Understanding the Sales Force

  • Top 11 Reasons Why Salespeople Fail to Close Sales

    • September 19, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The reason I’m bringing this up is that in most companies, when certain stages of the sales process are not being exectued as they should, executives often don’t know why.  That’s one of the many reasons why we evaluate Sales Forces – to identify root causes of the known (and unknown) problems.  

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  • Sales Selection – Would You Choose Bob or Mary?

    • September 16, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    As is the trend in the automobile industry these days, there is a hybrid, the best of both worlds, with all the charm of Bob and all the resolve of Mary.  But my opening question didn’t include the ‘A’ player as one of the choices.  If you had to choose Bob or Mary, who would you select?

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  • Effective Sales Models

    • September 15, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I wrote this article about the difference between sales process and sales methodology.  In addition to those two sales infrastructure components, companies should have a sales model.  How is the model different from the other two key components of an effective sales organization?

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  • Stalled Sales Opportunities: When Your Prospect is Hiding

    • September 13, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This happens to every single salesperson on the planet engaged in a sales cycle of longer than one call.

    “My prospect won’t return my calls”.

    “I can’t get my prospect to the phone”.

    “My prospect is ignoring me”.

    Those of us who train, coach or mentor salespeople probably hear one of those three even more often than “I’m having trouble scheduling appointments.” What should you do when it happens to you or your salespeople?

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  • How Many Salespeople Should Report to a Sales Manager?

    • September 12, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    How many salespeople should report to a sales manager?

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  • What Does Sales Longevity Really Mean?

    • September 9, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Objective Management Group has included the Sales Longevity Finding for about a year and clients still ask, “What does it really mean?”

    It’s really 3 things:

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  • What’s the Difference Between Sales Commitment and Motivation?

    • September 8, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    “Which is more important in sales – commitment or motivation?”

    Let’s discuss the difference first.

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  • If Andre Agassi was in Sales, Would He be Ranked #1?

    • September 6, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We know Andre Agassi wouldn’t earn $40 million a year at selling, and he may not have been able to meet, never mind date his two superstar wives (Brooke Shields and Steffi Graf).  But would he make a good salesperson?

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  • Most Salespeople Suck at Selling – Is it Worse Than Ever?

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

    What is your approach to get people to call you back after you have left 2 or 3 messages?”

    In the past month, there have been 47 comments, one of the most popular topics I’ve seen there.  Some of the replies have been on target but most are embarrassing to read.  These are sales management executives and this is a “what salespeople must learn to do in their 1st week in sales” topic.  Most salespeople do not have the skills to consistently get new prospects to the phone!

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