Understanding the Sales Force
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NY Times Articles Hits Then Misses the Mark on Sales
- November 18, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Compensation is tricky and one size never fits all.
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Selling Power Hit and Then Miss the Mark on Sales
- November 17, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Yesterday it was the Harvard Business Review article and today it’s a Selling Power article.
They pointed to three qualities that are highly predictive indicators of a top sales performer. Let’s see how their claims (using data from personality assessments) stack up against real sales science (using Objective Management Group’s data from sales specific assessments).
They said the 3 highly predictive qualities are:
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Harvard Business Review Hit and Then Missed the Mark on Sales
- November 16, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Their conclusion was that everyone receives sales training on presentation and pitch but not on rising to the challenge and customer interaction. They recommended that salespeople should get more training in those areas where they haven’t developed the other skills. You don’t say…
OK, I can’t wait to share my perspective. Here is how HBR missed the mark:
In no particular order:
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The Hidden Power of the Sales Candidate Follow Up Letter
- November 15, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
You receive follow up letters from your sales candidates all the time, right? And you probably make notes in their files that they sent those nice follow up letters and you might even rank them higher as a result.
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How to Get Salespeople to Leave Their Comfort Zone
- November 11, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
We asked our 8-year-old son if he was willing to help out and have a female classmate ride home with him today. He wasn’t sure. If he didn’t do the right thing and said no, he would hurt her feelings. If he did the right thing, he worried that he would be uncomfortable spending time with her. When they are eight years old, boys think girls are yucky.
This is the same dilemma that salespeople face every day, in every sales call, in every interaction. Do the right thing and ask the tough question that the situation calls for; or do what’s comfortable and present.
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Effective or Easiest – Which Path Will Your Salespeople Choose?
- November 8, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
There are always one or two crucial turning points in every sales cycle where your salespeople must choose between asking the tough question that are called for, or saying what’s comfortable for them.
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How Can Anyone Spend That Much Time on Sales Coaching?
- November 4, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
According to Objective Management Group’s considerable data, only 15% of all sales managers spend as much as 25% of their time on coaching and the time they do spend on coaching is generally ineffective. Two more statistics from OMG reveal that 18% of them shouldn’t even be in sales management, and 34% of them aren’t trainable because they lack the incentive to change. And one last statistic, a whopping 84% of sales managers just plain suck!
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Election Day – Like Decision Making Day for a Sales Opportunity?
- November 2, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Politicians get elected one vote at a time. Salespeople win sales one prospect at a time.
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When Agreement is Really Disagreement – Happy Ears for Salespeople
- October 28, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Your salesperson asks his prospect a question like, “Does that make sense?” and his prospect replies, “Sure.” Feeling relieved that his explanation was successful, your salesperson moves on, an unwitting participant in what will become a huge surprise to him.
Why will it be a surprise?
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Can Your Salespeople Sell More Effectively by Asking More Questions?
- October 22, 2010
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
By now most executives understand the role and importance of questions in the sales process.
More questions? Okay.
Better questions? Sure.
Tougher questions? Makes sense.
Questions that result in the kind of conversations that none of your competitors are having with your prospects? Sounds great.
But can your salespeople do this?