Like this article? PLEASE +1 it!

Is Your Sales Force a Ferrari or a Chevy?

Article Overview: Fine-tune your selling machine. Five step tune-up program to help you achieve that Ferrari-like performance and drive more revenue in 2010:

Free Download - Is Supervision Part of Leadership? By David Liddell

Is Your Sales Force a Ferrari or a Chevy?

I have been a Ferrari enthusiast since I was a kid. It has something to do with the sleek styling and legendary performance that has always kept my attention. The closest I have come to "owning" one was a brief test drive while on a trip in Europe a couple years ago. It lasted only ten minutes but it was an absolute thrill to feel all that power, precision, and performance.

A Chevy, on the other hand, is a little different. Although General Motors has had its share of issues, Chevy makes a good vehicle. I have owned a few of them myself over the years and can say I have been pleased with the reliability and cost-of-ownership.

Now, some people may say "a car is a car" but that really depends on what is its intended use. Nobody would consider using a Ferrari to transport a pile of lumber just like a Chevy pick-up truck would be a bad choice to compete in a slalom competition. So what should you expect from your sales force? Do you want the performance characteristics of a Ferrari or a Chevy?

This is a great time of the year to overhaul and fine-tune your selling machine. It's a new year, there's new energy, and your sales people want to make more money than last year. Here's a simple, five step tune-up program to help you achieve that Ferrari-like performance and drive more revenue in 2010:

These people have figured it out. Look for common characteristics and behaviors and then educate the rest of the sales team. Warning: do not try to turn all your sales people into perfect replicas of your top gun. That won't happen - focus only on the handful of successful characteristics.

Step 2: Adopt a universal sales methodology. There are various sales methodologies available. Pick one that suites your product or service offering, train your sales people, and stick with it until it has been perfected. Repetition breeds results.

Step 3: Scrutinize your sales process. Take the guess work out of qualifying sales opportunities by assigning specific criteria to each stage in the process. This will help you understand exactly where opportunities stand (read: better forecasting accuracy) and more effectively move them through the sales process (read: better close ratio).

Step 4: Capture and track sales performance data. Selling is a math game - at least to some degree. Achieve consistent results from your sales organization requires a keen understanding of trends, ratios, what is working, and what is not working. This can only happen if you are paying attention. Be sure to use a reputable CRM (customer relationship management) tool and hold your sales people accountable through consistent and timely opportunity updates.

Step 5: Teach your sales managers to appreciate diversity. Every sales person on your team has a unique talent that will drive their success. It could be their ability to build strong client relationships, negotiate effectively, or simply be great at closing the sale. Sales managers need to identify these strengths and coach their people as individuals to minimize weaknesses and draw out strengths.

Start today! Measure your sales organizations current behavior against these five steps and make some changes. Even small adjustments will have a measurable impact.

Related Articles

Lesson #2: Pursue Ambitious Goals

Lesson #4: Keep Up With Your Competitors

Ferrari Turns His Dream Into a Dream for Others

Lesson #3: Look Towards the Future

Building an Icon: The Making of Ferrari

Lesson #1: Consistency is Important

Lesson #5: People Are More Important Than Cars

How Enzo Ferrari Started Out: The Birth of an Automotive Visionary

Always answer the question truthfully, but never................

Do Car Commercials on TV Sell Any Cars?

Lamborghini Expands His Business Interests

Lesson #4: Set Yourself Apart From the Competition

Lesson #2: Produce What People Need

Questions Every CEO Should Be Asking His Sales Managers

The Sales Force with Over Achievers Who Don't

"Everyone knows Sales Force Incentives Dramatically Increase Sales"

Optimize Your Sales Force Without Spending a Dime

Can You Motivate Your Sales Team?

Do you have the sales force your strategy needs?

FREE Salesforce Grader Tool

Home > Productivity > David Liddell > Is Your Sales Force a Ferrari or a Chevy > Google +

Article Tags: measure your sales organization, sales methodology, sales performance, sales process

About the Author: David Liddell
RSS for David's articles - Visit David's website

David Liddell, president and founder of SKYE Business Solutions, is an insightful and

trusted advisor to organizations interested in improving their performance and results.

Based on more than 20 years of experience in organizational and business

development, he objectively evaluates organizations and their employees to identify

opportunities for increased efficiencies and productivity. Recognizing that employees

play a key role in a company's performance, David utilizes his analysis to create

customized employee training and development solutions designed to enhance

employee performance, leadership skills, team building, strategy planning and

organizational development.

He is widely respected for his skills as an expert problem solver, trainer, speaker,

facilitator and coach. As a certified 360 Solutions training partner and Profiles

International strategic business partner, he brings proven expertise to his creation of

customized employee development solutions.

Areas of Expertise

David has assisted numerous companies in improving employee and organizational performance. Using

a blended approach (assessments, training, coaching, strategic planning, and consulting), following is a

sample of results achieved:

Improved core leadership strength and alignment
Increased sales performance / business growth
Maximized production throughput and workforce productivity
Enhance organizational culture to foster a high performance mind-set (employee engagement)
Elevated trust / improved communication and collaboration
Ensured successful formation and execution on strategic objectives and goals

Background and Credentials

Prior to founding SKYE Business Solutions, David honed his skills in organizational and business

development, sales and marketing, business growth, and employee retention, training and coaching

through his work in the manufacturing, technology distribution, computer software, and information

technology consulting industries.

David holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Concordia University and is active in numerous

community and professionals organizations.

Click here to visit David's website

More from David Liddell