Evalulate your Sales Team

Guest post by: Dave Ferguson
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Seven Steps To An Attitude Transplant - By Dave Ferguson

Evaluate Your Sales Team....Always!

Many years ago, I had a sales manager of mine say something to me that sounded so simple, yet made so much sense. He was quoting master salesman, Arthur Motley, who coined the phrase, "Nothing happens until somebody sells something." Makes sense if you own a company or manage a sales team doesn't it? What does it mean to your business is somebody isn't selling something? When the economy was cranking along at record rates, times were good, everyone in sales was making money, bottom lines were fat, and life was great. As a matter of fact, times were so good that many companies hired warm bodies, rather than experienced trained sales professionals. It's estimated that over the past 10-15 years millions of people were given the title salesperson, just for showing up. Many companies needed them just to answer the phones and take orders. So how are those warm, inexperienced bodies helping that bottom line now? From what I've seen the last year, not so well and we can't blame it all on the economy folks.

So how do we clean up this mess we've created? Today, I will share with you five steps in an evaluation process that has worked for me in the past and also what I'm currently spending a lot of my time doing these days, with and for my clients:

1. Face Reality: What a concept, huh? You had the best excuses in the world to hire warm bodies, so don't sweat the past, just get moving and clean up the mess.

2. Evaluate Results: Don't just look at past results, look at how they are doing in these times, as well. Look at trends versus overall growth. If you're the owner, don't forget to evaluate your sales management team, as well. If you don't feel you can do it, get help!

3. Check Attitudes: If a salesperson isn't committed daily to a positive attitude, chances are there sales are mediocre at best. Attitude is not just a thought process; it's a way of life. We either have it or we don't. If we don't we shouldn't be in sales!

4. Who Sets Their Goals: If you have to set goals for them, chances are they set very few if any goals for themselves. If you have to set goals for salespeople, what's next? Printing out directions for all their appointments too?

5. Personality Test: Is your sales team transaction oriented or relationship oriented? The revenue is in the relationships folks, so you'll want to make sure your salespeople are good at forming and maintaining healthy business relationships. Check your retention and customer service results.

While this advice isn't going to turn your sales department into a seasoned sales team with no weaknesses, it's certainly a good place to start the process. Remember also that I've only given you five steps out of many. Every sales team has its top 20%, its middle 60%, and the bottom 20%. If you're an owner or sales manager, your job is to evaluate where each one of your salespeople fit. Not once in awhile, always! If you need assistance, I recommend you find someone with the experience and objectivity to assist you in making the best evaluation possible. I've got a great Sales Bootcamp if you're interested. Have a great week!

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Seven Steps To An Attitude Transplant - By Dave Ferguson

About the Author: Dave Ferguson

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Dave Ferguson, has over 20 years of corporate experience at the senior level. He has held positions of Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager at companies such as Wells Fargo, HSBC and other financial institutions. Dave's broad range of experience at these prestigious companies where he coached, mentored, trained and developed leaders makes him uniquely qualified to coach you and those in your organization. Dave's clients value his diverse and solid background as they put their trust in him to guide them and their companies through whatever challenge or situation develops. Dave's coaching process provides personal and business management strategies - a balanced solution to help his clients work less, earn more and enjoy richer lives. Dave additionally is a sought after public speaker and also has developed several workshops and bootcamps designed to help people improve. He is also a certified member of the John Maxwell Team, and is proud to be able to offer the internationally recognized leadership expert's programs to his clients.

He can be reached at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

Click here to visit Dave's website.

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