Are you a “Sales Manager” or a “Sales Leader”?

As a sales manager you have a high activity level. You work hard every day to both direct and support the efforts of your sales team to produce sales results. But often, a manager’s high activity level can actually inhibit the development of the sales team. As author Steven Covey says so well in 7 … Read full article

What is “Positive Confrontation”?

Recently a prospect asked me to explain what I meant when I said that many sales managers would be more effective sales leaders if they used what I call “positive confrontation” with their salespeople. Positive confrontation is the discussion that a sales manager has with a salesperson in a timely manner, regarding an unsuccessful behavior … Read full article

5 Tips for Great Sales Meetings in 2012

Every sales meeting you deliver is an opportunity to showcase your sales management leadership skills. Here are a few specific suggestions: Set a clear meeting objective. Ask yourself, “One month from now, what will be happening differently as a result of this meeting?” The answer is your sales meeting’s primary objective. Anticipate which salespeople are … Read full article

Keeping it Simple

In the new book Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson describes Jobs’ thought process in deciding on the name Apple for his new computer company. His choice was inspired by his association with his newest fruitarian diet and a visit to an apple farm. The concept of an apple farm sounded “fun, spirited and not intimidating,” … Read full article

Maximize Your Sales Coaching Efforts

Here’s a suggestion for you to get more value out of every one of your sales coaching opportunities. When I’m observing a salesperson interacting with a customer, my focus is to listen, observe, keep my mouth shut, and take notes. What “notes”? I make a list of the specific questions that I would have liked … Read full article

12 Sales Management Tips for 2012

Don’t become a “rainbird coach.” I had a neighbor who would wait until his lawn had turned brown, and only then turn on his rainbird water sprinkler. I see a lot of sales managers who act the same way: they wait until there’s a meltdown before coaching their people. Far better for a lawn—and a … Read full article

Becoming a Flexible Sales Manager

Are you directive, or supportive? A bottom-line driver? Or a cheerleader type? A coach? Hopefully, you are a combination of all of the above. Being flexible is the key, and your flexibility needs to be rep-specific. Consider the skill and will of an individual salesperson. What does this rep lack: skill, will, or both? Once … Read full article

How to Manage a Prima Donna

Most sales managers I know have a love-hate relationship with the prima donnas on their sales teams. They love the star player’s passion and hard work. They hate the self-centered behaviors that demoralize or discourage the rest of the team. This puts the sales manager in a quandary. If they come down too hard, the … Read full article

Are You Creating Prima Donnas on Your Team?

I published an article early in 2011 about dealing with prima donna salespeople, and got a lot of feedback that the article was very popular online. One of the issues I pointed out in that article is that we sales managers often have a part in creating the prima donnas in the first place. How? … Read full article