ChannelPro-SMB - Sales Management Guru

Do It Over Again.....

SalesManagementGuru — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:08:44 GMT

Do It Over Again....

Over the past few months I have written often on the impact of emotion in the role of sales leadership and as a salesperson during the sales process. This week I am taking a slightly different viewpoint-that is of you as an individual-your personal life.

If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently-if anything? In the role of sales management this phase becomes one of the major coaching tools we recommend, it should be used after every face to face sales call and after every sales training session in your office. The purpose is for the salesperson to self critique themselves first before you provide your insights. The real secret in building a self-managed sales team is for you to train your salespeople to personally use this coaching phase when you are not with them-that it becomes a daily self improvement-self check system for each individual salesperson.

However in your personal life it also is a question you must ask. In my keynote, I sometimes open with that question and my objective is to help each person evaluate their lives both personally and professionally. I use pizza as an example. A pizza is made up of many ingredients and multiple slices-as is life, during the program I ask each person to evaluate their personal and professional life on 8 categories on a score from 1-8, 8=high. During this brief exercise, each attendee determines where they are in balance or out of balance and then we cover the "balance finders".

The next outcome occurs when I cover the Passion of Impact, as sales leaders and as people our greatest potential is to impact the lives of others around us-through coaching, positive attitudes and a giving spirit. It is amazing when you think back on those people in your lives that have impacted you and when I cover Sam's story-how one man impacted thousands of people lives by dedicating his life to the boy scouts or how one person- Millard Fuller started Habitat for Humanity attendees begin to understand the ability of everyone to positively impact others. What is the outcome-I have found that by impacting others, personal and professionals tend to soar- more balance and sense of fulfillment. How will you leave this world a better place? If you aren't in the right place, right now, you can "DO OVER" again.

What tends to be missing in those individuals that are struggling is they are out of balance or have not built a philosophy to lead. I end the keynote by allowing each person to think about what ingredients they need to make their lives better and what their menu for life will look like. My theme is to: think positive, take action! This idea came out of the 9/11 experience when many were really shocked and frozen. Let me know what your mantra or theme is for life: Ken@AcumenMgmt.com

When it is all over, you will ask yourself: If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently-if anything? It is best to ask yourself that question-- today.

Check out our website for more details on this power keynote for your Summer Sales Kick Off.

Acumen Management Group Ltd. "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Move up and move ahead!

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

Execution: The Magic of Sales Leadership

SalesManagementGuru — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:14:14 GMT

Execution: The Magic of Sales Leadership

There is no magic! Oh Really? With many organizations we hear grand stories; in our strategic planning process there are new business strategies created, exciting marketing concepts created and sales programs designed to accomplish the corporate objectives. Then initiatives are defined, people assigned and six months later-the cycle of frustration still assists-nothing changed.

Sales leadership must understand if they fail to show progress on planned commitments or lack of attention to detail the sales team will pick up on that behavior and that will translate to their sales performance. The sales calls are no longer crisp, activity levels drop off and negative attitudes are built. While I normally don't like to use sports analogies the correlation to the success that most sports coaches have, to their ability to manage the details, emotions and prepare for each event, is easily recognized. Some make their point with noise, emotion or quiet resolve, but the truly successful ones understand the power of execution. Several years ago I had asked a professional football coach for his weekly schedule, showing practice times, team meetings, lunches, workouts, etc. Every hour for the week leading up to the kick off on Sunday was mapped out with expectations that the players would be ready and that the coaches were prepared with strategy, game plans and all that was left was the execution on Sunday. The same idea must be what sales leaders take to the office each Monday, each month and each quarter; in forecast meetings, sales training, coaching sessions everything this blog has covered over the past years.

Sales managers and owners must set the pace, with excellent strategy, well defined tactics and understand that the role of sales management creates the culture necessary for high performance. With many of our clients we like to share the following definitions with all employees-simply to set the expectations of change or for them to understand a philosophic view point of how successful organizations are managed.

Discipline: Training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or character
Accountability: Obligated to give a reckoning or explanation for one's actions
Control: A standard of comparison for checking the results of an experiment or process

If you have had well designed plans, made assignments, but have not experienced how to make change occur in your organization with effective execution, send me an email at Ken@Acumenmgmt.com and I will send you our Execution Success RoadMap. It will help you set expectations and provide both you and the person/team you have delegated the responsibility to execute an ongoing tool to keep both parties on track to successfully execute.

