Sales Management for C-Level Selling - 6 Steps to Make Your Sales People Better
Sales Management for C-Level Selling - 6 Steps to Make Your Sales People Better
Sales Management for CLevel Selling 6 Steps to Make Your Sales People Better - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Manfer's Website.
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How would you rate the skill level of each of your sales people? What are you doing to improve each person’s skill level? In other words are your sales people as good as you think they should be and if not, what are you doing about it. Sales goals are made or missed because of management. Good managers keep their fingers on the pulse of business. They know what to expect and if those standards are not being met, they takes actions to make their salespeople better. Better means selling more, but selling more requires improving sales people’s selling skills. Here's the process I used to coach sales managers: 1. Rate each of your sales people on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 - lowest level). 2. Write down the strengths and weaknesses of each of those people. I. E. for the weaknesses what knowledge, ability, attributes, skill, etc. does this person have to attain to become a better sales person? What’s keeping him or her back? What strengths is this person lacking? 3. On a totally separate piece of paper list all the skills, knowledge, attributes, abilities that you would expect for a level 1, level 2, level 3, etc. Some skills will progress with each level, and others may stand alone in at a particular level. An example of a progression is: Level 1 -- No knowledge of industry; level 2 -- learning the industry; level 3 -- knows jargon, needs, and some of the players; level 4 -- well versed in the industry, knows most of the players, know basic and complex issues and opportunities; level 5 -- respected in the industry by associates, clients and those outside his or her company. An example of a standalone is: level 3 -- ability to consistently ask for commitment. 4. Now, look at the strengths and weaknesses of each sales person. Compare those to the characteristics for the level you chose for that person. You'll notice you missed some characteristics that define the level and didn't include some for the person. For example, Joe is a level II and has trouble learning the issues and concerns of the prospects he interviews. However, when you are preparing the level characteristics, you left out "probing prospect to learn issues and concerns". Similarly, level III requires the ability to introduce new ideas to the prospect, so as to entice him. Yet when you listed Joe's weaknesses, you forgot "ability to expose and entice". 5. Redo the levels and redo the salespeople's weaknesses, incorporating the characteristics that you missed in each. This will give you a more complete description of the levels, as well as a better listing of the individual's weaknesses. Now that you have both your standard and a list of the missing attributes, abilities, skills, etc. that are required to get a particular sales person to the next level, you basically have that sales person's development plan. 6. Build an action plan for each person to progress to the next level. In other words, what will you (or someone else) do to show the sales person how to attain the skills or overcome the weaknesses; what does the sales person have to do; when will it be accomplished by and; how will you know (the metric) that the sales person has attain the skill or overcome the weakness. Although this six step plan sounds like a lot, it’s really very simple. By selecting a level for each person and defining his or her weaknesses, and then separately determining skills for each level, you'll easily be able to build the perfect level description and see the development issues for each individual. Then you'll know exactly what you'll have to do to help that person improve. You'll also realize very quickly what’s holding the sales person back from selling more. More importantly it provides you and your sales person, a great communication tool. Your expectations and development requirements for this individual will be defined, direct and systematic. There will be no misunderstandings and these development plans will help your sales people improve quickly. So try it, and I guarantee you'll be pleased with the outcome. Remember, if you want better (more sales), sales people, you've got to improve their sales skills levels. If you, the manager, don't build and enforce the plan for an individual’s improvement, it will not get done. Few salespeople try to improve themselves. They have to be motivated (pushed and directed) by their management. Sales goals are made and missed because of sales managers. And now I invite you to learn more.
Sales Management for CLevel Selling 6 Steps to Make Your Sales People Better - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Manfer'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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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