Getting back “on plan” by the end of Q2
The month of June closes out Quarter 2. If you are “ahead of plan” …great! What will you do & commit to stay ahead?
What if you are behind plan…???
June/Q2 end for many sales people is like the “2 minutes drill in football”…an executable “winning and scoring plan “ must be implemented…before the “Clock runs out.”
Here is a template to help get a “2-minute plan” for June so you can “retire” your Q2 sales plan. Continue reading
In a booming market, sales people have a tendency to chase the “easy” deals. They shy away from and won’t chase the tough stuff. In a tougher market, the successful sales people must do the tougher stuff and realize that today in 2017 in a less certain economy…customers want to avoid RISK…the greatest risk they see is “over-spending.” They will push harder for discounts & concessions…and “delay” making decisions to avoid “risk.” Continue reading
Sales Talent Planning & Upgrading for 2017
A Talent “upgrade & replacement” template as a foundation for 2017
During this time of planning for 2017, what can we do from a management standpoint to improve our sales department?
(HINT #1: We cannot afford to continue to put up with complacency or mediocrity. HINT #2: No one wants to buy from a weak, desperate sales person in this “uncertain” economy.)
You as Sales Leader/Manager needs to complete a “mini-audit” of what you have and what you NEED as you move forward in 2017. Here’s a “mini-audit” format you can use to determine who stays and who goes: Continue reading
ARE YOUR SALESPEOPLE “WINGING IT” ON SALES CALLS? CONSIDER THIS….
We recently reviewed the results of a couple of surveys we conducted that confirmed what we have known for some time. Your Prospects & Customers are speaking up on how they feel about salespeople who are less than professional.
We thought that you would like to see these statistics that reinforce the need for a sales process with milestones and challenge you to improve. The term “salespeople” applies to professional sales people as well as consultants selling their services. Continue reading
The Olympics and the Athletes: What can we apply to our businesses and sales teams?
A commercial popped up on TV featuring Olympian Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time with 28 Olympic medals, of which 23 are GOLD! Forget about the watch he was wearing-this is about the Olympian who’s first Olympics was in 2000 (at age 15) continuing to Rio Games in 2016. Without a doubt-he’s unbelievable—based on his accomplishments, he “overshadowed” the hundreds of other athletes in RIO.
It’s all about the hundreds of other athletes-who worked selflessly to be in all those Olympics-to compete and perform among the “best of the best.”
So, what can we learn from the Games and the athletes? Like a true champion each of our sales people must be champions! It starts with “sourcing” the best people. It’s about daily training and measuring results; following protocols; rehearsing; knowing how to best contribute to the success of the organization; it’s about doing better each day with the help of coaches & mentors and utilizing technology to give each person and each “performance” an advantage. It’s all about “standing out” and winning on each call, whether it’s just answering a question, taking an order correctly and “upselling” to settling a dispute to creating a great impression. Continue reading
Achieving Sales Accountability and Sales Results Thru: “Traps” and Reviews
Definition: TRAPS—document/requirement that “traps” your sales team into doing successful activity that produces consistent results.
As the quarter is winding down, Sales Leaders can’t rely on the hope that sales people will make changes in order to produce better results. What we can do as Leader/managers is to help sales people make adjustments for short or measured periods of time to help them improve their sales performance. An effective and efficient practice is to focus on what can be measured, and therefore, controlled.
First and foremost, our desired choice is to help insure our salespeople ACHIEVE THE BUDGET. The choice we can make is to periodically and “semi-formally” set “traps” for the sales people to be accountable. Continue reading
Trade Shows — “Come Back with Prospects, Not Just Leads”
Long days…sore feet… tired back. Sound like your typical trade show? To make the show worthwhile you’ve got to put in the effort. What better place to talk to and meet scores of current users and potential users of your product or service. Here are some basics for the booth:
The goal is to draw people to the booth – stop them in the aisle.
Recruiting, Screening, Selecting and Retaining Outstanding Salespeople has been identified as the #1 management issue facing companies in 2016.
Many hiring managers, desperate to fill a vacancy, allow themselves to be “sold” by the interviewee.
They hire them because they "like" him or her rather than objectively screen and interview candidates that fit the position profile for getting the job done right….by the right person.
When you or your boss asks you about “recruiting good salespeople”:
Do you know where to find good salespeople?
Do you select outstanding salespeople who generate business… not excuses?
Do you know prior to hiring if the candidate has crucial elements necessary for sales success in your company and market?
Do you have a performance based hiring model for your business?
Can you spot the sales winner in the first 20 minutes of the first interview? Continue reading
The Sales Candidate Reference check!
So, you’re ready to extend an offer to a sales candidate that has passed thru your hiring “gauntlet.” They closely match what is needed in the role that you are filling; you’ve tested them and they are viable and “passed” the assessment. You conducted good, well planned interviews, and the candidate has demonstrated competency. You’ve explained the job, the requirements; the goals & activity required; and what it takes to get hired …and fired (if things don’t work out.) And they understand the position & the commitment needed to be successful.
May be you do a background check and other housekeeping details (driving record, medical, etc.)So you’re almost done—now you want to check references. In fact the candidate may have gladly supplied you with references-WOW- how convenient (who is going to tell you anything you need to know from these “prepared” endorsers?) Let’s take it a step further-call the supplied references and also ask for a couple of former supervisors. Be prepared and ask GOOD questions to get a complete picture of the candidate’s sales aptitude, habits, and past results…and if they are as good as they say they are and… as good as you hope they are! Continue reading
Here are attendee comments from a recent training conference we conducted. These are one liner “gems” to implement from the sales development training.
NEVER do anything in sales (give a quote, do a demo, write a proposal, accept a meeting or invitation to do something) UNLESS you know: “WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?” …before you agree to do something AND you have to like their answer to that question!!!
Do the right behaviors at the right level of activity to achieve your personal income goals and everything else falls into place.
Ensure that “Urgency and Bravery” drive your behaviors; do the things that have to be done and do them now!
Ask great questions, listen carefully, and respond with genuine interest.
What you, the salesperson, think doesn’t matter. It’s all about the prospect.
Do not worry about outside factors that you cannot control….election, economy, etc. Focus on what YOU can control. 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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