The Sales Management Blogs have been as busy as the editors of AskTheManager. We’ve been remiss at brining you the very best Sales Management tips and advice, but we’re back with a vengeance.
There is some great advice in this week’s blog posts and articles. We hope you enjoy these masterful Sales Management Advice aimed at helping you increase sales for your entire team. Enjoy!
The Seven Myths of Sales Management In the post “Better Sales Manager: Obama or McCain” I discussed the role of the sales manager in terms that we’re entirely complimentary. That’s not because I don’t respect sales managers, though. Let’s talk seriously for a moment. …
Do You Use Salesgenie? A Couple of Cheaper and Maybe Better … We all know that finding information about prospective prospects is difficult. Certainly we have access to their website, which information is helpful but not complete. Not only do we need more information than we’re likely to find on …
Are You Skeptical? I’m sure you’ve heard of social media. I’m sure you’ve heard what social media can do you for your business. I’m sure you’ve heard that social media is going to change your life. I’m sure you’ve heard that if you’re not involved-if you …
Sales management strategies – a purpose to every call I’m in the process of really ramping up our sales and marketing efforts at Everon, and I’m always on the lookout for great ideas on how to do so most effectively. One of the things that I’ve found in all great sales organizations is …
Sales Management It is “Sales Management” which has the last laugh over every other aspect of the business. Many a time it has been seen that a better quality product or service has given place to an inferior quality product or service only due to …
Networking Lessons from Mother Teresa and Machiavelli Little, sweet, big hearted, concerned only with the poor, the hungry, the homeless. That’s our image of Mother Teresa. And she was that in reality. But she was more-much more. Conniving, heartless, power hungry, goal focused, …
Closing the sale – it’s not what you say, but when you say it So many sales people talk beyond the point where their prospect has already made the decision to buy, and if we do this, we may well end up with the prospect losing interest or deciding to “think it over”. …
Sales Management Importance of sales management is critical for any commercial organization. Expanding business is not possible without increasing sales volumes, and effective sales management goal is to organize sales team work in such a manner that …
Why do so many business solution providers struggle to reach their … … will keep on bidding if not totally blind then certainly partially so, despite their poor chances of success. They may well be working hard, but are they working smart? Sales Coaching & Sales Management Training to Drive Results. …
Mushroom Management RIP You’ve heard of various sales management styles to avoid right? You know, like Mushroom Management! – These sales managers keep you in the dark and feed you manure every now and then! Well, here at MTD Sales Training we have come up …
Looking For THE Silver Bullet in Sales? Ah, the endless search for the silver bullet, that magic formula that will make sales so easy, so quick, so painless. For many in sales that Don Quixote quest is never-ending. The internet is full of sites that promise that magic …
The Number One Reason Why Prospects Don’t Purchase Well, in my 25 years in sales and sales management I’ve seen many sales people who are afraid of the word “no”. And there are also some who are afraid of the word “yes”. If you fit in either of these categories, it’s time to get over …
Best Sales Management Blog Posts – Week of August 31, 2008
The editors of AskTheManager scoured the World Wide Web to bring you the Best Sales Management blog posts and article available for the week of August 31, 2008 – slim pickings on a holiday weekend.
Of course, most leadership development and management-related blogs on the web are filled with either immature advice or money-making scams, though most authors who write sales management blogs seem to really know their stuff. These selected posts are filled with useful information and void of the overused tips and tricks found in the time management weblogs (again, the pickings are pretty slim because of the long holiday weekend).
Free Prospecting Whitepaper from Tibor Shanto. By Brad Trnavsky
Just a short post to announce that one of our members Tibor Shanto just recently released a new whitepaper about prospecting called “Above The Pipe! – Part I: Three Must Haves for Prospecting Success”. I just recently downloaded it, …
In the operating room tomorrow, wish me luck!!! By Michel Chiasson
These are all things that are difficult to find in today’s sales management approach. I am not saying that I am the best salesman there is. I might think it, but I am not saying it. I am saying however, that all along the career of a …
Guest Article: “Six Ways to Prove the ROI for Sales Inquiries,” by … By Paul McCord
The Six Ways to Prove the ROI for Sales Inquiries by James Obermayer. Are there more than six ways to prove the ROI for inquiries? Probably, but these basic six ways to prove the ROI will start you off. 1. Salespeople report: The best …
It was pretty potent week for the Sales Management bloggers. This week the editors of AskTheManager.com found some good Sales Management and Sales Training advice in the following posts and articles, with the best stuff coming from Paul McCord and Brad Trnavsky:
Pharma Sales – Storytelling for Success By Michael Byrne
The story of how your product can make a significant difference to patient wellness, told by your representatives, has a huge impact on the success of your company. As every representative on your team has their own unique style of …
How important is it for a salesperson to know about and talk about a competitor’s products and offerings? I’ve heard strong arguments on both sides for whether or not to talk about the competition in a corporate appointment.How important is it for a salesperson to know about and talk about a competitor’s products and offerings? From a LinkedIn.com subscriber
This question was posted on LinkedIn.com and TheManager felt compelled to include the answer on this site. (You’re Not Linked In? Shame On You.)
