6th of the Top 10 Kurlan Sales Management Functions
 |
Free Download - A Forgotten Secret of Sales Success By Dave Kurlan |
This is the 6th in my series of the 10 Kurlan Sales Management Functions. #6 - LEADERSHIP
Sales Leadership includes but is not limited to:
* Strong relationships with the sales team - more about this in the 7th (next in the series) article
* Mutual Respect - you believe they respect you, but do they really? And do you respect them?
* Credibility - how credible are you? Have you done what you're asking them to do? Have you done it the same way with the same obstacles and challenges to the same market? How credible is your coaching? How consistent are you?
* Mutual Trust - if you don't trust them, how can you expect them to trust you? What should you expect them to trust you with? Your coaching? Expectations? Goals? Personal Issues? Weaknesses? Challenges? Fears?
* Presence -When you walk in the room, does everyone stop and listen?
* Track Record of Success - Well?
* Reputation of Achievement - Same as above.
* Tough but Fair - It needs to be both but do you even have one of them? Too many sales leaders are push overs and manage with their heart, emotions, and relationships.
* Strategic Thinking - The frequent finding here is that sales leaders are too tactical and not strategic enough.
* Leads by Example - Do you? Or are you guilty of limiting the leadership to preaching and motivating?
* Provides Direction and Guidance - hands on, in the field, with concrete advice versus in the office, inaccessible with vague comments about what to do.
* Sets Expectations (here is some video on setting expectations)
* Top grades the Sales Force with A Players
* Liaison to the Executive Team
* Takes Responsibility for the Team's Failures -vs. placing blame.
* Gives Credit for the Team's Success - vs. taking all the credit.
* Able to Look Under the Hood (here's some video on looking under the hood)
Some will scan through this list and brag that they have some or many of the credentials on the list but I present two warnings:
1. You believe you have things like credibility, mutual trust, presence, etc. How do you know if you've never asked the people who report to you through an anonymous survey or a third party? Same goes for Strategic Thinking - how do you know unless you have others to compare your strategies with? Assessments are very helpful here!
2. It is not enough to have most of the credentials on the list - you must have them all and the list I provided is not a complete list, but the most important credentials on the list.
My guest on this week's edition of Meet the Sales Experts was Sales Development Expert Jim Lobaito, who shared some great sales and leadership advice. Jim further explained this leadership gem on the show but here's the gist of it:
What is your competitive advantage? If you were aquired, would your competitive advantage change? If not, you don't have one. If you asked each of your salespeople would you get different answers from each? If yes, you don't have one.
Jim had some more sales leadership advice. He said, "As we go through the recession, businesses are in one of two buckets:
1. Your business or industry has been thrown off the path - and it will return - and you simply have to hang on until then;
2. Your business or industry has fundamentally changed - and it will never return to the way it was - and you must change.
He said, "the answer to this question dictates the future viability of your company."
Click here to listen to the show. Click here to contact Jim.
6th of the Top 10 Kurlan Sales Management Functions - To learn more about this author, visit Dave Kurlan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| Article Tags: |
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is a best-selling author, top-rated speaker and thought leader on sales development. He 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 |
|||
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 |
|||
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 |
|||
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 |
|||
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 |
|||
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 |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Dave's articles
 |
|
Understanding the Sales Force - Objective Management Group, Inc. is the pioneer and industry leader in sales force evaluations and sales candidate screening. Spearheaded by leading sales industry expert, Dave Kurlan, Objective Management Group, Inc. can help you measure sales effectiveness, execution and potential.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Dave Kurlan Video - Dave Kurlan discusses margins with a group of business owners.
|
|
|
 | ||
 |
||
|
||
|
||
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Salesperson Selection Trainning Template Conversational Selling Tips Pro-Forma Template The Human Network |
|
 | ||
 |
The Top 10 GTD Times Posts
Best Posts for Productivity | |
 |
Top 50 Social Media Blogs
Top 50 Social Media Blogs | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
 | ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||