Kevin F. Davis

Every experienced sales manager knows how costly it is to make a bad hiring decision because that bad hire takes a lot of your time and attention and then doesn’t contribute anything. Here are six “must-have” techniques that successful sales managers can use when hiring salespeople.

Ask for a “Memo of Understanding” from the Candidate

A VP […]

Sales coaching can get over-complicated. Here are four easy sales coaching tips, any one of which can help you become a more successful sales manager.

I have a challenge for you. The next time you’re talking with your salespeople, ask them to describe the steps of your company’s sales process. Chances are, most of them will have an answer.

Then ask, “What are the steps of a customer’s buying process?” If your company is like many others, the odds are good […]

The goal I am championing includes re purposing one-on-one reviews with sales team members so they become a consistent, reliable component of a sales management system. When used this way, a monthly 1-on-1 turns into a developmental coaching conversation.

A common complaint I hear from sales managers is that their sales reps are stuck selling to low-level decision makers: supervisors, purchasing agents, clerks. People at those levels are often concerned only about price. Coaching sales reps to reach higher-level decision makers will make closing the sale more attainable

Matt McDarby's new book,  "The Cadence of Excellence",  is an outstanding book that every sales manager – and those who manage sales managers – should read. The book includes many real-life examples of leading companies that have refocused their sales managers toward a new, early stage and value-creating operating system.

Successful sales managers do not tolerate mediocrity. They set clear performance standards for salespeople, and then effectively apply those standards to correct poor sales rep performance.

Becoming a better observer of sales rep performance is key to effective sales coaching. To correctly diagnosis sales rep performance issues, you need to observe a sales rep “in the field”— whatever that means for your organization.

One of the most challenging times in sales coaching is when sales reps have been on your team for a few months. They’re starting to get a handle on how your process works, how to connect with customers, and how to value-sell your offerings. Handling this phase correctly can determine the rep's achievements in the future.