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| Sales Management Information |
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Change in Sales Organizations Starts with Me
Question: What do the following have in common? - I spend a lot of time spinning my wheels and not getting very much done. - I am continually frustrated with the performance of my sales team. - Why can't my sales team be more independent thinkers? They come to me with EVERYTHING! Answer: These statements reflect people who are continually frustrated with the same problem. They are stuck and their problems can probably be traced back to making Big Assumptions. Making assumptions about yourself or others, without checking them out, can diminish your effectiveness. Now, there are assumptions . . . and then there are Big Assumptions. A Big Assumption is an assumption about ourselves that masquerades as the truth. We don't even know we hold them, yet they inform how we make decisions, and then how we act based on those decisions. Note: our Big Assumptions always have dire consequences attached if we don't live up to them. They're nasty. A Big Assumption in the 'spinning my wheels' example could be that this sales manager can't say no to requests. She assumes that if she does, she won't be seen as a strong leader, people won't like her and she'll be shunned. Here are some common Big Assumption that I see many sales people and sales managers hold: · They assume that the have to do everything themselves, do it well, and do it today. If they don't, they assume they will be seen as weak, ineffective, or a loser. · Many sales managers constantly solve other people's problems. The Big Assumption could be that if the salesperson solved the problem themselves in a less than perfect way (i.e. the sales manager's way), the sales manager would be seen as a failure. Or, that the sales manager's service would no longer be needed. Who needs a manager when people can solve their own problems? The list is endless. I have noticed that my own Big Assumptions are bigger when I am in a bad mood and begin to disappear when I am feeling good. My definition of a bad mood is feeling lonely or overwhelmed. I can (usually) interrupt the downward spiral of a Big Assumption by looking at my moods. When I feel overwhelmed and/or lonely, I look for my Big Assumption and I question it. My moods remind me to challenge my Big Assumptions by doing something different. First, I have to notice and admit I am caught in the Big Assumption spiral (the hardest part.) I keep a list on my desk of the Big Assumption to challenge, and note what is going on to make me feel this way. Then, I intentionally take a walk, notice things that make me smile, give myself permission to be imperfect, and make a date to see a colleague who I know will give me feedback, advice or energy. What are your Big Assumptions, and how are they keeping you stuck? BUSTING ASSUMPTIONS CHALLENGE 1. Observe how your Big Assumptions show up in your thoughts and behaviours. This month, look at your moods and see if they reflect a Big Assumption playing itself out. Don't try to change anything; just notice (and maybe write down) where and how Big Assumptions show up and what happens as a result. 2. Once you firmly understand your Big Assumptions, actively look for proof that casts doubt on them. In the case of solving other's problems, hold off giving advice, let people run with their ideas, and see what happens. Did you get fired? Do people really see you as a failure? Or, did something else happen? Have fun with it! You'll be taking steps toward becoming a more effective sales manager, inspiring success in your sales team, and connecting more deeply and authentically with others. --- This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express written permission from Nicki Weiss. The reprint must include the section "About the Author". About the Author Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized Certified Professional Sales Management Coach, Master Trainer, and workshop leader. Since 1992, Nicki has trained, certified, and/or coached more than 6,000 business executives, sales managers and salespeople. Nicki guarantees increased sales performance when sales managers become better sales coaches. Sign up for her FREE monthly e-zine, Something for NothingTM, which has powerful tips and techniques for sales managers who are ready to make this transformation. Sign up at http://www.saleswise.ca You can email her at nicki@saleswise.ca or call 416-778-4145.