This question and the answers provided by other LinkedIn subscribers can be found by following this link.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you obviously know about LinkedIn.com – the Facebook for business people. Everyone and anyone is LinkedIn today. A great business resource, LinkedIn offers social networking and career development advice unmatched by any source on the Web. (Of course, if AskTheMananger.com offered social networking, we’d surely smoke ‘em J.)
To The Question At Hand…
Don’t be silly. It is CRITICAL that every sales representative in your organization know as much about their competitors’ products as the competitors themselves know.
Primarily, you’re doing a disservice to your customers if you know only half the story (yours). By gaining a true understanding of your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, you can decide the best approach to securing a customer as your own.
Imagining or wishing that a competitor’s product does not offer this or that is foolish. Acknowledging the advantages of a competitor’s product helps you design sales strategies that highlight the unique advantages of your own. Believing your customer has not already heard your competitor’s sales pitch is naïve. They have, and they are going to compare what you say against what the competition claimed.
All of this is not to say that you need to disparage your competitor’s product. Actually, the opposite is more effective in a sales presentation. You should praise the unique advantages of your competitor’s products while highlighting the truly unique advantages of what you offer.
Knowledge Is Power
I’m sure this question was posted on LinkedIn to excite the readers and drive conversation, and it worked.
But by following a solid, consultative approach to selling, your knowledge of a competitor’s product should almost never come up in the conversation. However, if your prospect asks you direct questions about your competitor’s offering, you should be prepared to showcase your knowledge.
Remember, people by from people. If your knowledge of a competitor’s product is sub-par, it’s likely your prospect will question the validity of your claims. In a true consultative selling environment, you move from vendor to partner in the eyes of your prospect. A true partner would know their market.
The editors of AskTheManager.com scoured the World Wide Web to bring you the best posts and articles covering Sales Management for the week of August 17, 2008:
I am a young, newly promoted sales manager who stepped into what feels like a mine trap. I have been appointed to a brand new store filled with employees who lack professionalism and seem to be all out for themselves. I am the youngest associate to ever be promoted into a management position for our company and I feel like I have to make a name for myself by showing that I can make something of this responsibility that’s been given to me. My employees are all older than me, so trying to establish myself as someone that they can count on seems like a major task. Clearly, many of them have an issue working under someone who is younger than themselves. Not to mention the very first day, when our regional manager came to welcome me to the store, the associates were poorly dressed, not occupying themselves with their job whatsoever, and just sitting at our podiums talking amongst themselves. There is obvious work to be done, and I would really like to smother these bad habits before they become the norm. AngelCakes in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
AC, you’ve got your work cut out for you. I wish I could say the next three to six months were going to be easy, but they’re not.
The best advice I can give to you, and any young manager taking over in their first leadership roll, is this: be firm; be fair; and stick to your guns.
The truth is, that no matter how old you are, you want to be led. You want someone, anyone, to provide a vision and a direction that will help you get through your day. Luckily for you, you have salespeople to direct. It might actually be worse if these were front line, union welders or truckers with little regard for their career paths and the protection of a union.
Establish Some Ground Rules
Start right now and establish ground rules. Don’t worry about the feelings of your charges – you owe it to your company to maximize your resources, including labor – the good ones will accept you and the bad ones will terminate themselves.
Tell them exactly what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. Explain the rewards for complying and the punishment for disobedience. I know it’s harsh to see a word like “disobedience” in a leadership development post, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
Be prepared to, indeed, break some eggs. Decide right now who is worthy of keeping and who needs to go. Give everyone the same chance, but prepare for the loss of those that simply do not want to succeed under any circumstances. Remember that this is not a popularity contest and put your ego in check.
Make sure they understand that you would love for this to be a happy and productive workplace, but short of that, it will at least be productive. Make sure they understand that the ball is in their court. They can all earn more money, get promoted or achieve whatever cachet they seek, provided they allow you to help make them successful.
