Comments on: Salespeople Need More Leadership, Not More Technology http://askthemanager.com/2009/03/salespeople-need-more-leadership-not-more-technology/ Leadership Development & Management Training Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:45:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Top Sales Blog http://askthemanager.com/2009/03/salespeople-need-more-leadership-not-more-technology/#comment-24237 Top Sales Blog Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:46:46 +0000 http://askthemanager.com/?p=182#comment-24237 Great article! I could not agree more. Technology does not and will never take the place of hard work, desire, and great selling skills. Thanks again, Will Fultz Great article! I could not agree more. Technology does not and will never take the place of hard work, desire, and great selling skills.

Thanks again,

Will Fultz

]]> By: Brian Vellmure http://askthemanager.com/2009/03/salespeople-need-more-leadership-not-more-technology/#comment-24232 Brian Vellmure Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:55:37 +0000 http://askthemanager.com/?p=182#comment-24232 Leadership is important. I wholeheartedly agree that the technology by itself does not solve the problems. However, for those that "get it", a CRM tool is fantastic and allows significantly more productivity. For me, I can slice and dice my prospects and customers database, click a button and be talking with them in a few seconds with information and a conversation that is intimately relevant to their needs and desires. This would have taken a week in the "old days". There are dozens of examples along these lines that make my CRM system irreplaceable. To your point, though, Bill Gates sums it up nicely: "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." The best sales environment will include a combination of great leadership, insightful strategy, driven sales people, and a toolbox of technology that helps all levels of the organization execute more efficiently. Best regards, Brian Vellmure Leadership is important. I wholeheartedly agree that the technology by itself does not solve the problems.

However, for those that “get it”, a CRM tool is fantastic and allows significantly more productivity.

For me, I can slice and dice my prospects and customers database, click a button and be talking with them in a few seconds with information and a conversation that is intimately relevant to their needs and desires. This would have taken a week in the “old days”.

There are dozens of examples along these lines that make my CRM system irreplaceable.

To your point, though, Bill Gates sums it up nicely:

“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.”

The best sales environment will include a combination of great leadership, insightful strategy, driven sales people, and a toolbox of technology that helps all levels of the organization execute more efficiently.

Best regards,

Brian Vellmure

]]> By: Skip Anderson http://askthemanager.com/2009/03/salespeople-need-more-leadership-not-more-technology/#comment-24230 Skip Anderson Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:25:04 +0000 http://askthemanager.com/?p=182#comment-24230 Hey, great article. I love the Sylvan story because it's real-life. While I agree that technology can help (where would I be without ACT!, Twitter, LinkedIn, Jott, etc.), selling is still selling, and in the case of your Sylvan story, there wasn't even an attempt made to "sell" to you. There are no shortcuts to selling. It's hard work, and requires selling skills that are honed and well-tuned if one wants to maximize their revenue generation potential. Thanks! Hey, great article. I love the Sylvan story because it’s real-life. While I agree that technology can help (where would I be without ACT!, Twitter, LinkedIn, Jott, etc.), selling is still selling, and in the case of your Sylvan story, there wasn’t even an attempt made to “sell” to you. There are no shortcuts to selling. It’s hard work, and requires selling skills that are honed and well-tuned if one wants to maximize their revenue generation potential. Thanks!

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