Sales Management -- The Buck Stops HereSales revenue is declining, profit margins are not meeting expectations and we have seen an increase in turnover in our sales force. How do I get our sales manager to fix things and get back on track?
The answer to that question begins by asking yourself another question; do you have the right person in the job of sales manager. Are they a leader or were they simply your best sales person. Do
How are YOU Doing - As a Leader?Winning organizations seem to have a knack for leadership development throughout their organization. One key principle that I have found present in this type of organization is the fact that they hire well and they fire better. Generally their managers have been trained on the interviewing and hiring process. As a result, their success rate for finding and keeping good employees is above average.
10 Tips to Maximize Sales Territory GrowthSales representatives are successful today because they gain the majority of their targeted customers business. They manage the relationship and continuously build relationship equity. That doesn't mean they operate with the old lone wolf mentality doing everything under the sun for the customer. They are successful because they take full advantage of all the resources their company has to offer.
There is no Purple Pill for Sales SuccessThere is a purple pill called Nexiom that some people believe is a wonder drug. It solves several problems. It does wonders for people that have experienced distress. I wish I could pass out a pill to each and every sales person out there including your entire management team to create instant success. Unfortunately, there is no 'Purple Pill' that you can buy to drug your sales team. There is no '
Training -- You Have to Walk the WalkMost company executives decide to spend money on training because it is popular, especially when economic times are good. There is a view that it is 'good' and it is also something that responsible leaders are 'supposed to do' to prepare for the future. However, just spending money on training isn't the only answer. Training alone will not produce the kind of results that training combined with c
Succession and the Family 'Code of Conduct'How can you turn the business over to your children without creating chaos--- This is probably the toughest question any business owner that has family working in the business will ever face. However, the answer is simple. The answer is..... It depends. It depends on how well you (the owner) have prepared yourself and your child for this transition. Have you planned this out? Has your successor been
Profiling Your Target Growth AccountsWhen a customer makes their buying decision, the customer makes that decision based on certain assumptions and has specific perceptions and expectations. When the customer places and order, these assumptions and/or perceptions become reality in the customer's eyes, often becoming the source of costly misunderstanding. The task is to get the 'book on the customer' and, with proper planning, avoid m
How 'A' Players Meet Customer ExpectationsIt's not enough to achieve some or even most of your customers' expectations-your objective is to meet them all. Yet, this can be quite a challenge during peak times when the counter is backed up, the phone keeps ringing and you are short personnel in will-call.
It's much easier to help a customer buy something than it is to sell him something. I can almost read your thoughts, 'What exactly doe
Empowerment -- The Rewards are Greater than the RisksEmpowerment is a common trait used by most effective leaders. The rewards of empowering your employees are far greater than the risk. Give them some independence in choosing their work schedules or other factors that won't affect overall objectives. Empowering employees allows them to use their own initiative and creativity to accomplish things you never imagined they could.
Wounded Wolves --- The Journey ForwardIt's a story about 'Wounded Wolves' and making the journey forward. Forward to success, self esteem and pride. Maybe a few of you can relate to this as it's happening now. Or, maybe you were wounded once and remember the journey you had to make to create happiness and success in your life.
Being wounded can be a result of many things - a personal crisis, family life, a bad marriage, the way you
Consultants Can Be Scary --Utilize the Discovery Analysis to Ease Your Fear of Using a ConsultantSome consultants are so skilled at presentations and proposal writing that deliverables become very intangible and they are not measurable. If they are not measurable, accountability goes out the window. This alone can turn your consulting experience into a nightmare. The scope of the project may have a continuous creep that costs you more and more money. Deliverables should be clearly defined and
Margin Management-----Using the Supplier Profitability Ratio to Hold Your Vendors AccountableUltimately to create margin improvement, your entire sales team must have good judgment of market potential as it relates to margin improvement. They must be self disciplined and make intelligent decisions based on fact. Each territory manager must develop his own plan for profit improvement and be flexible on the implementation of that plan. They must be action oriented and customer driven and ye
The 'Code of Conduct'It seems almost ludicrous that this is a topic that many of us should consider in privately held distributorships.
