Inexperienced sales managers assume that if they solve the problems salespeople bring to them then sales reps will automatically sell more. Not true. Sales managers must expect salespeople to solve their own problems instead of doing their thinking for them. When a salesperson comes to the manager with “a monkey on his back” it is … Read full article
Questions every sales managers should consider in their strategic/team development plan include: Which salesperson is ready to step up and assume the lead role on this team? If I were to set a team goal to increase sales by 30% over the next 12 months, what obstacles would stand in our way? Is there anyone … Read full article
There are actually 29 specific time-wasters that a lot sales managers suffer from. Sales managers become buried in busy work, putting out fires and feeling overwhelmed. They’re working harder than ever–unable to catch up–and no time for their number 1 priority: sales coaching. The result? The individual on the team with the most highly developed … Read full article
Hanging on to low producing salespeople is detrimental to your sales team! Untrained sales managers aren’t coaching reps on a consistent basis. This leads to the manager not understanding why the sales rep continues to turn in a poor performance. The sales manager then reacts to a rep’s poor production by “buying” the rep’s excuses, … Read full article
When untrained sales managers don’t know how to be an effective sales manager, so they continue to do what comes naturally – they continue to sell. But this leads them to spend more time with their top salespeople, who are working on the biggest deals, which leaves the rest of the sales team out in … Read full article
The role of the Therapist in sales is to understand and resolve the buyer’s fears. Here is the Therapist’s Four Step Treatment Process to help the customer work through the fear of buying: 1. Be sensitive and observe 2. Explore concerns 3. Empathize with feelings 4. Discuss alternatives You cannot resolve a buyer’s fear until … Read full article
When was the last time your company took a hard look at your sales proposals? The value your company provides to customers likely changes over time. Has your sales proposal changed, too? Does your sales proposal persuasively communicate that you are the preferred solution provider in your marketplace? At TopLine Leadership, our sales training seminars … Read full article
Spend less time trying to close the sale — and more time positioning your solution as the customer’s best choice. If you don’t know by this point in the sales process at least three reasons why your customer should buy from you — reasons that have been connected to explicit customer needs (so you know … Read full article
If you sell to businesses, somewhere during the sales process your prospects may send out a Request for Proposal or ask you to make a formal sales presentation. Here’s an important tip: if the RFP is the first you’ve heard about the opportunity, it means you’re entering the game late (whether or not there are … Read full article
If you don’t know your customer’s buying criteria, or if you find yourself guessing, consider it a signal that you haven’t placed enough emphasis on uncovering customer needs. You will have added significant value to your customer’s buying process if they come away with a better understanding of their buying criteria and with a greater … Read full article