David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene, devoted much of his career to studying the behavior of elite athletes and champions. In an interview he gave in conjunction with one of his TED talks, he discussed a pattern he noticed in how champions set their goals. The TED program had just had a segment about … Read full article
If I asked you what was the most valuable contribution you could make as a sales manager, what would you say? A client of mine, Jackie, spent years developing into a stellar sales rep for her employer, a tech company. She had a well-earned reputation for producing results far beyond expectations. They duly rewarded her … Read full article
Within a few years of becoming a salesperson, I’d established myself as a top sales producer. So when I sat down with my sales coach for a monthly one-on-one meeting, I had the smugness of a top dog, sure that I was about to be praised. The meeting went quite different from expectations! My boss … Read full article
With the revenues of the company resting on their shoulders and the constant demands for their attention, sales managers often feel they have to be superhuman. Unfortunately, we all know that’s not possible. That’s why sales managers have to develop skills that will help them focus themselves and their reps on what’s most important (meaning … Read full article
In recent years, sales managers have become increasingly aware of the need to have sales reps who are coachable, who will listen to advice and continue learning and improving. I’ve discussed the topic several times, such as here. Think of it this way: most likely, you were put into your position as a sales manager … Read full article
We all have made mistakes as sales managers. Yet, there are certain sales coaching mistakes that I hear about time and again in my sales management workshops, mistakes that are damaging to team performance. Sales managers make these costly mistakes because they lack an understanding of how managing and leading a sales team requires a … Read full article
I’ve asked thousands of sales reps to tell me about the best sales manager they’ve ever had. And I’ve heard many different answers, including “she cared about my success,” “he made me feel important,” “she had high expectations of me,” “he always listened to me,” “she inspired me to get better,” and “he was a … Read full article
First, a disclaimer: I was a sales manager myself for many years, and think it is one of the most critical jobs in any company. It is also one of the most demanding. And having consulted with sales managers, VPs, and directors for the past two decades, I know the job pressures have only gotten … Read full article
I’ve become a strong champion of having companies convert their selling-focused sales funnel or CRM to a buying-behavior-focused model. By that I mean instead of tracking the steps of selling that your salespeople take (e.g., qualify, I.D. needs, present, etc.), they track the steps of buying that customers go through. There are many benefits to … Read full article
My first year in sales, many years ago, I was awkward—and a slow learner. But my first sales manager, Guy Campbell, must have seen some potential because he invested a lot of time in coaching me. When Guy joined me on a customer meeting, I noticed he had a habit of pulling out a coin … Read full article