You Are The Support, They Are The Superstars
Tell them early and often that they are the real heroes of your store, and that you are only there to support them. Then, be prepared to live it.
Your only goal, both stated and actual, is to make them successful. If they succeed, you succeed – though no one is going to succeed if they treat the entire day like one long coffee break. (This is where the ground rules come in.)
What they wear, how they act and how much they sell are all part of the expectations you set early on. If they live up to their part of the bargain, then you will live up to your part – you’ll help them get promoted, you’ll help them close a sale or two, and you’ll go to bat for them when it’s time for raises.
Has This Approach Ever Worked?
At 16, I was promoted to the manager of concessions at our local minor league baseball stadium. I had worked the previous summer in the concessions group, and took over as manager in my second year. (This means that I am celebrating my 30th year in management.)
My crew consisted of 30+ teenagers and senior citizens, all of whom were older than me. To make matters worse, my 19-year old sister and my 18-year old best friend also worked for me.
To make a very long story very short, I was not a great first-time leader, though by the end of the season we had reduced labor costs and increased sales to a level not previously seen by the ball club. Had I not decided to be a lifeguard the next summer, I would have earned a nice raise and would probably still be working in baseball.
During the course of the season, I fired both my sister and my best friend. Because both firings were clearly warranted, I only suffered about 3 weeks of angry stares from the two of them. However, the respect I gained from the rest of the team by setting expectations and getting rid of the two people considered to be the greatest troublemakers was immeasurable. (Once someone sees you fire your own sister, they pretty much tow the line.)
Have Fun
The best part about that summer in the minor leagues is that by the end of the season we all had fun.
There is an old saying that “sales cures all ills.” Like many old sayings, this one is true. You will be amazed at how a little success can go a long way toward invigorating your team to want more. It’s like blood to a shark; they will begin a feeding frenzy for success that you will be unable to stop.
So, AC, my advice to you is this (I like bullet points):
Deliver the ground rules
Set the expectations (for you and them)
Live the vision (which includes awarding punishment, when warranted)
Have fun
The last bullet point will happen all by itself if you succeed on the first three.
Good selling!
(Note from TheManager: To read a related series about the first steps a new manager should take, please follow this link.)
TheManager scoured the leadership development blogs on the World Wide Web to bring you these great and not so great posts and articles covering sales management from the past week:
Outlook as your CRM Tool
Unlike traditional CRM or sales management software, Prophet is built into Outlook, eliminating the need to manage multiple contact databases or toggle between separate applications. Built on the .NET 2.0 platform, Prophet works …
Cold Calling–Some Advice to Get the Call Answered
The Inside Sales Experts Blog has a couple of very good posts regarding cold calling. Although I’m not a fan of cold calling and believe there are far more effective methods of connecting with prospects, I do realize that there are some …
Sales Blogging to the Power of 10
For now allow me to introduce the group, I encourage you to visit their profiles at Sales Management 2.0, poke around this great site, and explore each of the members’ individual profiles at:.
You Must Like Your Customer Types If You Are in Sales
If you are in sales, you have to like the types of customers you will be doing business with on a regular basis. This sounds easy enough, but many people who get into sales do not realize the types of customers or prospects they will …
Sales Management – Learn To Lead Your Team
If you have been put in charge of the sales management of a company or organization there are several things that you will need to take into account. First off, you need to learn the importance of becoming an essential part of the …
Action Sales Management Coaching
Have your people set specific goals and connect with them regularly to maintain accountability. Evaluate where people are at from a personal, and/or competency basis to assist you in developing them to their full potential. …
How to Build a Winning Team Every year at the start of football practice, Vince Lombardi, the coach of the Green Bay Packers started his season the same way. His outset account to his players was, “This a football.” Every year, John Wooden, the imaginary basketball …
Know the Key Factors That Go Into Proper Sales Management
There are a number of features included in sales management including being able to create a good sales team. You need to understand the need to organize a good sales team, learn how to do sales forecasts as well as plan your sales; …
Solving the Top 5 Most Difficult Sales Effectiveness Challenges
Senior level sales management participating in the 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness survey ranked this as 15 more influential than the survey population as a whole. In fact, the ability to have the right people in the right …
Q. I’m a sales manager who manages three separate sales offices that are 40 miles apart. What are your thoughts about using a blog to communicate company news and events, and deliver sales training to my teams? Andy in Ohio
Great question, Andy, and great idea. There are literally thousands of companies who use blogging software, like WordPress, to maintain private company blogs. Many of them use these blogs just as you described. (A private blog is like this blog, only search engines are blocked from crawling the pages, and you need a login and password to access the articles and posts.)
