How to Develop a High Performance Sales Team

In a series entitled Developing the High Performance Sales Team we will look at the aspects of a direct sales team that can easily be changed to give measurable improvement to your KPIs.

The Vital Few

Back in the 19th century, an Italian economist quantified the general relationship between a minority of producers and a majority of output. Sound familiar? The simplified version of Vilfredo Pareto'...

What's the Objective of Your 1st Sales Appointment?

Do you have a defined objective for you 1st appointment? How do you measure it and what tools do you have in place to improve it? If you're 1st appointment to proposal ratio is less than 60%, here are some target reasons why and ways to quickly improve it.

Six Steps To Sales Performance Management

In today's day and age a lot of senior managers and sales managers struggle with maintaining their top line growth performance because they neglect their fundamental duties when it comes to managing the performance of their sales team. If you want to take your team to the next level, consider developing a sales performance management system that includes the following elements;

Sales Management and the Dealer Base

Effective sales management in this channel includes planning sales growth, executing account strategies and using objective feedback to continuously improve performance and drive accountability. Maximizing success and profitability creates the necessity to manage this channel as a single integrated being. This means an effective sales process and structure must be in place which includes metrics, training and resources to support and improve sales performance for both the distributor and the dealer.

Pro-Active Techniques for Getting Referrals

The typical business turns over 20% of its customers every year because of errors, changes in customer’s buying influence or personnel, customers moving or going out of business, customers that are acquired and loose local purchasing authority or customers whose need becomes obsolescent. Prospecting new accounts is crucial to the survival and growth of businesses and many companies spend countless dollars on cold calling with direct sales people or telemarketing. Referrals are readily accepted but often not pro-actively solicited and, therefore, often not realized as an exceptionally good and rewarding source of new business.

Sales Performance Management

Sales management is an integral sub-system of marketing management. It translates the marketing plan into marketing performance. Sales management is hence described as the muscle behind marketing management. The sales manager in a modern organization holds a multitude of responsibilities. He has to plan, direct and control the personal selling effort of the firm. His task does not stop with the achievement of sales quotas. He is also responsible for bringing in the required profits. In addition, he is also responsible for creating the desired image for the company and its products. In fact, a modern sales manager has to do marketing rather than mere selling.

Employee Management: How Do You Want To Be Treated?

Understanding how people want to be treated by their manager will help you become more affective as a leader. Here is a list of things all employees have in common when it comes to how they want to be treated.

The Use of Attraction Will Empower Your Sales Team

We have all had the experience of feeling an instant connection or bond with someone after just a few seconds of being in their presence. This is the Law of Connectivity. We have probably all met someone whom we instantly did not like and did not want to be around. This is caused by a lack of connectivity and usually takes only a few seconds to manifest itself. The Law of Connectivity states that the more we feel connected to, part of, liked by, or attracted to someone, the more persuasive they become. When you create an instant bond or connection, people feel comfortable around you. They will feel like they have known you for a long time and that they can easily relate to you. When we feel connected with someone, we feel comfortable and understood; they can relate to us and a sense of trust ensues.

How to Avoid a Cloned Sales Force

If you are frustrated with your ability to accurately assess the talent of potential sales candidates, this article will be of great value to you as a manager.

Fake Sales Calls from Competitors; Note to Sales Managers

Have you ever been shopped by your competition and they call up and ask questions and you put a salesperson on it to see if they can answer all their questions and turn the incoming call into a sales call.

Selling is Personal Communication and Relationship Building with the Prospect

If you are a sales manager in charge of training new recruits and sales people you know you have your work cut out for your. Many people have been told that they are a natural salesperson, due to their persuasive demeanor.

Finding the Perfect Sales Rep

If you have a company that produces a small line of products or just one original product, chances are you need a sales representative.