Background: many times, joint calls become a “circus show” of show and tell; or someone trying to dominate the conversation. Some reasons typical joint calls end in confusion are:
The Steps to Success:
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Time management is an essential skill, and hour blocking is a powerful way to master this skill.You can use it to block off hours in your schedule and get more things finished. It enables you to take control of sales priorities and tasks each day.
Follow this process to take advantage of this valuable technique:
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BEFORE YOUR TEAM SPENDS TOO MUCH WASTED TIME…..Are they “real” and are they moving forward…..do you know….do your sales people know? How do they know? Here are a few fail-safe tactics:
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It is Too expensive
1. As compared to?
2. How do you mean?
3. In relation to?
4. Tell me why do you say that?
Continue readingWhat will you accept; when “Results are on the line?”
Excuse making is: A plea or explanation offered in defense of one’s conduct
Excuse Making: A release from obligation, duty, etc. ………A “pretended” reason for conduct
“Every excuse that is made & allowed—there are multiple negative forces at work behind the excuse.”
➢Given to keep from accepting RESPONSIBILITY
➢Made to project blame to someone else.
➢Used to procrastinate
➢Used to overcome inadequacy or incompetency
➢Used so as not to face FEAR of criticism for failure
➢Used to stay in “comfort zones” & from taking risks or “stretching”
Our job as Sales Leader or Sales Coach is to NOT accept excuses!
If you accept excuses (or “buy in to them”) you will give them the “green light” …to continue and give you more excuses. More excuses equal less accountably and less RESULTS!
Your Role is to be Excuse Eliminator: Eliminate ALL excuses! Let your sales people know that “mistakes” can & do happen. It’s okay. If they learn from them. However, EXCUSES for lack of responsibility or accountability are no longer acceptable.
Management Insight: “Changes Don’t Happen Until Excuse Making Stops”
You must be “pro-active” in your quest to stop excuses within your sales team!
What has been the impact of excuses in your team?
We believe each sales department MUST BE “An Excuse Free Zone.”
TO STOP EXCUSE MAKING BEHAVIOR: YOU MUST ALWAYS ASK:
1. “If you couldn’t USE that Excuse…what would you do differently?”
2. “If that wasn’t the case (or true) …what would……?”
You must do this, every day, every time you hear an excuse! Every day, every time!!! No OPTION Behavior.
Soon your sales people will learn to change their response & behavior…since you no longer accept/tolerate EXCUSES!
The outcome for this change is personal accountability & responsibility.
Management Insight: “Accountability and Responsibility are tandem cousins of personal reliability & control.”
The Result: You will create “An Excuse Free Sales environment.”
As Sales Managers, we sometimes get distracted. When we do, so do our sales people…and the performance & results suffer in the process. Our people are looking for direction and feedback that “help” them generate results.
Let’s give them that direction this month with our 4 by 10 CAPTURE PLANS.
Think of this as “4 buckets” each with a different objective for business generation.
A. Their TOP 10 Accounts who can spend more dollars in the next quarter.
Customer; Product/project; $ potential; Motive; Action step & date (list 1-10 accounts)
B. Their TOP 10 Dormant Accounts (not doing business with your company in over 12 months)
Customer; Product/project; $ potential; Motive; Action step & date (list 1-10 accounts)
C. Their TOP 10 NEW PROSPECTS (Targets to “hunt,” contact/meet/qualify/etc.) Customer; Product/project; $ potential; Motive; Action step & date (list 1-10 accounts)
D. Their TOP 10 “OPEN PROJECTS” to close in the next 30 days Customer; $Value; product/service; Decision Process; Status; Next Action & date (list 1-10 accounts)
Give each of your sales people direction, one on one with this assignment. Give them due dates to start this task and coach them minimally on a weekly basis to help manage progress and gain “clarity” for the objectives for the next call. (Tip: Role play the call with them). Practice & overcome any stalls, objections (and responses) and coach them to be prepared with more & better questions to move each opportunity forward in your sales process.
What happens when you give them this directions and coaching assistance? Their activity will increase; their pipeline will increase and ultimately their Sales results will increase!
Questions? Just give us a call at 630-560-3614. We’re glad to help & have a conversation.
As the Sales Leader, what has your team accomplished Year to Date in 2018 and what is required in Q4? It is critical to have a realistic, actionable, defined plan for the remainder of 2018 to ensure your sales people exceed their sales goals. This is the time for action and total execution of your plans, process, and people’s efforts.
The first 3 quarters of 2018 are HISTORY! It’s time to Look & Move—Forward! But first as Sales Leader, it’s time for a “short” Accountability Review 2018 Year to Date Results by each sales person and a specific plan for Q4.
The individual sales review/plan should be conducted individually by each sales person. Your review should last no more than 60 minutes or so and should be presented to management & the entire sales team. The key is preparation and knowing THEIR business, accounts and action plans.
Have each sales person have a summary hand out prepared in advance for all attendees so your review can be followed and commented on.
***We asked our intern, since he is returning to school soon, to summarize one characteristic or quality that he learned during his summer here at our sales consulting firm***
It is very easy for someone to say, “I want to be the best” but actions tend to speak louder than words. Do they actually do what it takes to be the best? Or are they just saying this?
Commitment to sales success is the willingness to do whatever it takes in order to succeed. It is much more than just doing the bare minimum to coast along. This also does not necessarily mean having a good work ethic and a strong desire either. Just because you show up on time and want to succeed, it does not necessarily mean you have the commitment to do what it takes. Sales people with a strong desire want to be the best, gain recognition, and to get paid a lot of money, but if they have a weak commitment, they will not do the actions necessary for these results. These actions can be anything from prospecting, asking difficult or tough questions, pushing back (respectfully) against a client, and qualifying. Some salespeople tend to quit when some of these things get too “tough” or uncomfortable while the top performers will keep pushing because they know what it takes to succeed.
Why is this important?
Commitment to sales success has become the single most important factor in determining a sales person’s true potential and their future results. In sales, many say they have the commitment to succeed but, in reality, majority of sales people lack this. Even going back a few years, Objective Management Group found that most salespeople, especially the bottom 74%, will not do whatever it takes to succeed. But why is this so important now?
The Objective Management Group states there are a variety of reasons why the importance of commitment has changed over the years. Some of these include:
In a profession that demands persistence and dedication, it is vital for a good sales person to have the commitment to succeed, in addition to the desire and work ethic. Since my internship at Kash Development is ending and I will be returning to school for my last semester, this concept of commitment will be a lasting remembrance for not only seeking a job, but to also being a success in my future career.
***We asked our summer intern, Noah Cralle, to create a blog entry based on what he had learned over his initial seven weeks at Kash Development Corp. He has experienced sales coaching sessions, sales team meetings, and interviews – and he sees the hidden weakness “Need for Approval” in many sales people. Below are his written findings***
When thinking about our lives from an early age, it is no surprise why the need for approval appears in so many sales people. Many of us were taught at a young age to make as many friends as possible, get along with others, avoid confrontation, and to be polite or ask for permission. We are even taught to bite our tongue if what we have to say may offend or make the other person uncomfortable. It is no wonder why this is a common trait in the sales industry. Continue reading
It is our mission to develop your sales team into a high performing, efficient, and ever improving sales force.
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