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
We are currently embroiled in a divisive election where each candidate harshly criticizes the weaknesses of the other. For a refreshing change, I decided to revisit the leadership attributes possessed by arguably our greatest president — Abraham Lincoln — and discuss why a few of Lincoln’s skills are so important for today’s sales managers to … Read full article
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
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
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
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
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
As the leader of your sales team you, no doubt, place great emphasis on the achievement of sales results. And rightly so. But if a sales manager focuses exclusively on results, so to do your salespeople. An intense focus on results can distract everyone from the sales process, which is the all-important input side of … Read full article
I have just heard that my book “Slow Down, Sell Faster!” is a finalist in the annual Sales & Marketing Awards competition for “Top Sales & Marketing Book of 2011.” For those of you that have read my book and liked it you can cast your vote today. Polls are open until December 12th. There are … Read full article
A prospect who sells industrial products to power plants recently told me that his sales people were really good at selling features and benefits, but not so good at selling value. So, when a sales manager urges a salesperson to “sell value, not price” what does he or she really mean? The value of what … Read full article