Understanding the Sales Force

  • 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?

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  • Top 3 Ways for Salespeople to Eliminate Competition

    • October 14, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    There are three ways to eliminate increasing competition for a declining number of opportunities:

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  • My Sales Process, Strategies and Tactics in Your Voice

    • October 10, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Our son has this comedy routine by John Pinette down cold. He heard it once and can now do it for anyone.

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