It’s Q4, and time to set budgets and sales goals for 2019. One recent trend I’ve seen in many organizations is the grave mistake of using stretch goals as the target. This is a mistake on several levels. Many sales leaders believe that the best way to motivate performance from Read more…
It’s November, and right now most companies have a pretty good idea of where they will end 2018 against their annual goals. Most are finalizing budgets, revenue and margin targets, performance management plans and capital purchasing plans for 2019. Sounds great in theory, but what I see most often is Read more…
You’ve probably heard the saying in sales that “People do business with people they like.” But what makes people like you? If you follow the sales tactics in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, chances are not too many customers like you. But do people really “like” you or do they Read more…
It’s time to detach from the traditional sales way of thinking. You know what I’m talking about. The “Always Be Closing” mentality. It’s time sales organizations abandon the “what have you done for me lately” micro-management garbage that’s unfortunately still ever so common in many sales organizations. New methods and Read more…
Throughout my 15 year sales career, I’ve had the privilege of working for several successful sales companies–both as an outside sales rep and as a sales manager. Each company had their own sales process. Often times, these sales processes were complicated and as a manager, it was expected of me Read more…
As January comes to an end, how are you doing with your 2018 New Years’ Resolutions? Did you give up already? If you’re off to a good start in keeping your resolutions, then you’re only 8% of the people who keep their resolutions. We all have good intentions, but let’s Read more…
We’ve all experienced small talk while riding an elevator. In an elevator, you’re focused on your destination. Should someone start an awkward conversation, the tiny box that you’re suddenly in seems smaller, and the door to freedom cannot open fast enough. The same can be said during an initial sales Read more…
Cold Calling is outdated. You’ve heard the phrase “work smarter not harder” right? But for some reason, sales leaders preach the quantity over the quality approach when numbers aren’t trending in their favor.
For years, Cold Calling has been the measuring stick for sales activity and consequently the birth of the sales cliché “Activity drives results!” No it doesn’t. The right activity drives results!
If sales professionals were not hitting their numbers the solution was COLD CALLING. So what’s cold calling? Let’s look further: (more…)
Do you want to see real growth in your sales organization? Here’s a simple tip: Start treating your sales professionals as people.
What does that mean? Right now, there’s too much emphasis on the company instead of focusing on people. Company culture begins at the recruiting/interviewing process. Treat a candidate as a human being during the recruiting process. If a sales professional is under performing, eliminate the “Coach ‘em up or coach ‘em out” mentality. If you take care of your sales team, they will in return take care of your customers—improving customer retention.
A culture shift has to happen. (more…)
You hired them for their strengths. Why focus on their weaknesses? Sales leaders, CEO’s, Management: Wouldn’t you rather focus on one’s strengths and increase the activities/behaviors that yield positive results? Unfortunately, most companies still focus on a sales professional’s weakness during reviews or “coaching” opportunities.
The first warning flag surfaces during the interview process: “Tell me, what’s your weakness?” Personally, I think it’s a lazy question without too much thought. C’mon, who’s going to admit their weakness while trying to sell themselves to an organization?
So how do we address what sales people should work on if we don’t focus on their weaknesses? Let’s discuss: (more…)