10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One Thats Best For You
10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One Thats Best For You
Despite all of that knowledge, I'm certain you have a great corporate attorney, corporate accountant, insurance advisers for commercial, benefits and personal lines, and a Realtor. Some of these people may even sit on your board.
Do you have a sales expert on your board? On retainer? Working with your sales team? Your sales management team? On your sales infrastructure? On compensation and incentives?
The question shouldn't be whether you should or shouldn't include a sales expert in your group of inside advisers, the question should be which kind of sales expert you should rely on for advice.
There are several types of sales advisers and I wanted to discuss their various areas of expertise today.
1. Sales Trainers - Deliver training, usually canned, and regardless of their content, the training is only as good as they are at engaging the group and getting into lively role-plays. Focus on skills training.
2. Sales Consultants - Out of work former Sales VP's whose primary focus is on territories, strategy, roles, infrastructure, compensation, systems and processes.
3. Sales Strategists - Primarily focus on the sales force's ability to execute the strategy and provide necessary services to enable more effective execution.
4. Sales Coaches - Usually skip most of the above and focus on one-on-one coaching of salespeople.
5. Sales Gurus - Out of work former Sales VP's who use marketing to differentiate themselves from Sales Consultants.
6. Sales Authors - Those who can write with authority about various sales topics.
7. Sales Management Consultants - Same as sales strategists.
8. Sales Speakers - Can speak with authority and entertainment value on sales topics of their choosing.
9. Sales Development Experts - Focus more on the development of the sales organization as a whole rather than one particular area.
10. Integrated Sales Development Experts - Able to perform all of the above quite well, from comprehensive diagnostics to comprehensive integrated solutions.
All sales advisers are not created equal. They usually have the most expertise in the industries from which they came and their ability to help you is in direct proportion to the number of diversified clients, industries, challenges and scenarios they have dealt with. Also quite important is their understanding of your issues and challenges, and their ability to effectively solve any and all of the problems associated with those issues and challenges. You don't solve an infrastructure problem with training and you don't solve a skills problem with consulting.
Unless you're very insecure, you won't want a "yes man" because you'll end up with a facilitator. You'll want someone who will push back and point out the errors in your thinking, even if you don't believe your thinking needs to be revised. You'll want someone who asks more questions than you're comfortable answering and you'll want someone who can differentiate the real issues from the symptoms you provide. For example, it's not unusual for a client to say, "We need some training on closing skills". That's the symptom. Your sales adviser must be able to identify why closing is an issue in your company and that should involve asking questions about the company, management, systems, processes and each individual salesperson to differentiate between cause and effect. Skills training alone will rarely solve any of the problems that you bring to one of us.
There you have it. If you don't already have a sales adviser, add a great one to your team. If you have someone, make sure that you get their input on everything related to their expertise.
For example, most clients include me on all their important account strategy emails so that I can contribute when something doesn't look right. Most clients won't hire a salesperson, sales manager or sales director without my direct involvement. Most clients won't discuss company strategy without me. Most clients won't install systems and processes without my advice. Sales advisers know what they're doing in much the same way as your lawyers and accountants do. Take advantage of it and stop guessing at what the best possible approach might be.
10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One Thats Best For You - To learn more about this author, visit Dave Kurlan's Website.
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I'll bet you know plenty about agreements, contracts, and legal compliance in your industry. You probably know enough about accounting, taxes and audits to get by too. And I bet you know your way around insurance, investments and real estate.
Despite all of that knowledge, I'm certain you have a great corporate attorney, corporate accountant, insurance advisers for commercial, benefits and personal lines, and a Realtor. Some of these people may even sit on your board.
Do you have a sales expert on your board? On retainer? Working with your sales team? Your sales management team? On your sales infrastructure? On compensation and incentives?
The question shouldn't be whether you should or shouldn't include a sales expert in your group of inside advisers, the question should be which kind of sales expert you should rely on for advice.
There are several types of sales advisers and I wanted to discuss their various areas of expertise today.
1. Sales Trainers - Deliver training, usually canned, and regardless of their content, the training is only as good as they are at engaging the group and getting into lively role-plays. Focus on skills training.
2. Sales Consultants - Out of work former Sales VP's whose primary focus is on territories, strategy, roles, infrastructure, compensation, systems and processes.
3. Sales Strategists - Primarily focus on the sales force's ability to execute the strategy and provide necessary services to enable more effective execution.
4. Sales Coaches - Usually skip most of the above and focus on one-on-one coaching of salespeople.
5. Sales Gurus - Out of work former Sales VP's who use marketing to differentiate themselves from Sales Consultants.
6. Sales Authors - Those who can write with authority about various sales topics.
7. Sales Management Consultants - Same as sales strategists.
8. Sales Speakers - Can speak with authority and entertainment value on sales topics of their choosing.
9. Sales Development Experts - Focus more on the development of the sales organization as a whole rather than one particular area.
10. Integrated Sales Development Experts - Able to perform all of the above quite well, from comprehensive diagnostics to comprehensive integrated solutions.
All sales advisers are not created equal. They usually have the most expertise in the industries from which they came and their ability to help you is in direct proportion to the number of diversified clients, industries, challenges and scenarios they have dealt with. Also quite important is their understanding of your issues and challenges, and their ability to effectively solve any and all of the problems associated with those issues and challenges. You don't solve an infrastructure problem with training and you don't solve a skills problem with consulting.
Unless you're very insecure, you won't want a "yes man" because you'll end up with a facilitator. You'll want someone who will push back and point out the errors in your thinking, even if you don't believe your thinking needs to be revised. You'll want someone who asks more questions than you're comfortable answering and you'll want someone who can differentiate the real issues from the symptoms you provide. For example, it's not unusual for a client to say, "We need some training on closing skills". That's the symptom. Your sales adviser must be able to identify why closing is an issue in your company and that should involve asking questions about the company, management, systems, processes and each individual salesperson to differentiate between cause and effect. Skills training alone will rarely solve any of the problems that you bring to one of us.
There you have it. If you don't already have a sales adviser, add a great one to your team. If you have someone, make sure that you get their input on everything related to their expertise.
For example, most clients include me on all their important account strategy emails so that I can contribute when something doesn't look right. Most clients won't hire a salesperson, sales manager or sales director without my direct involvement. Most clients won't discuss company strategy without me. Most clients won't install systems and processes without my advice. Sales advisers know what they're doing in much the same way as your lawyers and accountants do. Take advantage of it and stop guessing at what the best possible approach might be.
10 Types of Sales Advisers and How to Choose the One Thats Best For You - To learn more about this author, visit Dave Kurlan's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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