Understanding the Sales Force
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What Have Your Salespeople Been Listening To?
- October 28, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
In my position as a sales development thought leader and expert I get to hear what many salespeople in many industries are encountering for resistance. In the last few weeks I’ve heard way too much about deals getting suspended due to spending freezes. Have your salespeople been hearing this?
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Cyclical Economy – What Does it Mean for the Sales Force?
- October 23, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Cyclical. The first problem with cyclical is that I don’t know how to spell it. I suppose I could have also tried spelling it “cyclicle”. That version got red underlined in red in my blog editor too. My next issue with a cyclical economy is making sense of it. Here’s my attempt:
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Who Are Better Salespeople – Men or Women?
- October 23, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Tom Peters said women are better salespeople than men.
I wrote that Objective Management Group’s data proves that a greater percentage of women are stronger than men.
Here is how that data breaks down:
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Tom Peters – Sales Excellence
- October 22, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I see this all the time. Presidents lamenting over their sales force when, so often, the Presidents are the problem!
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Management’s Guide to the Top 10 Differences Between Sales Winners and Losers
- October 19, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Friday I wrote this post and today I wrote this longer article about the Top 10 Differences between Sales Winners and Sales Losers.
This post is the sales management version of the article referenced above.
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Sales Force Motivation – Learn From the Red Sox Miraculous Comeback
- October 17, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
When salespeople have plenty of opportunities and have experienced plenty of difficult sales cycles, it’s not such a big deal when an important opportunity dies. But if it’s a salesperson that has very few quality opportunities or one who hasn’t experienced very many deals that went sour, they react – badly – by getting quite emotional, discouraged, and upset.
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The Sales Assessment as Crystal Ball
- October 16, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Not all sales assessments are created equal.
That’s an understatement.
Yet it’s when a client pushes back – not when they look at the recommendation or prediction and accept it – that we get an opportunity to bring our sales assessment to life.
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Getting Excited About Sales Metrics
- October 16, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
As we encourage our clients to do each day, both of my companies have daily huddles for their salespeople. The purpose of the daily huddle is to keep everyone focused on the measurable activities that drive results.
During the last couple of weeks, I’ve had our six-year old son in the car for about 6 of these conference calls and it only took one huddle to get him hooked. He wants to report his numbers – and he has them ready – each time he’s with me. It makes him proud to participate and he wants to report numbers that are better than theirs.
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10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One That’s Best For You
- October 9, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I’ll bet you know plenty about agreements, contracts, and legal compliance in your industry. You probably know enough about accounting, taxes and audits to get by too. And I bet you know your way around insurance, investments and real estate.
Despite all of that knowledge, I’m certain you have a great corporate attorney, corporate accountant, insurance advisers for commercial, benefits and personal lines, and a Realtor. Some of these people may even sit on your board.
Do you have a sales expert on your board? On retainer? Working with your sales team? Your sales management team? On your sales infrastructure? On compensation and incentives?
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Will Your Salespeople Change Behaviors to Improve Their Effectiveness?
- October 9, 2008
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Can your salespeople change? Will your salespeople change? Do you have to change in order for any of this change to take place?