When I suggest there may be a need for a 'Code of Conduct' I am not talking about a need based on employee behavior, I am talking about the need based on family behavior. The family business is a cornerstone of the US economy. It's the American way, free enterprise and all that gooe
T.L.S. Part II: Maximizing Tier Level Selling Through IncentivesThis article takes the Tier Level Selling (T.L.S.) program to the next level by introducing sales force incentives to maximize the program's results. The T.L.S. program is detailed in Part I. It focuses on segmenting and targeting customers based on growth opportunity. This puts the right focus on your 'plus' accounts by pointing you to the five largest accounts with the most growth potential with
T. L. S. -- Tier Level Selling - A Penetration StrategyA number of sales 'Gurus' have promoted the theory that states, 'concentrating strictly on your top level premier accounts (some even quantify that by stating your top twenty) will provide you with as much growth and profit as you can possibly handle.' This is often stated regardless of individual and corporate strategic initiatives.
Consignment -- A Sales AdventureConsignment can become a very effective marketing tool if it is used correctly. The emphasis is on using it correctly. A consignment partnership should not be considered without establishing specific criteria for selecting appropriate accounts up front. This is extremely important to you, the supplier. We call this selection criteria the 'Rules of Engagement.'
In contrast to the normal Rules of
Success During Recessionary Times --- It Begins and Ends With LeadershipCreating change, managing during turbulent times, or fostering growth in a recession all depends on a balance of this type of leadership. No one person can make a company successful. It takes a lot of people, but one person with a command of leadership can transfer enough influence, creating enough leadership amongst the management group to guarantee success.
Sales Management Success'There is a pill called Nexiom that some people believe is a wonder drug. It solves several problems. It does wonders for people that have experienced distress. I wish I could pass out a pill to each and every one of us including our entire management team to create instant success. Unfortunately, there is no 'Purple Pill' that you can buy to drug our sales team. There is no 'Purple Pill' that wil
Gone Are the Days... Revitalizing Sales Reps for the New CenturyAs an 'A' player in the New Century you must build business-to-business relationships through channels that other team members can service. The special buyer/salesman relationship isn't dead, golf is still allowed, entertainment is still acceptable, but the degree to which these tools are used has changed. Certainly, the focus and the gray matter behind the sales planning process must contribute m
Hey Mr. Manufacturer-- Distributors Are not CatfishSome manufacturers may think of their distributors in the same vernacular. They may believe distributors are slick, quick, and eager to feed on the almighty dollar. They say distributors 'bottom-feed' on rebates, discounts and special promotions, preferring lowered prices (i.e., dead stinky bait) as opposed to the hard work of selling value. Manufacturers believe some distributors have grown large
R2 = EOC --- Recruitment and Retention = Employer of ChoiceProblems with staffing and retention may not be due to bad hires or a low unemployment rate. In fact, they may be related to poor management insight by not recognizing your employees as a core competency in your business strategy. Although employees may not fit the strictest definition of a core competency, it is a fact that your employees are the ones responsible for creating many of your core co
The Leadership Thought Provoker Checklist'The ideal leader is courageous, strong and persistent, wise - but what really separates him or her from the pack is passion and vision. It's not enough to be skilled administrator or a world-class manager. No, to be a true leader, we need the passion of our dreams - and a vision of how to make them real. Passion and vision are transforming forces that will fail unless we fuse them into one powerf
Segmentation -- Understanding Customers and MarketsSegmentation
The other big thing we need to know about to understand markets and customers is segmentation. Segmentation is the act of dividing, separating or partitioning to define specific needs of customers and markets. Segmenting provides the intelligence that defines the various reasons why customers buy from us. It can help us determine the types of customers we should be targeting and th
Lone Wolf to Lead Wolf -- The Evolution of SalesThings have changed in the last 20-30 years. We have gone through an evolutionary process in the world of professional sales. We cannot be Lone Wolfs anymore. We cannot control every piece of data, every contact with our customer or be in command of the total customer relationship. To succeed and grow as a professional in sales today we cannot afford to 'own' the account. Buyers are more sophistic
Effective Leaders Are Driven by a Model'Effective leaders are driven by a model. A model is a tool used to predict future outcomes of current decisions. Effective leaders build their models on the sum of their experiences, knowledge and deeds as well as their mistakes.'
'Employees will not have faith in their leader until their leader shows faith in the employees'
'Employees will not show respect for their leader until their leader
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