Sales Management
Question: I’m frustrated. My sales force just doesn’t seem to be motivated. They agree with me at sales meetings, but then don’t follow through. Any ideas? Answer: Yes. I just had a phone conversation with a client who had a familiar story to tell. He had built his business on the model of an entrepreneurial sales force. Give them a…
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In this rapidly changing economy, everyone is looking for a simple fix to dealing with the uncertainty of our economic environment. It seems like few are happy with their situations. And all but a few point their fingers at the changing economy and vibrant competitive environment as the source of their dismay.
Unfortunately, as long as our gaze is directed at “them” – those conditions in the market that have changed and are outside of our ability to control – we will never free ourselves from the constraints on our income and prosperity. We can’t do anything about “them.”
The real secret to improving our conditions is to work on “us.”
Question: Our business has been struggling for the last year or so. Several of my salespeople are just not producing. I’m not sure I can continue to work with them. When do I decide to terminate their employment? Answer: Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to ask this question? In an ideal world, everyone would succeed, and our…
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We’ve all done it. Promoted a good sales person, often our best, to sales manager. My files are full of cases where the results were below expectations for everyone involved. Principals and CSOs are often disappointed in the lack of results, and the sales managers are confused and frustrated with the lack of achievement of their teams. A variation on…
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The world is full of sales people who claim, quite proudly, to have great relationships with their customers. If that were true, it really would be great. But unfortunately, “great relationships” is too often a veil that sales people hide behind to keep from exposing the weakness in their sales skills. Here’s how it works. An experienced sales person believes…
Read More This is a Sales Question and Answer article from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle. Q. Dave, I’m interested in what you would recommend for a subscription to a monthly sales magazine and a sales improvement seminar. A. You have touched one of my hot-buttons with this question. So, forgive me…
Read More In the daily working environment for a salesperson, every day there is, in some way, an opportunity to take an ethical shortcut.
Read More This article focuses on Best Practices for sales people from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle. By Dave Kahle It is so easy to do that which is comfortable and easy as opposed to that which is smart. It’s a common temptation to which every sales person succumbs at least some of…
Read MoreQ: How do you know how far to push a sale without overstepping your bounds and threatening the sale and/or the relationship with the customer?
Read More Here are some tips to make your next confrontation easier for you, better for your company, and much more satisfying to the customer.
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