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Careers and Employment Sales Competence Isn't About Quota Performance! Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency in sales. Increasing Business Through Distributors You're a small company with a good product. You are confident that the product can sell, but you don't have the financial resources to hire a team of fifty salespeople to market and sell the product for you. You also don't have the staff resources to support those that purchase the product. How do you make your good idea and good product create success for you? The Get Dangerous Quickly Approach to Product/Service Training In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help them build a software specialist sales team. The distributor had more than 100 "generalist" salespeople, but these salespeople were doing a poor job of selling software. The distributor's management felt a team of specialists could help jump-start growth in software sales. Hire A Six, To Consistently Produce Sales Success For many years as a sales manager, I would only hire the stereotypical sales representative. You know the type-on a human relations continuum or scale of zero to ten, with the ten representing a candidate who is totally gregarious and outgoing and the zero, someone who is introverted with few people skills, I'd always recruit the ten. As an advisor to businesses and professional service firms on how to build an effective sales team, I would also council my clients to hire "tens." Big mistake! Increase Your Sales - Accept Credit Cards Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments. Building Trust For Lifetime Success Trust. How To Use A Powerful Leadership Tool To Step Up Sales Results Good sales people can close, but few "step up" for even more sales from that close. Yet stepping up should be one of the easiest accomplishments in sales - that is if you know how to build the staircase. Management From Within Inspiration and Management from Within Part 2. We Will Make It Back----- A Fictional Story Based on Fact About Sales Management Success Bill Borders stepped up onto the podium. He had just been introduced as the new Vice President of Sales for Kiechler Building Supplies. As he looked out at the fifty seven faces staring back at him, time seemed to stop and everyone was motionless. Bills mind wandered. This wasn't a nervous reaction; it was more of a reality check. How to Develop a Proactive, New-Business Sales Team! I don't know about your business but in my experience proactive, positive, consistent new business winners are the holy grail of any sales organisation. All of my clients have their own unique ways of motivating, managing and running their sales teams yet they all have problems from time keeping those teams on target and "up for it!" In this article I am going to cover the core fundamentals of How to Develop a Proactive, New-Business Sales Team. These are the same strategies and techniques that I have used to help many of my clients explode their personal and their team's sales. These strategies all combine an exciting and proven mix of attitudinal, skills and structural development that really works and what's more they're fun so your staff will want to use them! The Art of Sales (And Tips On How To Manage Your Sales Team) Selling. Cold calls, introductions, interviews, appointments, proposals, referrals, call cycles, building rapport, listening, asking for the order, overcoming objections, closing the sale, and rejection. There's a lot to know about the business of selling. No wonder many people are a bit overwhelmed when they are asked to do it. Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Turning Strangers to Friends with Power of Freebies In the last issue I shared with you a technique for getting permission to follow up with people who have seen you speak on stage. This was just one example of a tactic for filling your pipeline. 14 Top Lead Generation Tactics According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical marketing practices are not only inapplicable for professional service firms, but they may be dangerously wrong. How to Keep Projects From Spinning Out Of Control Are you involved in projects that seem to go nowhere in a hurry? Hiring--A Vital Key In Sales Management Success Recently, I was asked to spend some time on the telephone, coaching a client's administrative assistant on how to check out an employment candidate's references. After each in-person or telephone conference, I complete a brief written report going over the information discussed. The information that I gave this worker was so vital to the company's overall sales management success that I felt impelled to share the report in my periodic client e-mailings, feeling that it might be of value to others that I serve. The information is so vital to the management process, I decided to reproduce it here as well. Run a Productive Business From Your Car-Office The way we do business has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. More products and services are now being offered outside traditional premises. You no longer have to go to a bank to complete your transactions or home loan applications. Insurance brokers visit your home or office; retailers deliver products directly to your home. This change in distribution methodology has meant many of us now run a car-office. A Coachs Handbook For Sales Managers This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express written permission from Nicki Weiss. The reprint must include the section "About the Author". Shorten Sales Cycles in Complex Sales Environments Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and align all of their decision variables. 100% Commission Equals Zero Percent Control The temptation to use straight (100%) commission plans never goes away: "Let's put our salespeople on 100 percent commission. Then, if they don't perform, we're not out any money." For small, start-up organizations, the lure is irresistible, especially when money is tight and the company or the products they sell have no track record in the market. Back-to-School List - 10 Tips for Trade Shows There's a new year beginning now - the school year. Whether you have children attending for the first time or finishing university, it's always hectic to get into the back-to-school routine. And, if you don't have school in your family, there might be your own remembrance of the excitement of starting afresh and learning something new.
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