Dave Kurlan

  • College Basketball vs. the Pros & Sales Management & Selling

    • March 3, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If you live in fear and follow the path laid out by NBA head coaches, and just try to make everyone happy, you get the wrong outcome.  Additionally, you show that you are not a good leader, you are not a good coach, you are not a good sales manager, and you are not a good role model.  You are, in essence, a babysitter with all of the power of the 13-year old who can watch and entertain, but cannot make a decision.

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  • Top 10 Reasons For Inaccurate Forecasts

    • February 28, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We joke a lot about sales forecasts being no more accurate than weather forecasts, but everything is relative.  An inaccurate forecast of cloudy won’t have much of an impact on anyone, but an inaccurate forecast of sunny and warm might.  An inaccurate forecast of flurries might not cause a problem if they don’t materialize, but an inaccurate forecast of a foot of snow – in either direction – has serious consequences.

    Inaccurate sales forecasts are legendary.  Here are the 10 most common reasons why salespeople, sales managers, Sales Directors and CEO’s suffer from this: 

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  • Trust in Selling is Becoming More Important Than Ever

    • February 26, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Trust is becoming more important than ever.  Companies are focusing more on integrity and values, and that’s from both sides of the door.  They are looking for salespeople, vendors, suppliers, partners and trusted advisors who have strong integrity.  And they are also hiring the people (in this case, salespeople) who are deemed to be of a higher integrity.  Trustworthy is the operative word here.

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  • 2 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with Sales Candidates

    • February 24, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    At this point in the process, the candidate is the appetizer, movie trailer, and test drive – all rolled into one.  If they don’t complete the application and assessment, then why do sales managers and HR managers try so hard to get them to do it?  Haven’t these candidates already shown you all you need to know about their follow-through, follow-up, attention to detail, ability to work a sales process, ability to take direction, and commitment to the result?  These candidates might even be thinking, “Not if I have to work this hard…”

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  • Double Article Friday – How New Salespeople Struggle

    • February 21, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If ever there was a good analogy for the new salesperson, this is it; and what a case it makes for nailing the onboarding process to make sure that nothing is left to chance.  In what kind of shape is your onboarding process for new salespeople?

    Here is an article that I wrote seven years ago about how to onboard new salespeople and it still holds true today.  Enjoy.

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  • Do Salespeople Leverage the Ideal Moment in the Buying Process?

    • February 20, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The moment after it’s all closed is the perfect moment for both salesperson and customer, and it can only go downhill from there.  So why do salespeople fail to leverage that moment?

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  • Top 4 Questions, 2 Words of Advice about Sales CRM

    • February 17, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A company’s executive team can have a positive or negative influence on the performance of the sales team.  Each member of your executive team can impact sales in some small, or not so small way.  Today, I want to talk about Chief Technology Officers, VP’s and Directors of IT.  At first glance, you might not think that IT has much of an impact on sales and you would be correct.  However, they do have a significant role.

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  • Are You Any Good at Evaluating Sales Talent?

    • February 11, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You can probably spot an energetic, motivated, likable, memorable, polished, polite and attractive salesperson from a handshake away.  Aren’t those the ones you like best?  Aren’t those, especially when they have industry background, the ones you hire?  And don’t they all perform just swell?  

    No?  Why not?  After all, they met all of your criteria, didn’t they?

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  • Friday – Finding New Business & Sales Part 2 – How it’s Done

    • February 7, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This is the second weekly installment of Finding New Business and Sales.  You can read Part 1 here.

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  • How to Run a Killer Sales Incentive Contest

    • February 6, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Incentive programs are still very powerful as long as you make sure they don’t last for more than 90 days.  There are other factors that can make the difference between an effective and ineffective program.  Consider the three most important concepts:  Everyone must believe that they can win the contest, there should be more than 1 winner, and the rewards must be motivating enough for them to go into overdrive to win one.

    Let’s begin with how you get them to believe they can win.

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