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Goals for sales reps in 2010

The downturn in the world economy has forced a lot of companies to rethink their sales plans in the last year or two. While some sectors of business might not be doing as badly as others, the general feeling is one of "things can't go on like this forever." This half-hopeful/ half incredulous outlook is pretty much the norm right now. For the new entrepreneur though, this is an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field. The big players in just about every sector have scaled back in so many areas that the market has opened up for the more streamlined and customer service oriented small businesses. For sales people this is your chance to play ball.

Sales Rep Lame Excuse #83

Did you ever watch a customer or prospect make a bad decision? OK, dumb question… We’ve all lost deals because the guy on the other side of the desk just flat didn’t do a good job of making the decision. And because we hold the customer’s best interests near and dear to our hearts, it hurts to watch them do the “wrong” thing and buy from a competitor. But the sales rep certainly can’t be blamed for that, right? Wrong!

Best Action Commitment
Sales reps must strive for the best action commitment from their potential buyers when developing a sale. Agreeing to commitment requests from a sales rep proves a buyer’s engagement in the sales process. Agreeing to the rep’s best action commitment demonstrates engagement at an even higher level, potentially reducing the number of steps required to close in the multi-step sales process.

Q What sort of bonuses should we pay
A. "It's not about the money." Usually, when people say this, they are lying. Except, it turns out, at work.

Measure THAT
One of the secrets of the Yellow Pages was that the phone company would give you a second line when you bought a big ad.

Guerrilla Credibility
Every guerrilla knows that the number one factor influencing purchase decisions is confidence. The road to confidence is paved with credibility.

Features of a Marketing Agreement

A marketing agreement is a very important thing to establish when dealing with independent sales reps. This contract will protect the interest of both the manufacturer's rep and the principal. It is strongly suggested that you establish a formal contract with any sales reps that you enter into business with. The details within a contract will vary depending on the individual natures of both the sales rep and the principal, but there are several key factors that should always be included.

3 Powerful Excuses for Maintaining Mediocrity in Your Sales Hiring Process
When I answered questions from the audience, the best one, in my opinion, was the most obvious. It went something like this: "If your recruiting process works so effectively, and your assessments are so predictive, and they save so much time and money and consistently identify top performers, then why don't more companies use them?"

Sales Management Training Tips: Sales are down. What can you do?

I faced a similar situation in Q1 2003. As VP of Sales of a Canadian pharmaceutical organization we faced the SARS crisis. Access to our customers became limited. Hospitals and physicians were also limiting sales rep visits. Marketing started calling the sales numbers down for the year, blaming the SARS crisis. As head of sales I had few options. What I did know was that I had to utilize my resources where they were going to generate the greatest revenue. What would you do?

Sales Management Training Tips: Pursuing Sales Results vs. Developing Your Team

I recently had lunch with a highly successful VP of Sales of a Pharmaceutical company. He explained that he was frustrated with the members of his sales management team, who he felt were focused only on results. He worried that they were not spending any time developing their salespeople. At first blush, most of you might easily say you don’t see a problem with that. You wish your sales managers were more focused on delivering the sales numbers. That’s easily understood and probably true in many cases.

How to become a “roving sales leader”
Management By Walking Around (MBWA) took the management world by storm in the 80’s. The author of this ground-breaking management theory was Tom Peters. He was immediately hailed as a “leadership genius” and touted as “one of the top management gurus to come along in over a century”. It really wasn’t that big of a deal. MBWA is really just common sense…

Tell them exactly what you're going to do to them
Ever think about selling your sales process? And I don't mean going into the sales training business by selling it to competitors or companies in similar industries. I mean did you ever think about selling your sales process to your customer?

Take a SWOT at all your key customers
There is a reason some concepts stand the test of time. They work! The notion of analyzing customer strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is one of those concepts you can't afford to ignore.

Think and act like business manager
The traditional role of sales rep as provider of information is obsolete. That role got outsourced to Google because it's a lot faster and easier that way.

