As someone who has been in sales management since 1993, I take pride when sales management is done well. Conversely, I take great offense to bad sales management and there is a ton of it out there! Perhaps one of the most gratifying aspects of management is developing lasting relationships with your sales people. I…
What is sales differentiation and how does it differ from product or market differentiation? Sales differentiation is the way that you engage with the prospective customer during and after the sales cycle that distinguishes you from the competition and solution to the customer’s needs alternatives. It is what allows you to build stronger and more…
What strategic investments are you planning to make in yourself to prepare for the new decade? It was just ten years ago that we were asking ourselves the same question. The primary difference being that we were entering a new millennium complete with exaggerated fears about legacy computer systems failing due to hard coded two…
http://www.slideshare.net/TrueSalesResults/white-paper-on-boarding-2009
There was a time when most enterprise sales reps had liberal expense accounts to take C-level execs to expensive dinners accompanied by the costliest wine offered. I’m not suggesting that “breaking bread” with customers is a bad thing, because it can be a really positive way to open up the relationship and learn more about…
What is a sales playbook and why is it important? Sales playbooks are a synthesis of sales process, best practices and the tactical steps that should be adhered to as part of an effective sales engagement. Think of it as a blueprint for sales success, which allows for creative tailoring based on situational needs but…
There are many different types of sales reps. Here are just a few examples of the different types of sales reps- hunters, farmers, transactional, enterprise, inside sales, outside sales, technical sales, public sector, solution specialists, named account, etc. The type of sales rep that you need is based on what and to whom you are…
Why are sales people generally the only employees in a company given a quota and held accountable to meeting the number? People can talk all day long about key performance indicators (KPIs), but the only real KPI that matters is revenue and what role you played in generating sales. Every functional area in an organization…
It never ceases to amaze me how virtually every business email you receive these days promises to help your sales. What’s sorely missing in these emails are any details about how their solution or service specifically impact sales. False promises are the worst possible approach to selling because you immediately undermine your credibility and offend…
I feel like a relationship counselor writing this blog post but most of the technology companies that I’ve worked with over the past 20+ years have had a dysfunctional relationship between sales and marketing. The only thing that varies is how severe the dysfunction is between the two groups. Open disclaimer, I am an unabashed…