I’m a big fan of a strong operating cadence in a sales organization. Weekly and sometimes daily sales forecast reviews have become commonplace in most sales teams today. Worse yet, they rarely get constructive feedback that will truly help them advance the deal. MORE

“I remember the first time I got my own CRM for sales, nearly 10 years ago” recounts author and sales coach Adam Metz. ” There are two main reasons sales CRM adoption fails for sales teams trying to increase their performance. But first let me get the basics out of the way to get everyone up to speed on the terminology and what a sales CRM is. Jump ahead to: What is a sales CRM and why use it? Do you need a CRM for sales? MORE

“The reps are forecasting $1,000,000 this month,” I told my CEO back when I worked at InsightSquared. Well, what are YOU forecasting?” Now that I’m a seasoned sales leader, I understand the difference between the two. The Biggest Reason Reps Overestimate Their Forecasts. MORE

It should have been a non-sales event, which would allow you to discover what business might be forthcoming from each client/customer in 2013. Another myth which can be exploded is that whilst customers value flexibility, being too flexible can undermine the sales relationship. MORE

Just try to pass them on to your field sales team and you’ll see. Because the chances are pretty low—probably 3% to 4% at best—that any of these names are bonafide opportunities if you are a B2B company with a complex sales process. Sales won’t spend the time it takes to cull through 100 so-called leads for 3 to 4 good ones. And that’s usually not something Sales is going to do. Curiosity is important for anyone in a Sales role. MORE

“I remember the first time I got my own CRM system, nearly 10 years ago” recounts author and sales coach Adam Metz. ” There are two main reasons CRM adoption fails for sales teams trying to increase their performance. A CRM or Customer Relationship Management tool is software used by sales and marketing teams to track the interactions you’ve made with your contacts and customers, and manage follow-ups. Sales leads. Think “sales” or “marketing.”This MORE

Are your sales forecasts tied to reality? Is sales forecast accuracy more of a pipedream within your sales organization? Does the speed of your sales pipeline resemble molasses? Ditch the weighted sales pipeline. Measure the right sales activities. MORE

For many marketing leaders the sales team’s QBR is an afterthought. Marketing typically provides updates to the sales team with a rear-view mirror approach. World Class CMO’s pursue involvement in sales QBRs. Marketing becomes the human piñata for all sales complaints. MORE

So you want to become a sales manager ? Making the leap from sales practitioner to sales manager doesn’t have as much to do with being a rockstar that boasts the highest close rate on your team—as it’s concerned with your ability to motivate, lead and elevate others to achieve more. MORE

If your Sales people work with lists of opportunities, they usually have captured the date when they expect the opportunity to close (Close Date), the expected order amount and a high level description of the solution the customer considers buying. MORE

Like any effective sales call, a sales manager should ask good questions and listen carefully. But being a sales manager isn’t just about sales forecasts and KPIs. In fact, the critical aspect of sales management is actually the coaching and leadership involved. MORE