Understanding the Sales Force

  • Effect of Optimism and Commitment on the Sales Force

    • March 31, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I’m reading Sarah Miller Caldicott‘s book, Innovate Like Edison.

    There are some noteworthy quotes which, although written in the context of innovation, apply equally, if not even more to selling and sales management.

    read more

  • Baseball’s General Managers versus Business’ Sales Managers

    • March 30, 2010
    • Posted by: Kurlan & Associates, Inc.
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The 2010 Major League Baseball season officially gets underway this Sunday evening with its greatest rivalry, the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees, at Fenway Park. It gives me a great excuse to write a baseball themed article. But hey, what else would you expect from the author of Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball?

    read more

  • Secrets of Effective Sales Development

    • March 29, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    “I’ve heard it all before.”

    That comment applies to the music AND it can be attributed to some veteran salespeople after reacting to their first day of sales training.  No matter  what you read about selling, not much has changed in the last 40 years. Even my book, Baseline Selling, is based on concepts that go back as far as 1935.  Did I improve on those concepts?  Yes!  But Selling itself is not a new concept. 

    read more

  • My Salespeople Won’t Use CRM

    • March 17, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Yesterday, we discussed whether you can really get salespeople to change. I mentioned that the key rule was #9, Consequences, and that I would discuss consequences today.

    There are three primary ingredients to having Consequences.

    read more

  • Can We Really Get Salespeople to Change?

    • March 16, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    People change when they are ready to change.

    For example, I needed to lose weight and become healthier for several years.  I had been reading the literature on healthy eating for months.  I knew that this was important but until the day came when I was ready to commit to being healthy and eating healthy, nothing would change.

    By default, salespeople are the same way. 

    read more

  • A Missing Link to Sales Improvement?

    • March 15, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I was walking through the Airport when I saw what could be the missing link to sales improvement.

    read more

  • What Are Reasonable Sales Management Expectations?

    • March 12, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I am often asked which of the various services we provide to companies can be done in-house, by the executive team.  Fair question.  Answer: All of them.

    So why would companies use us or others with our expertise?  Answer: Because when they try to do it in-house they aren’t able to get most of it right:

    read more

  • Sales Leadership – a Balancing Act to Achieve Compliance and Quotas

    • March 11, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    We covered many areas of Sales Leadership that fall under the direction of someone in Phil’s role including cultural issues, competition among sales managers, and getting an entire sales force to change.  I chose to discuss the balance sales leaders must have between sharing, mandating and asking.  Sounds simple.

    read more

  • Sales Coaching – Are Sales Managers Any Good at This Function?

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

    I’ve written extensively about sales coaching before. Yesterday, a fairly typical day, I coached 4 different sales experts and 2 clients on how to more effectively coach salespeople and sales managers.  I have noticed that most sales managers believe that they’re fairly good at coaching when, in reality, most of them are very ineffective at it.  Why?

    First, let’s look at what’s required for effective coaching. Some of it is tangible and measurable while some isn’t. Effective Sales Coaching requires:

    read more

  • Top 10 Rules for Getting Salespeople to Follow Your Sales Process

    • March 8, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A lady approached the priest after the service and felt terrible because she had been leaving early to tend to her sick husband.  The priest said that this didn’t apply to her; she was already making a sacrifice by attending, and should care for her husband.  She paused and finally said, “But he passed away three years ago!”

    This story got me wondering about the widespread misuse of the sales process. 

    read more