and overcome prospect delays.