Understanding the Sales Force

OCTOBER 25, 2013

While the tools have changed, information is available in the blink of a click, and leads are in huge supply, people, at their core, have not changed the way they buy. Embrace the tools. It quickly becomes bad news if you follow them up traditionally and allow your salespeople to sell them transactionally. Anyone else?

Inbound 253

Inbound Lead Gen Motivation Up-Sell 253

Understanding the Sales Force

APRIL 23, 2013

We have introduced our share of evaluation and assessment tools during the past 23 years, but this introduction was completely different. Can We Improve Ramp-Up? Speaking of science, if you weren''t already following me and OMG, our highly accurate and predictive sales specific tools are legendary.

Decision Maker 169

Decision Maker Sales Leadership Forecasting Analysis 169

Understanding the Sales Force

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Let's focus on the only tool more important than the calendar and task list - your pipeline management tool. I need to move get movement with the following opportunities. Make sure that your salespeople schedule time - appointments - with themselves for completing all of the required calls, emails, and follow up.

Pipeline 214

Pipeline Call-back Follow-up Exact 214

Understanding the Sales Force

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

There are categories of sales tools and CRM applications where none existed a few years ago. There is more free content on sales and selling than anyone could have imagined. There are probably twice as many books on the subject than just 10 years ago. Dramatic changes have made professional sales a much more difficult profession.

Sales Management 288

Sales Management Hiring Compensation Trends 288

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 17, 2014

Consider the following: The application is hosted in the cloud - not on the client''s server or the employee''s desktop. The following are some of the explanations I have heard: "My CTO doesn''t like this application.". "IT Sign up at the event registration page (name, last name, email, and phone). Here is the link , then.

CRM 274

CRM Webinar Metrics Engineering Report 274

Understanding the Sales Force

JULY 18, 2012

They were all cold calls, they were all bad, and they were all following up on brochures they dropped off last week. Additionally, I have always had a problem with the concept of dialing for expiration dates and following up behind brochure drops. That is not selling! I also received 4 inmails through LinkeIn.

Trends 180

Trends Real Estate Prospecting Cold Calling 180

Understanding the Sales Force

JANUARY 28, 2014

They don''t work for us, so they aren''t required to follow our model, but many do and some demand that each producer in their firm follow our model to the letter. Revenue - Next, the model should identify what a typical customer would spend in the course of a year, as well as the product make-up on which they would typically spend it.

Lead Rank 240

Lead Rank Sales Methodology Cold Calling Sales Qualified Lead 240

Understanding the Sales Force

JUNE 4, 2014

Despite the abundance of tools to help you connect with people, the physical act of speaking with these connections is becoming exponentially more difficult. It might surprise you to learn that depending on how high up in the company you are calling, it could take 10 to 15 attempts to reach your contact.

Territories 268

Territories Exercises Video ACT 268

Understanding the Sales Force

MAY 1, 2014

We also spent some time identifying where our best Partners come from and I was surprised to learn that most of them had been reading this blog and either decided to add our suite of world-class Sales Force Evaluation and Candidate Assessment tools to their offerings, or start their own sales consulting businesses.

Hiring 218

Hiring Webinar Metrics Channels Policies 218

Understanding the Sales Force

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

The integration of social selling tools (the topic of the aforementioned article) - yes it''s happening and it''s helpful but it hasn''t changed the results - no measurable change in KPI''s - at all. The results show us that usage of these tools is way up. Just keep both eyes open, your nose to the ground and your antenna up.

Inbound 209

Inbound Survey Lead Rank Lead Scoring 209

Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 5, 2014

The other issue with small companies like this is that very frequently, they are not set-up in such a way that will support the hiring of new salespeople. When sales management is provided only as required, new salespeople will take 3 times longer to ramp-up (now do you understand the importance of the 3 instances of coaching and training?)

Hiring 130

Hiring Conference Coaching Up-Sell 130

Understanding the Sales Force

JUNE 20, 2014

Sales Tools I''m for any tool that will help salespeople to be more productive and effective. These tools include gamification, call technology, email marketing and analytics. And it will work in most industries! Social Selling It''s one more way to get found, make connections and get introduced. What to do?

Consultative Selling 275

Consultative Selling Inside Sales Lead Nurturing ACT 275

Understanding the Sales Force

OCTOBER 23, 2012

CRM is viewed as busy work rather than a tool. You must choose the right CRM application (opportunity focused using your new or existing sales process, easy to set up and customize, easy to use, fast, salesperson friendly, excellent pipeline and forecasting tools, etc.) The best coaching tool on the planet.

CRM 215

CRM PipelineDeals LandSlide GoldMine 215

Understanding the Sales Force

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

There are 87 emails that came in since 6PM yesterday, 2 internal meetings, 3 external meetings, 5 phone meetings and 14 items on the to-do list that must be completed today, including proposals, follow ups, job offers and CRM updates. Does that sound like you and your typical day?

Google 130

Google Travel Exact Video 130

Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 11, 2014

The first asks how long I''m planning to stay and when they learn I''m flying back out the same day, they offer to pick me up for the return trip to the airport. Here''s to a world with better sales processes, good-fit people and intelligent use of the tools available to us.". This is the taxi-driver version of an account manager.

Conference 249

Conference Sales Process Hiring Hotels 249

Understanding the Sales Force

JUNE 2, 2013

After all, the single biggest complaint I hear is the one about inaccurate forecasts followed closely by delayed closings. Many leaders have simply given up! The pipeline should also be a powerful coaching tool. Many sales leaders are confused about the pipeline. And don''t rule out yourself on this one. You must fix it.

Pipeline 245

Pipeline Sales Leadership Top of Funnel Funnel 245

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Belief - Most believe that after a day of comprehensive training salespeople will have the understanding, tools and experience to get on the phone, go out in the field, use what they learned and be effective. It does't matter how long the training program lasted, but let's assume it is a full-day.

Training 205

Training Sales Methodology Face-to-face Cold Calling 205