sales management
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The Sales Manager as Ice Cream Man
- June 27, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
You may not be able to promise them ice cream in return for scheduling 8 new meetings this week, but I’m sure there is something that will motivate them to do it. The question is, “what?”
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Is Moving From Vendor Up the Ladder Scary to Sales Executives?
- June 20, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
This is actually the third article on this subject. Last week I posted this article which contains a link to the original article.
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Are Your Salespeople Vendors, Partners or Trusted Advisors?
- June 15, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Now here is what you can do on your end. Get your salespeople to stop referring to themselves as vendors and salespeople. How far does that get them when attempting to differentiate from everyone else?
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Top 12 Questions to Ask Yourself About Sales Process
- June 14, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Most people don’t understand the difference between sales process and sales methodology.
A customized, optimized, formal sales process includes the sequence of steps, to-do’s, milestones and goals that must be achieved during a sales cycle.
A sales methodology is the approach one takes to execute those steps.
For instance, using a few well-known companies and brands:
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How to Interpret Sales Revenue and Economic News
- June 13, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Perhaps the disconnect between what I see and what is being reported is simply this. While there are some isolated geographies and industries that are doing poorly, others are doing quite well. But when we look at the overall numbers, they just don’t provide an accurate reflection of what is actually taking place.
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Why Do Salespeople Quit in the First Year?
- June 9, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When companies do everything correctly in the sales hiring process, they do these 10 things, …and they are still vulnerable to salespeople leaving within the first 9 months. Why?
The reasons fall into 4 basic categories:
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Top 5 Reasons Why Salespeople Don’t Make Quota
- June 8, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I received the IDC Sales Advisor Newsletter in my email today and while it was about the importance of cross-selling, they said it is important because 50% of reps aren’t making quota.
Forget cross-selling! If 50% of your reps aren’t making quota you have bigger problems than whether or not they are cross-selling!
There are only five possible reasons why reps are not making quota:
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Are Your Salespeople Jerks or Just Different From You?
- June 1, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Last week I conducted a 3-day Sales Leadership Intensive for a very small group. Working with a small group has advantages because everyone receives more individual attention, we can go at their pace, and spend as much time as we need to on their issues. Working with a small group also has disadvantages because their diverse learning styles tend to stand-out and can be a distraction.
For example, in last week’s group, I had:
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How to Compensate Sales Hunters, Farmers and Account Managers
- May 27, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Today I received an email from a long time reader with this interesting question:
“We’ve heard a good hunter won’t farm and a good farmer (account manager) won’t hunt. If this is true how do we tackle the model of compensating hunters who bring in new customers who then turn it over to an account manager to grow the business? Is it possible to expect someone who can hunt and then manage a book of business or does that create a conflicting sales profile?”
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What Automotive Technology Can Teach us About Sales Process
- May 20, 2011
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Much like the automobile drivers of decades past, the salespeople in companies lacking a formal, structured sales process don’t know what they don’t know. They aren’t aware that they aren’t as safe as those with the process. They don’t know they are out of control and at risk every time they conduct a sales meeting or call.