More, Bigger, Faster
I'm a football fan and my team (the Atlanta Falcons) started this season with three consecutive losses. That got me to thinking about "back to basics." Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sales rep: One who moves a greater number of larger deals through the funnel faster.

Advanced Sales Training - 8 What-to-Do’s About Cold Calling
We all need new customers. Cold calling seems to be our default tactic and everyone will agree, it's highly inefficient and very demotivating. So here are 8 actions to take to make it work better for you.

If You Can't Say Something Nice
When you speak negatively about the competition, you take yourself down a level in your audiences’ eyes.

Sales Management Training Tips: How to Coach the Self Doubter

Meet Joe. Joe is a successful district sales manager who could work in any industry and for any company. In fact, there are many Joe’s in all companies. Each month Joe is put to the test with different sales reps he must coach to success. Joe has decided to start the year by building development plans with each of his reps. He is a strong believer that his role is to help them develop their skills and to ensure that the district achieve it’s sales numbers. With the economic downturn the marketplace is becoming increasingly more competitive. The company has had good growth over the last 5 years but there is an overall sense that the sales force is composed of many gatherers and there is a need for more hunters.

ACT and Outlook are Holding Your Business Back

Simple contact management tools like Outlook and ACT! can only take you so far. To truly grow your business through better sales organization, sales management and marketing, you need something more. This article highlights the limitations of these popular contact management systems that your business will eventually run into and what to do about it! Don't worry - no need to invest thousands in expensive CRM systems. This article contains simple, affordable steps you can take without busting the budget.

Another spin on Value Propositions
Quite often the inspiration for a great sales idea comes from a source way outside our industry or normal frame of reference. What follows is a story about a really creative value proposition. How can you use its message for your own business?

Discipline, Opportunity Management & Value Propositions
Time again to take a look in the mirror and pick a few items to get really good at executing over the next twelve months. (Seems like maybe I've seen a few of these before!)

The Weapon
There is always a danger in focusing on the tools used to get a job done. (We all know the cliché about the six-year old with a chain saw...) That said however, a robust CRM system just might be the most powerful tool a sales team can have.

Would a wiki work?
A recent study conducted by CSO Insights indicated that poor sales knowledge management is hitting the top and bottom lines of companies in extremely negative ways. These included high sales rep turn over, longer sell cycles and lower win rates.

Sales Management Training and Focus
In a strong economy just showing up to play is enough to achieve your sales objectives. In today’s economic environment sales leaders are facing sales force downsizing and poor sales rep morale. Sales reps are frustrated by longer sales cycles, dropping demand, unrealistic quotas, concerns about declining income and losing their jobs.

Stop Blaming Marketing
Sales and Marketing need to learn to work together and stop pointing fingers.

How Focus Helps Sales Management Effectiveness
In a strong economy just showing up to play is enough to achieve your sales objectives. In today’s economic environment sales leaders are facing sales force downsizing and poor sales rep morale. Sales reps are frustrated by longer sales cycles, dropping demand, unrealistic quotas, concerns about declining income and losing their jobs.

The 5 Biggest Sales Management Coaching Blunders
Transforming your sales managers from good to great coaches can have a dramatic impact on sales. In fact, sales coaching is the management No. 1 activity that drives sales performance. The only problem is that managers have not been taught how to effectively coach. Coaching is a skill that takes time to perfect and unless effectively coached or trained managers make all types of mistakes.

Stop Blaming Sales!

If sales isn't responding - then marketing is responsible. Marketing's role is to give sales the tools and training they need to sell the company's solutions. It's also marketing's role to get them excited about the newest offerings. So the next time someone starts to blame sales for lack of product acceptance in your customer base or for discounting deals that don't generate the margin or results you expected - think again. It's most likely sales is doing the best they can with what they've been given.

Lessons in Networking: The Ultimate No-No
Networking is a great way to get your business and your name known, find new potential strategic partners, and to surface some prospects. But networking isn't just about finding prospects. You know that, and I know that. Pretty much everyone in business knows that, right?

