The newly minted sales manager was once a high-performing sales rep who dutifully implemented the boss’s suggestions. Sales managers assume the reps now reporting to them will do the same, and follow their suggestions. Sales managers who fail to follow-up create a team culture that’s lacking in accountability. Without accountability there can be no team … Read full article
Untrained sales managers become high-paid, administrative assistants to the salespeople. Untrained sales managers think that if they solve the problems salespeople bring to them, the reps will automatically sell more. Not true. Sales managers need to expect salespeople to solve their own problems. When a salesperson comes to the manager with “a monkey on his … Read full article
Untrained sales managers focus on what they know best, selling. They spend their time working on the largest deals… or jump in to take over customer meetings… (in both cases stifling the learning curves of their reps). Untrained sales managers don’t define standards of performance… so they don’t coach to standards… which leaves the sales … Read full article
Your company can increase sales and reduce sales turnover by installing a culture of coaching within your sales management team. Recent research has found that the highest producing salespeople are those that work for sales managers with a “hands-on” coaching style. Sales managers that monitor, direct, evaluate and reward their salespeople on a on-going basis; … Read full article
I’ve written a new sales book: Slow Down, Sell Faster! The book will be available January 2011. About Slow Down, Sell Faster! Faster sales pitches won’t lead to faster sales. The key to speeding up the sales process is to actually slow down and get in sync with your customer’s buying process. Customers don’t care … Read full article
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For many salespeople, attempting to obtain referrals can be frustrating and unproductive. Customers often provide either poor referrals or none at all. Many salespeople underestimate the risk that buyers feel when they’re asked to supply referrals: you’re asking your customer to put their personal credibility on the line. Another difficulty is that your customer may … Read full article
In preparing to negotiate you need to figure out what you want from the negotiations and how flexible you’re willing to be on each of your selling points. Then, for each item, develop an explanation that justifies the position you desire. Being prepared to make the right concessions—those that cost you little, but give your … Read full article
Treat any vague response as an early warning signal. Remember, many unsatisfied customers would rather flee than fight. Complaining takes time and complaints are often ignored, so customers think, “Why bother?” Customers often hide their unhappiness by responding to a salesperson’s questions in a nonspecific way. You’ve probably done the same thing in other circumstances. … Read full article
Your best asset isn’t the client company; it’s your personal relationships with the people who buy from you. People buy from people they like. As Dale Carnegie suggested in his classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, you’ve got to become genuinely interested in other people. Smile more. Be a good listener. Encourage … Read full article