Understanding the Sales Force

  • Time and Territory Management for Salespeople

    • October 4, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Aside from requests for Motivational training, Time and Territory management training is one of the most inappropriate requests I receive each week. And I’ve been getting requests like that for more than 25 years!

    Time and Territory management is what sales managers and VP’s ask for when they:

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  • Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales

    • October 3, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ll bet that every CEO, President, Director, VP of Sales and Sales Manager asks the “how can we increase sales?” question on a regular basis.  Do you?

    There are as many answers to this question as there are politicians running for US President in 2012.  They include but aren’t limited to:

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  • The Sales Interview – When One Candidate is Actually Two?

    • September 30, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You can overlook what you like and discount the candidate.  

    You can overlook what you don’t like and hire the candidate – a compromise.  

    Or you can play best 2 out of 3.

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  • The Difference Between Sales Commitment and Work Ethic

    • September 29, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    When a sales force evaluation shows that a salesperson lacks commitment, the most likely remark we hear from management is usually, “but he has such a good work ethic!”  When we ask what they mean by “work ethic”, management often say things like:

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  • 12 Differences Between Your Salespeople and Sales Candidates

    • September 28, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Salespeople that already work for you are TWICE AS LIKELY to LACK Commitment than candidates applying for sales positions at your company.

    What are some of the possible reasons for this discrepancy?  Here are 12:

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  • Top 15 Questions That Prospects Ask Themselves

    • September 27, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Two questions for you:  Are your salespeople consciously aware of the 3 mindsets and two categories, and have you checked as to whether they have appropriate approaches for each?

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  • Does Moneyball Work for the Sales Force?

    • September 26, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    It’s funny – the way those statisticians arrived at the new baseball statistics are similar to the old sales metrics we used where we calculated the number of attempts, conversations, first meetings, presentations, and proposals required to close 1 deal.  But those metrics are not enough anymore and attempts and conversations are no longer the default method for how sales opportunities come to be.

    What if we included the following new KPI’s as the Sales Force’s version of Moneyball?

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  • Does Your Sales Force Have Asthma?

    • September 23, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Both of my parents had Asthma so wouldn’t you think that when I described the sensations to them – my inability to breathe, the burning sensation, and huge fear, they would have recognized the symptoms? They didn’t want me to have Asthma, they didnt’ think I could have Asthma, they didn’t connect the dots to conclude it was Asthma and they didn’t send me to a doctor.  They were in denial.

    The same thing happens with your sales force.  

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  • Cold Calling Example – Best and Worst in a Single Sales Call

    • September 22, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Your salespeople will only get a small percentage of their messages returned but when they do, make sure they are offering their prospects value on that call.  Their messaging must be in the context of helping rather than selling and they must be able to overcome the resistance that is sure to be present with a blind returned call.

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  • Red Sox and the Sales Force – Winning and Losing is Contagious

    • September 21, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Of course you can coach, train and develop SOME of the wannabes, but only if they are Committed, Motivated wannabes, that you can hold accountable.

    Either way, winning is contagious  and you must do everything in your power to create a winning environment where success is expected and anything less is not acceptable.

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