New Manager LifeSavers
A spark from "Survivor" gives a key to success for new managers. The fun, the motivation and drive come from saying you'll do it, and doing it. When a manager fans those passionate sparks into flames great things happen. These are critical elements in increasing productivity, building trust and worthwhile relationships.

Managing Sales Reps with "Attitude Problems"
Their production bounces around. They can be a sales superstar in the first quarter and be a struggling performer in the second quarter. Which extreme is the real rep? It's your job to manager them, where do you start?

Interview Questions To Find The Peak Performing Sales Rep.
Use an interviewing process to narrow the field of candidates from 100 down to 4, but ask this one question to identify the candidate that will most likely become one of your peak performing sales people.

Create an Account Management Team
In many companies, once a salesperson has closed a deal with a new customer, the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the account are transferred from a sales rep to an account manager. Using this type of structure offers a number of benefits & challenges.

Prospect to Prosper

There’s an old joke the rookie sales rep asks her sales manager ”How long do I have to keep prospecting?” Her answer, “Until you want to.” Most of us are like the rookie; we prospect because we have to. In the beginning we have to generate leads to build a good book of business. Then we have to prospect to find replacements for the inevitable 20% of our clients that become inactive each year. Does it ever end?

Seven Steps to a Successful Performance Review

Whether you are a sales rep or a sales manager, there are a few basic principles that can make a significant difference in your commission check if you apply them. They certainly have for me. (Not that I apply them perfectly; just below my polished surface lurk laziness, arrogance and self-pity that if not kept in check can sabotage my best efforts.) The principles are simple, but not easy; they require self- motivation and self-discipline. But if you apply them, you will see measurable results. So, read on!

Tips and Techniques to Improve Sales
These seven tips will help you improve sales without hiring new sales people.

Consistency results in success

Do you understand the success and results you can achieve by being consistent? Understand that the sales rep who consistently makes one hour of cold calls on the phone, day in and day out will get some business. It is a fact of life. Even through most people give up, or worst, they think they are making cold calls by doing them when they feel like it. The rep who does it consistently will have success. Even if the rep has a terrible list, is not that good on the phone, does not know that much about the product/service. The fact of being consistent, will create success.

Are you dialed into radio advertising?
Have you ever wondered whether or not you should include radio advertising in your marketing mix? In this article, you'll learn some very specific reasons why radio is a good buy for small businesses from a 25-year advertising industry expert.

Eating Your Own Dog Food
Many companies don't practice what they preach not knowing it would hit them hard in the long run. The customers are not really that dumb and have evolved.

Arbonne Consultant Resources For Selling RE-9 Kits Like Hot Cakes : The Golden Bug Effect
Arbonne Consultants, looking to boost sales for your Arbonne Business? Don't dump your Arbonne products and inventory on E-bay...

Open Letter To : Direct Sales Consultant, Direct Selling Business Owners On How To Triple Home Party Sales
Need extra cash? Most people who choose to get involved in a direct sales business do so because they are tired of having a 9-5 job! The idea behind a home party business is that you get to control your paycheck. Then you know exactly how more home party sales you will have to close to get you the amount you want.

Home Party Plans Tips For Marketing : Deadly Home Party Business Mistake
How does this relate to your home party business? How can a direct sales consultant benefit? Simple. Successful home party business owners are leaders go from communicating to connecting! Remember the discussion about what Oprah can teach us about direct sales and home parties success?

Permission Based Marketing: The Holy Grail Of Marketing That Ensures You Capture Your Customers Attentions Guaranteed!

In an effort to help you in your direct sales marketing and increasing home party sales, I thought I might share with you some simple yet effective marketing techniques that every direct sales rep and home party consultant should have under her/his belt! What Is Permission Marketing? Permission Marketing is many things. It is a method of marketing also known and the 2 Step Direct Sales Marketing Method. It is also a book written, by the marketing demi-god himself, Seth Godin.

Collecting From Your Customers
Are You Letting Customers Off The Hook And They Owe You Money?? An old sales manager of mine taught me something years ago. It's pretty simple. He said: "It's not a sale until you're paid."

