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Einstein - Definition of Insanity
Insanity in the Sign & Graphics Industry
Einstein’s Definition
Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Think about this quote for a second and ask...
How to Create Multiple Revenue Streams for your Home Business
For a first time business owner, the Internet is like a treasure island…it can be a great adventure exploring new ways to make money. Sure, setting up a website can be great fun but if you want your online business to make you money, you’d have to...
How To Create Your Own Successful And Profitable Affiliate Program
Most of the truly successful marketers have three competitive advantages :
They run successful Affiliate Programs (Part 1)
They own large Opt-In Lists and have large traffic (Part 2)
They create their own products (Part 3)
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Increase your sales by 30% using internet collaboration networks
Small businesses are really excluded from the global economy Small businesses from many different industries, both traditional and hi-tech, have discovered a new way for them to succeed in the "global economy". It involves collaboration on large...
Sales Process - The Secret to Closing More Sales
Most sales training programs that teach salespeople how to sell specific products or services do not mention business problems. This is an unfortunate oversight, as qualifying and quantifying business problems is the secret to closing more sales!
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How to Define Your Company's Sales Job - Part 1
Would you agree that every sales job is unique in terms of products and services sold, target markets, target geographies, company cultures, lead sources, sales cycle lengths, and more? Given these many differences, how can you accurately define the parameters that will produce success in YOUR company's sales job?
The questions asked in this article do not identify every possible factor you should consider as you analyze your company's sales position(s). However, reviewing these questions should spark useful thoughts concerning desirable salesperson characteristics. At minimum, if you carefully consider each question, you will become more consciously aware of key requirements than you were previously.
If you are a salesperson, you can also benefit from considering these questions, as they can help you identify target prospects and further refine your sales approach.
1. NATURE OF THE CUSTOMER: What are your target markets? Are they horizontal or vertical? Do you sell to consumers, corporations, schools, state and local governments, etc.? What level(s) in the organization do you sell to? (Purchasing, Engineering, Business Unit Manager, C-Level Executive, etc.)
Target markets drive numerous sales parameters including the typical sales cycle length, prime selling seasons, and specific knowledge or experience that may be required to earn credibility with prospects and customers. Wouldn't you agree that selling effectively to C-level executives (CEO, CFO, CIO, etc.) and other high-ranking officials requires different attributes and skills than selling to purchasing agents?
2. NATURE OF THE OFFERING: Are your offerings complex or relatively simple? Are they tangible or intangible? Do they consist of stand-alone products or services, or bundles of products and services? Does your company have a small portfolio of offerings or a large portfolio of offerings?
The nature of the offering(s) will determine the most effective Sales Style (see item #5), the importance of Learning Rate to sales success, and desired prospecting and opportunity qualification approaches.
3. SALES ENVIRONMENT: What kind of environment do your salespeople work in? Are they office-based or home based? Is most of their selling done over the telephone or in person?
Salespeople that work from a home office usually perform best if they are independent
self-starters, whereas office- based salespeople may have the option of receiving more frequent direction and support from their sales manager.
4. GEOGRAPHY: How many sales locations does your company have? Where are they located?
Different sales approaches are usually required to sell successfully in different locales such as downtown Manhattan (NY), Baton Rouge (LA), and Los Angeles (CA).
5. SALES STYLE: Which sales styles (Consultative, Relationship, Display, Hard Closer) are most effective in your target markets? The nature of the customer and the complexity of the offering(s) should be considered when answering this question.
6. RELATIONSHIP PREFERENCE: Is your company more concerned about finding new customers, increasing account penetration and/or managing long-term relationships, or both? If both, please estimate a percentage for each.
Salespeople usually prefer one type of sales role to the other. If you truly want to accomplish both new business and account penetration sales goals, you may want to consider staffing two different sales positions.
7. SALES CYCLE LENGTH: How often do your salespeople have opportunities to close sales? Several per day? Several per month? Several per year?
If a salesperson receives gratification from closing sales, he or she won't be happy in a role that offers just a handful of opportunities per year to exercise this skill. This kind of salesperson is often better suited to selling products or services that have shorter sales cycles and higher volumes of opportunities.
8. PROSPECTING: Do prospects come to your salespeople, or must your salespeople seek them out? If the answer is "both", estimate a percentage for each.
If your sales position requires a lot of outbound prospecting, your salespeople will need more energy, mental toughness, and a positive attitude.
Seven additional parameters will be covered in Part 2 of this article.
About the author:
Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. To learn more about his book and sign up for more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com
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SellingPower.com | Solutions For Sales Management |
Targeted to sales managers and upper tier sales professionals, this magazine helps you train, educate, and motivate your sales team. |
www.sellingpower.com |
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Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management |
The official web site of the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management has moved to the University of Missouri, Columbia, which is the home of the ... |
mkt.cba.cmich.edu |
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Management Articles |
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Manage Smarter - Performance Gateway |
Manage Smarter is the online home of sales & marketing management, incentive, potential, presentations and training magazine. |
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The 5 Biggest Sales Management Blunders |
Learn the biggest sales management blunders and how you can avoid them. Spending the necessary time wearing your sales manager hat will help foster a ... |
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DEI Sales Management |
Stephan Schiffman's DEI- Management Group, offers sales training tools and educational forums designed to teach: Cold Calling and Closing Techniques, ... |
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Sales Management Training - Selling Seminars - Reinforcement & ROI ... |
Offers sales and sales management training. Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter. |
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Sales Management Resource International |
Sales Management services, sales training, sales solutions, sales people. We provide a systematic approach to providing immediate sales results ... |
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Reconnect Sales Management to Profitability - HBS Working Knowledge |
"Work your pay plan" is one of the central tenets of sales management. ... In a similar way, top managers can reconnect their sales management to ... |
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Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin |
Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin by Robert J. Calvin. |
www.amazon.com |
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Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The ... |
Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The Sales Manager's Manual: Books: Jack D. Wilner by Jack D. Wilner. |
www.amazon.com |
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Personal Selling and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
KnowThis,com offers information, resources, reference and links for sales people, sales managers and other involved in managing a sales force including ... |
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Sales Training and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
KnowThis.com offers information, resources, reference and links for anyone involved in sales training or sales management or other managing issues involving ... |
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SMR Career Services |
Sales Management Resources is a professional executive search company, dedicated to providing consumer products companies the recruitment of exceptional ... |
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SalesVantage.com: B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management ... |
B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management Directory, Newsfeed & Business Referral Service designed for sales, marketing & advertising executives. |
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Contact Management Software, Contact Manager & Sales Software for ... |
PC World Gives Prophet Contact & Sales Manager 4 Stars · eWeek praises Prophet for building a sales management solution into Outlook for a reasonable price ... |
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Sales Management- 7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, the ... |
7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, written by, Jack Wilner, one of today's leading sales management trainers, coaches and consultants, ... |
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Sales Management Training |
Sales management training for the complex sale includes business development programs and sales training seminars. |
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Contact Management Software (SFA) price quotes - Free sales ... |
Contact management software buying advice and free sales management software quotes from leading suppliers. |
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Waterhouse Group - Sales Training Programs: Consultative, Value ... |
With over 20 years of experience in sales, sales management and sales training, ... Selling Success: The Journal of Sales & Sales Management ... |
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