sales team

Why the Sales “HUNTER” Approach No Longer Works Today

Are you a hunter or a farmer? If you’re in sales, you’ve probably been asked that question or told that you need to spend more time hunting. “Coffee is for closers” has been the montage of the hunter’s society for decades. To my surprise, the term hunter is still a qualification in the majority of sales job descriptions. While the hunter approach worked several decades ago, the sales hunter approach no longer works today. When it does work, it’s for the short-term or for that matter a quick sale. I’m sure this article will cause debate (which is great). So let’s dive in. (more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago
Performance Improvement Plan

Are You a Leader or a Manager?

When it comes to working with people, are you a leader or a manager? First of all not everyone who is a manager is a leader and not all leaders are managers; however, your team will know if you’re a leader or a manager. The most important question is do you know who you are? Take the quiz to find out.

Although there are pros and cons with both, I will save my insight until the end. Hiring a “leader” or a “manager” must fit within your company culture and vision.

Consider the following traits: tells, meets expectations, sets the direction, has objectives, takes risks, instructs employees. Leader or Manager?

Let’s check out this infographic that clearly outlines the traits and separates the two: (more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago

An Open Letter to CEO’s and Sales Leaders

Theo Epstein did it again. In 2004, he ended the “Curse of the Bambino” and now with the Cubs winning the World Series, he just ended the longest drought in professional sports (in fact 108 years). Just how did he do it? Listen to what Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said about Theo: “He made sure I knew right away it wasn’t about one person. It was about the organization. We talked about how you treat people and the right people will create success. It takes time. It won’t come overnight. He’s honest with everybody everywhere he goes.” It’s all about the organization and people. Can you imagine the Red Sox or Cubs parting ways with Theo after 1 year or even 3 years of hiring him? So, here is some sales leader advice that will help any organization become successful: (more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago

How to Build a Successful Sales Team

Having a successful sales team can make all the difference. It is a dream to have a sales team that is passionate and performing at work. As sales leaders, we want to see initiative from our team members to accomplish goals with little guidance.

When goals and objectives are not being met, sales managers often resort to micromanagement. Unfortunately, most micromanagement tactics usually focus on the activity rather than the results. The answer is to coach and develop. With that said, can we really get that “dream team?” Yes!

Here are 3 ways on how to build a successful sales team:

(more…)

By Greg Hahn, ago