The Rule of Three: When to Invest in Your Business
It is the businesses that consistently and carefully spend money and invest wisely that make the most money. Many businesses have gone on cost-cutting rampages only to find they are less profitable than before. Why? They crippled themselves by removing profitable business investments.

Finding alternate lead sources within your company
Many sales reps often overlook valuable lead sources within their own company, and spend precious selling time looking for leads outside their office doors. They attend networking events, travel to conferences and trade shows, partner with other sales reps, and research potential external lead sources, but rarely consider all the invaluable sources of information around them.

Six Keys to Success's Door
That's a pretty accurate description of how most sales reps enter the marketplace. They understand their title and their assignment, but nobody ever tells them how to fulfill their responsibilities. What is needed are tangible sales tips and techniques that can help them unlock the door to success.

Increase prospecting results by integrating your touches
Connecting with prospects for the first meeting requires persistence, consistency – and simply wearing them down. You can speed your access time by integrating your communication strategy with multiple connection methods without frustrating prospects.

Is Your Sales Force a Dinosaur

As Rick Canada of Motorola puts it - “The traditional sales force is a dinosaur – a remnant of past success.” “Irresistible new forces are reshaping the world of selling. Sales functions everywhere are in the early stages of radical and profound changes comparable to those that began in manufacturing 20 years ago… But one change outweighs all the others. The meaning of selling itself is shifting. The very purpose of sales is being rapidly redefined.” - Prominent sales authority and author Neil Rackham

It’s a Jungle Out There
Some days you’ll encounter more difficult customers than there are animals in the jungle. See if you recognize some of these creatures.

Something about Mary…
…and the effects of positive leadership

Sales Managers Save Gas Reduce Cost of Travel With Computerized Mapping and GPS
In today’s economy, it’s more important than ever before to plan efficient sales travel that helps maximize selling time on the ground, while reducing travel expenses. Laptop mapping and GPS has become an important tool helping companies to increase sales, while reducing the cost of sales.

Increase Sales Twenty Percent by Mapping Your Prospect List
While online mapping services and GPS devices are great for helping people get to where they're going - it's more important to those of us in Sales to know where we need to go in the first place! And while we're at it -it would be nice to know if we're contacting the best opportunity in the area - and shoot - since we're already there - is there anybody else we should be talking to close by?

Probing for Success
When you are asking questions to develop and understand the customers issues, you need to keep asking and asking questions to uncover the real issues that they have, unfortunately most salespeople stop asking questions and assume what problems they have.

The Power of Your Own Affiliate Program
Increasing sales of your products and services can come through a number of marketing tactics. One of the best ways to ramp up sales quickly is to develop your own affiliate program. Learn how to create an affiliate program quickly and easily with some helpful advice.

The Magic of Marketing in Action
The buzzword in business is MARKETING. However, people often get its meaning confused with the other ways they interact with their customers. Here's an eight step at-a-glance understanding of this tricky subject. See if you can apply it to your business.

Sales Management --Unmask the Confusion of Territory Account Assignment

When I carried a bag, sales territories were defined geographically. Of course, that was in the old days. My daughter calls it the days of Black & White Television. In reality, color television came out when I was still only seven years old. But in the days when I was a field sales rep, the 70’s & 80’s, a sales person got a chunk of geography and you were told this is your patch of dirt. You go out and you farm the territory and you build the business. However, for the most part, if you are going to grow your territory it has to grow by taking market share from the competition. Territories today need to go from being geographically defined to being key account assignment defined. So, in other words, when you use the term, ‘territory’ today, you’re not referring to a patch of dirt.

Becoming the Best: Speaking of Motivating Those around You
How good a deal are your customers or your people or your partners or your bosses getting when you get them to buy into what you’re selling? And what can you do to make it better?

10 Commandments of Yellow Pages Advertising
From the author of "Getting the Most from Your Yellow Pages Advertising," the best selling book on the subject, just released in a completely revised third edition. As TIME magazine writes, "Barry Maher has helped thousands of small Businesses get the most cost effective yellow pages advertising possible."

