It’s 5 a.m. and a sales manager, Jason, turns off the alarm as he rolls out of bed, hits the floor, and moves through the darkness for the bathroom. A typical start to a day. In the gym by 6:00. At the office by 7:30. It’s the end of the month and the sales team…
A few weeks ago, while listening to a favorite morning radio program, I was reminded of the impact on our thoughts in any economy. The talk show host was speaking with a guest about his views on the financial condition of our country. The discussion led into postulations about a depression. After quite a bit of speculation,…
Last week Chuck Balcher (see his blog), on LinkedIn, offered this question to sales professionals. “What’s it worth? “When selling your product or service, what is it worth to the person you are trying to sell it to?” Years ago, Ron Willingham, author of Integrity Selling and a mentor of mine, said that there were 4…
Imagine this picture. Turnover occurs – sometimes at an excessive rate. Sales managers work hard and struggle to find quality candidates for open sales positions. They place ads in local newspapers and get many responses. Some use Monster. Some use recruiters. However, many of their candidates come from people who cannot find a job anywhere…
Companies need great sales managers. To find them, Sales VPs and business owners need to (1) know, in advance, the sales goals their managers will work to achieve. Sales managers assume responsibility for sales team goal achievement. And, it’s important to investigate their background for team achievement levels and to set clear expectations for them at the…
The sales assessment chosen for use in a recruiting process should: 1. Be scientifically validated for the position. The process and cost of validation, if any, should be included in the RFP. Validation documentation should be provided to company adminstator. Explanation: Many companies and individuals marketing personality profiles have not invested in validation studies to prove the predictive…
When we go to a restaurant, we expect the service and food to meet a certain standard. When we watch our favorite college sporting team, we expect a certain level of play; and, perhaps a certain win/loss record. When we live we do so at a certain standard of living. And, when we put on…
Today, while traveling from Knoxville to Memphis for Christmas, my mother-in-law called us on her cell phone. Some of you are thinking that can’t be a good thing. Actually, I’m lucky it usually is a good thing. We are fortunate in several ways in our relationship. Smitty is in good health, she can out walk…
“Please describe what happened in your last meeting with our customer Mr. Handy?” “How much time did you spend last week calling your leads for appointments?” “What networking strategies have you put into place?” What are your key activities for next week. When Misty asked you to help her last Tuesday, how did you respond?”…
It’s all about the people you coach – the people in your company – the people you serve – your customers, prospects, clients … THEM. It’s not about you. And, that’s not easy to remember, but it’s even more difficult to be this way. But, you can. You will. When “what you do” becomes about…