The great thing about using a blog to deliver your training and communicate events – instead of using email – is that blogs can become a virtual library of information. Email, of course, is deleted or becomes stale after just a few days. With a blog, your team can go back and reference product information, HR memos or sales training anytime they wish. As a central repository of information, blogs are better than the sales manager’s memory or his desk files – and your company’s blog will still be around if you move up (or out).
Because blogs generally show the most recent entries first, your team can login at anytime and read the most timely company information. RSS feeds (included in nearly every blog theme available) can notify your team whenever something new is posted. This allows them to view the post through a free reader – without having to visit the blog.
Adding Outside Resources To Your Blog
Blogs are great because you can file the various training and information topics under categories that make sense, like Product Training, HR Memos, and Proper Sales Paperwork, to name a few. Additionally, you can easily link to any web resources you need – just like in email.
For example, let’s say your company sells replacement laptop batteries and you want your sales team to be able to describe the different types to customers. You could research this and type a blog post, or you could find the resource online and link to it like this: laptop battery information.
While a free or low cost blog will allow you to monitor who logs in and when, you may struggle with the accountability of who actually grasps the material. Of course, I always tested my sales team by managing through results. Those who performed below expectations often found me riding in their car quizzing them about the latest product release or role playing the next appointment.
I’m aware of some companies who monitor their blog activity by requiring their teams to post comments after each blog entry. At the very least, they’re sure their teams logged in and took the time to read an article or post. Blog comments are also a great way to encourage best practices sharing.
How Do You Start A Company Training Blog?
Although nothing beats face-to-face training, blogs are superior to most Learning Management Systems (LMS) primarily because of their cost. In fact, you can start a private blog tonight for no cost (called a hosted blog), or very low cost (called a self-hosted blog).
For all companies, I recommend starting with a hosted blog (free) and then moving to a self-hosted blog if you’re still using the blog as an LMS in a year. The cost for a self-hosted blog will generally run about $30/month.
Note: you may want to purchase the domain name right away, even though you don’t need it for the hosted blog. At less than $10/year, it makes sense to secure something that is easy for your team to remember, like ExxonTrainingBlog.com. There are numerous domain name registrars who make it very easy to acquire a web address. I’ve used both Network Solutions and GoDaddy, and I seem to prefer GoDaddy, though both are reputable sites with similar cost structures.
Buy A Book On Blogging
I own three blogging books, and all three are on my desk next to my computer. I read all three cover-to-cover before I started the serious blogging, and I refer to at least one of them every week. The three books recommend by TheManager are:
WordPress For Dummies – AskTheManager.com is powered by WordPress, a very intuitive blog software that is easy to learn for anyone who’s mastered basic Internet skills like email and web surfing. You’ll need this book whether you plan to use the hosted WordPress blog or a self-hosted WordPress blog. (And don’t worry, this book explains both hosting options better than I can.)
Blogging For Dummies – While there is a little overlap between this Dummies guide and WordPress For Dummies, you really need both to properly manage a great blog.
ProBlogger – Not really necessary for a private company blog, but it has some great insight into the world of blogging that isn’t covered by the Dummies books.
While most blog software, like WordPress, is intuitive, it’s not Microsoft Word – you can’t just start blogging without reading something about how to use it. Save yourself the headaches later, and learn how to blog before you start blogging.
Share The Blogging Duties
The best way to teach an adult learner is to assign them to teach the material themselves. We learn much better when we know we have to regurgitate it in front of an audience later. Don’t try to tackle all the sales training yourself and assign articles and best practices sharing to your sales team. Of course, don’t stop with your sales team, feel free to bring everyone on board to contribute to the company blog:
Ask the HR team to put links to their important forms on the site
Speak with the CEO and ask him/her to post something about the company vision or the outlook for the industry
Ask the operations team to post information about order processing, shipping or any other issue that the sales team can alleviate by following a few guidelines
Ask the admin manager to post articles about how to properly complete paperwork or what to expect from the admin team during a holiday week
Post customer testimonials and complaints (remember – it’s private so you can air out some dirty laundry)
Find relevant articles and training online, and either copy and paste them in your blog, or link to them
The bottom line on private business blogs is this: they’re simple; they’re cheap and they make a great LMS. Once you start a company training blog you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one.