Selling with Humor (and a Sorry Butt)
Obviously you have to be careful with humor in sales. But sometimes a sorry butt can be your best friend.

10 Ways to Build a Referral-Only Business In Less Than Ten Minutes a Day
While most businesses are spending enormous amounts in an effort to attract new customers, a select few use a strategy that has virtually eliminated the need for marketing. Building a business on referrals isn’t costly or time-consuming once you know the secret.

Sales Rep

As a sales rep, you have the often daunting task of trying to get someone who doesn’t know you, to not only get to know you, but get to like you, to the point that they are willing to trust and buy something from you. No matter how good you might be at your job, there are the inevitable obstacles that will present themselves. This article will focus on creating both effective sales that bring about results, and efficient sales, which make the most of your time.

If Your Canary Dies, Then Your Sales People May Need Help

Most people are familiar with the age-old practice of bringing a canary bird into a coal mine to see if the oxygen is acceptable for human consumption. If the poor little bird dies, then the miners would know that either the air is toxic or there isn’t enough oxygen to sustain human life. I certainly hope that in these current times there are more humane methods for checking the atmosphere. No – I don’t mean throwing your boss in the mines instead of a bird! I mean technological equipment that measures air quality for humans. I DO know, however, that a similar inhumane practice exists in many sales environments.

Who's Asking the Questions Here Anyway?
What often happens on an initial sales call is the prospect asks the sales rep to justify themselves. Well, not actually in those words, but they ask the rep questions such as -- Describe what you do. What do you sell? Why should I buy from you? And other probing questions that not only put the sales rep in a defensive position, but puts the prospect in control of the meeting.

Who's Asking the Questions Here Anyway?
What often happens on an initial sales call is the prospect asks the sales rep to justify themselves. Well, not actually in those words, but they ask the rep questions such as -- Describe what you do. What do you sell? Why should I buy from you? And other probing questions that not only put the sales rep in a defensive position, but puts the prospect in control of the meeting.

Sales Mindset vs Sales Training
Sales training and sales mindset can combine to be powerful allies in sales success.

How To Build A TurboCharged Sales Force
This article describes the proven steps that are required to build a salesforce that consistently "hits the numbers" and takes the company to a leadership position in its industry.

UK Sales Coaching For Sales Managers - A 60 second tool
A fantastic 60 second uk sales coaching tool for sales managers and sales people. This will increase your sales force effectiveness and make you a better sales coach.

Sales Training for Entry Level Sales Representatives
Sales training for entry level sales representatives will refine the basic sales techniques of your entry level sales staff and advance their sales skills with the growing interest of the company. Sales training for sales reps can get your sales team on the same page and focused to obtain the strategic sales goals of the company.

Achieving Corporate Sales Targets
Read our 8-page Sales Planning Guide to learn how to: Prepare for the Sales Planning Process Engage & Align with Marketing Understand your Customers & Markets Benchmark and Improve Sales Talent Examine Previous Sales Performance Forecast Future Sales Results Motivate your Sales Team Develop a Sales Support Function Monitor & Measure Sales Results

Complete Sales Reference Manual Now Available
This book includes contributions from 89 sales experts, covering every possible topic, including sales, sales management, sales 2.0, sales process, sales strategy, sales tactics, sales motivation, sales presentations, and sales psychology. It's more like a reference manual!

The Power is in the Question
Does sales management seem to be lost in the wilderness at your company? Was your sales manager your top rated sales person that you promoted based on sales performance? Did your sales manager ever receive any formal sales management training? Do you think your sales force needs to be more aggressive? Are you following best practice principles?

Business Acumen – Helping Pharma Companies Compete to Win
Business Acumen has been identified by sales leaders as the critical sales skill in order to compete and win in the new era of leaner and meaner sales forces. With fewer sales reps and resources companies have become more reliant on the existing sales reps to deliver sales.

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