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

Celebration-Sales Leadership's Role

SalesManagementGuru — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:32:35 GMT

Celebration-Sales Leadership's Role

This past weekend we had plenty to celebrate, the University of TN men's basketball team beat the #2 team in the US, our rival University of Kentucky and then the Lady VOLS won their league title. Being big fans we decided to take the "big orange" 16 rocket fireworks and blow it up after dark..... We laughed had fun and enjoyed the color and noise.... about 20 minutes later I noticed a car at the head of my driveway. When I stepped outside I noticed the flashing red lights and local county Police car!

It seems one of my neighbors didn't realize we were celebrating, but thought perhaps there was gun fire! After explaining our Tennessee pride-the local policeman smiled and drove away.

While the result was not what I expected, I at least my celebratory thoughts were well intentioned.

Several weeks ago we discussed the need to build emotion into selling and in past blogs we have covered the need for sales management to build belief in your company with better coaching and creating strong emotional ties within the sales team with sales incentive programs. Creating celebration in your sales organization is important and must be considered an ongoing program.

As the end of the first quarter comes into sight how will your team end the quarter? Hopefully above target and a reason to bring everyone together to celebrate! What will you do? How can you really make it unique-different than a simple sports bar dinner. How about a limo party with a special dinner or lunch at a special location? Perhaps at the best business restaurant for lunch? Imagine your team walking in with everyone watching!

If your team will finish the first quarter below expectations then you should consider how you will emotionally reach your team to maintain their focus, build on the accomplishments of the first quarter and position everyone to exceed their second quarter goals. Find a reason to build their confidence, create a "make up sales contest", where if they achieve their second quarter goals and plus the short fall from the first quarter a big celebration will be announced. Look for something to celebrate for each person-write them a note, present them with something small, but a nice recognition that makes the salesperson know you care.

A quote from one of my mentors said it best: When a salesperson is 85% of quota that is when you put your arm around them and help them up, when they are at 125% of quota that is when you push them for greater achievements.

What are your ideas? Leave your comments below.

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

It's May! Already?

SalesManagementGuru — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:08:00 GMT

It's May! Already?

February 22, 2010

If you have received an email from me you most likely have noticed my signature line is "Looking Forward". That wording has multiple purposes: 1) looking forward is a positive statement, 2) Looking forward is also a reminder to stay focused on a goal and your plans. As a sales leader you must be consistently looking forward or looking ahead to ensure all your plans and programs are well designed, ready to activate and your metrics/dashboard pipeline values are within acceptable levels.

The job of Sales management is to make sure they put their teams in position to exceed their quotas each month. Notice I said it is their quotas. I have said multiple times it is the salesperson's responsibility to achieve their numbers; it is the sales leader's job to put the right people in place and put them in position to sell. Looking forward 60-90 days will help the sales leader be more organized and enough time to take corrective action if any is needed.

That means as you close out February, effective sales management must begin to make sure their:

Marketing or lead generation programs are developed and ready to execute.
Sales pipeline values and sales opportunities at stage 3 are significant at the first of March to achieve May quotas
Sales training programs are in place and planned for May
Sales contests defined for April & May have been thought through
Hiring and interviewing plans are activated to ensure talent is on board

These are just a few of actions strategic sales managers must do to be looking forward and taking action to build predictable revenue. From a philosophical approach I am encourage everyone to be Proactive vs Reactive, this attitude means effective planning and Looking Forward rather than simply looking at historical performance or worst, finding our March first that you are out of control, lacking in sales opportunities to achieve quota and it's another month of scrambling.

If you have not yet received our White Paper: "Top 40 Actions Sales Management Must Take for Building Predictable Revenue" send me an email and I will forward it to you. Ken@Acumenmgmt.com

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

So What? Creating Emotion in Sales (Free Tool)

SalesManagementGuru — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:21:39 GMT

So What? Creating Emotion in Sales

During this past weekend I attended the National Speakers Association conference in Nashville; this is actually a conference where instead of speaking, I actually go to the breakout sessions, chat in the hallways and listen to the keynotes. It was an amazing learning experience and now Monday evening, I spent 2 hours with Max Dixon learning to create and tell a story. In the matter of four days I have been exposed to concepts and methodologies to make my keynote more effective and more meaningful to the attendees. So where does this fit with you as a salesperson or sales leader or executive?

