sales team

Where Results-Oriented Sales Managers Go Wrong

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A group of arrows that are in the air.

Should sales managers focus on results? Absolutely, but problems with sales teams arise when sales managers focus ONLY on results rather than observing and improving the inputs of the sales process. Sales results are an inescapable metric of the sales profession. But sales managers who want their teams to improve results have to pay attention … Read full article

3 Tips for Hiring Great Salespeople

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A group of people sitting down looking at their phones.

With the New Year just around the corner, many sales managers are thinking about what they can do to improve team performance in 2017. And for many, the answer lies in hiring new people. Every experienced sales manager knows that a bad hiring decision is costly in many ways. If you hire the wrong person, … Read full article

4 Crucial Metrics for Measuring Your Sales Managers

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A measuring tape and ruler with the words " measure success ".


As the saying goes, what gets measured gets done. How are you measuring your sales managers? One metric is, of course, “% of plan.” But you already know that.

Every sales manager wants to be provided with a clearly defined target. Give them a clear target and they will hit it. The trouble with providing them with only one metric focused on end results, such as “% of Plan,” is that sales managers can become very short-term focused. They will put their effort into chasing big deals instead of coaching. So your sales teams aren’t being built to last.

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Can Your Sales Managers Teach Your Reps to Hit Home Runs?

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A baseball player swinging at the ball with his bat.


Financial offerings warn that past performance is no guarantee of future success. Shouldn’t sales managers carry the same warning?

Too many companies tend to shoot themselves in the foot by investing the bulk of their training resources on their sales reps and ignoring training for those responsible for managing their reps’ performances. Star results as a rep don’t automatically translate into managerial success.

The fact is, most sales managers have never received formal sales management training. Untrained sales managers are a big reason rep training itself may fail to bear fruit, or more specifically, to impact sales results. That hurts your bottom line.

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Scratch Beneath the Surface to Make Better Hiring Decisions

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Talented salespeople can make big things happen for you and your company. Perhaps there is no more important decision that a sales manager makes than the decision to hire a new salesperson. One new-hire can change the entire culture of your sales team – for better or for worse. Tweaking the standard interview questions to … Read full article

To Become a Better Sales Coach You Need to Think Differently

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Have you ever considered what made you successful when you were a salesperson? You were, and still likely are, action-oriented, decisive, and adept at problem solving. These sales attributes were rewarded as a salesperson – and then you got promoted and everything changed. Except – perhaps – you. Now I ask you to consider – … Read full article

Sales Coaching Should be a Sales Manager’s #1 Priority

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Recently I was working with a group of sales managers and I posed this question- When you arrive at your office on a typical day what would you say is your #1 priority? Some of the answers I received were Reacting to my boss i.e. answering questions, following directives, etc. Prioritizing my day according to … Read full article

How to Manage and Lead your Millennial Salesperson

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I often get asked about coaching millenials—the youngest members of the sales force (under age 34), who are the fastest growing segment in today’s workforce. While sweeping statements about an entire generation can never be 100% true for any individual, there are a few factors that do separate millennial salespeople from both Baby Boomers and … Read full article

4 Tips for Sales Coaching & Leadership

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Communicating clearly to your salespeople the specific behaviors and activities that you both want and need for sales success is essential for sales coaching. Here’s a quick exercise to test common understanding. Send out an email to your sales team and ask, “In regards to the first meeting with a new prospect, what specific behaviors … Read full article