Selling and sales leadership are emotional jobs--selling must change the buyers mind and heart; it is only somewhat logical. Too many times we hear sales teams only "selling the facts." As a sales manager responsible for sale force training what are you doing to increase your sales team's training along the lines of increasing their ability to tell your story--emotionally? With many of our consulting clients, prior to going on site to evaluate their organization, we review their brochures, web site, and standard proposal content. In most cases the content is boring or stagnant. When we visit on site and ask each salesperson "why do people buy from you?" "What makes you unique?" The answers are boring or worse, logical...

I see or hear comments that say: "we have been in business since 19XX?', "Our company has extensive experience"..., "Our company is committed to serving you", "Our people are the best". These are essentially statements of FACT. My question to the sales teams are: "So What?" What do these statements mean to your prospects? Nothing-emotion causes the buyer to take action. This is a fundamental truth in selling, sales managers must understand this and train their teams to create stories with emotion that make their points stand out.

As sales leaders, your sales training program must review your content, messaging and verbal descriptions of your team to find the SO WHAT statements. Create what we call "tribal stories" about when you company saved the day for a client or when your firm solution caused a clients business to blossom. Write them down and make sure every salesperson can use them in a selling mode. We recommend you video tape your sales team attempting to sell your firm; this will allow them to hear and see their ineffective approach. The next step is to create a training session that clearly crafts an actual benefit to each statement of fact. The last step is "inspect what you expect".

Video tape your sales team again in 3 weeks to ensure the new message has been transferred. Tell emotional stories and bring emotion into your selling.

If you would like Acumen's "Create a Selling Document" worksheet from Acumen send me an email: Ken@Acumenmgmt.com

Don't forget our Sales Leadership Summit in Las Vegas in March and Minneapolis in April.

Ken Thoreson, President of Acumen Management Group LTD. Acumen Management Group Ltd. "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Move up and move ahead!

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

The Impact of Sales Leadership in a Partner Organization Web Cast Feb 10th

SalesManagementGuru — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:17:35 GMT

Finding Positives is a Must Action for Sales Leadership

This is a two part blog; first: I will be leading a training web cast on Feb 10th for all Microsoft patners. REGISTER today.

The Impact of Sales Leadership in a Partner Oganization; Feb 10th, noon Web Cast for all Microsoft partners http://www.mssmallbiz.com/training/

Second: Buidling a a High Performance Team Means a Focus on Culture

Amazing, we are already we are into the second month of the year and as 2010 moves along sales and executive management will become engrossed in managing the numbers and actions designed to ensure quotas are achieved. In building a prescriptive methodology for ones' business this is essential. While I have written much about Disciple, Accountability and Control and the importance of finding your formulas for success today I am looking for your ideas on other matters.

In building a high performance sales organization sales leadership must focus on building pride in accomplishment, creating a feeling of team work and positive energy. What are you doing in your sales organization to achieve these important ingredients? Let me know either as comments in this blog-so everyone can share, cooperate and learn together or send me an email at Ken@AcumenMgmt.com.

I have started a list of ideas I want to pass along regarding this topic: 1) set up a "good news board" where all employees can share positive results, 2) during your company meeting, have each salesperson say something positive or thank a fellow employee for their work, 3) set a goal to keep a positive attitude-your mood can swing the office, 4) know what your salesperson's personal goals or interests are and always ask about them, 5) whenever an employee calls you or walks into your office the first thing you should say is: "How can I help you?" 6) Are you running a 1^st Quarter fun sales contest? How are you reinforcing it? 7) send out companywide emails recognizing positive news-orders, contest winners, customer stories.

Your action: Keep building on to this list and executing brilliantly every day. In challenging economic times sales leaders must keep focused on multiple actions, but building the right sales culture is a very important aspect to achieving your overall company goals.

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. Ken@AcumenMgmt.com http://www.acumenmanagement.com/