Puppy Training for Salespeople?
Puppy Training for Salespeople?
Jim and I have known each other for many years, having worked together in the sales arena as sales leaders. Our conversations typically gravitate to sales. He commented that for all the many ‘improvements’ in developing sales people it was sad that so much remains the same.
Some quick background. Jim came up through the ranks, proving his considerable selling talent, and then moved into sales management. In fact I recall very clearly the day he came into my office to apply for a Regional Sales Director opening. My first thought was he might be best to remain in his sales role given his exceptional performance and income level. My second reaction was he should follow our ‘normal’ progression route, taking a Sales Manager role before seeking a Director level. Did I mention Jim was a good sales person? He gave a compelling list of reasons why this role was the right one for him. I challenged him on every point, adding my concern the position was in a new town where he didn’t know anyone, have any established network, nor would he get the luxury of any ramp-up time as results were needed immediately. After some deep soul searching I gave him the job. Turned out this decision ranks up there with the best ones I have ever made.
Jim adopted many of the industry old methods for developing people. He focused on product knowledge, basic selling and relationship skills, with a heavy focus on activity management and ‘the numbers’. He was a firm believer “activity leads to results.” So how did Jim do? His regional office became number one in the country. He achieved this by incorporating a heavy emphasis on coaching, coupled with his attraction power which allowed him to bring new talent to the sales game.
As we spoke he commented he wished he could start over as a sales leader. When I asked why, he said he believes there is a lot to learn from the training dogs. He went on to explain, while he was a strong believer in his team and loved being a coach, he felt there was too much emphasis on the negative and not enough on the positive. I replied that I never saw him with a rolled up newspaper, he laughed and he said he didn’t need one. Instead he would make public the activity levels of every rep and their sales results. He remained firm in deploying the corporate sales curriculum, which while solid, could have used some changes in focus.
I asked Jim, “How has your thinking changed?” He responded he was always a champion for his people, tried to recognize their achievements often, and kept a positive perspective. He went on to say he perhaps should have looked at each one as a new puppy. A new puppy needs lots of love and attention at first until they understand the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Acceptable behavior is rewarded with immediate and frequent recognition and treats. Unacceptable behavior responses include a retraction of attention and a stern verbal admonishment. People he points out are no different than canines in that they seek acceptance and want to please.
Jim went on to say doing it all over again he would put far more emphasis on relationship building and questioning skills. He said he would consciously focus less on presentation skills and more on listening skills. He observed most consumers today are looking for an advisor, not a salesperson. They want to deal with someone they can trust and who truly is an expert at understanding their needs and wants, then helping them connect the dots to determine if the product or service they are representing does or does not, do what they are hoping it will.
I challenged him on activity management asking how he would address that. He confirmed it is important for the new sales rep to know they can get in front of people so there needs to be attention here in the early days. We talked about a transition over time where referrals began to take on greater weight and countered the need for other forms of prospecting. Jim mentioned if he could influence a person to have the right sales mindset, everything else looks after itself. If you see yourself being successful, others will too. If you see everyone you meet as a potential opportunity, they may indeed be receptive to your desire to help them.
Jim summarized by asking, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if your sales team had the same loyalty and dedication to their customer, you and your firm, as your dog does to you?” At the very least, the notion does give ‘paws’ for thought!
Puppy Training for Salespeople - To learn more about this author, visit Clayton Shold's Website.
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Friends of mine recently had a new addition to their family which they are very excited about. She is a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle and it is exactly what they were hoping for. As we spoke I could sense the excitement of being proud parents one more time after having two legged and four legged “kids” for many years. Jim commented how training methods have changed so much over the years. He is taking his counsel from the breeder and a book entitled Dog Training for Dummies. Gone are the rolled up newspapers to spank the dog and other punishment techniques, everything today focuses on positive motivation.
Jim and I have known each other for many years, having worked together in the sales arena as sales leaders. Our conversations typically gravitate to sales. He commented that for all the many ‘improvements’ in developing sales people it was sad that so much remains the same.
Some quick background. Jim came up through the ranks, proving his considerable selling talent, and then moved into sales management. In fact I recall very clearly the day he came into my office to apply for a Regional Sales Director opening. My first thought was he might be best to remain in his sales role given his exceptional performance and income level. My second reaction was he should follow our ‘normal’ progression route, taking a Sales Manager role before seeking a Director level. Did I mention Jim was a good sales person? He gave a compelling list of reasons why this role was the right one for him. I challenged him on every point, adding my concern the position was in a new town where he didn’t know anyone, have any established network, nor would he get the luxury of any ramp-up time as results were needed immediately. After some deep soul searching I gave him the job. Turned out this decision ranks up there with the best ones I have ever made.
Jim adopted many of the industry old methods for developing people. He focused on product knowledge, basic selling and relationship skills, with a heavy focus on activity management and ‘the numbers’. He was a firm believer “activity leads to results.” So how did Jim do? His regional office became number one in the country. He achieved this by incorporating a heavy emphasis on coaching, coupled with his attraction power which allowed him to bring new talent to the sales game.
As we spoke he commented he wished he could start over as a sales leader. When I asked why, he said he believes there is a lot to learn from the training dogs. He went on to explain, while he was a strong believer in his team and loved being a coach, he felt there was too much emphasis on the negative and not enough on the positive. I replied that I never saw him with a rolled up newspaper, he laughed and he said he didn’t need one. Instead he would make public the activity levels of every rep and their sales results. He remained firm in deploying the corporate sales curriculum, which while solid, could have used some changes in focus.
I asked Jim, “How has your thinking changed?” He responded he was always a champion for his people, tried to recognize their achievements often, and kept a positive perspective. He went on to say he perhaps should have looked at each one as a new puppy. A new puppy needs lots of love and attention at first until they understand the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Acceptable behavior is rewarded with immediate and frequent recognition and treats. Unacceptable behavior responses include a retraction of attention and a stern verbal admonishment. People he points out are no different than canines in that they seek acceptance and want to please.
Jim went on to say doing it all over again he would put far more emphasis on relationship building and questioning skills. He said he would consciously focus less on presentation skills and more on listening skills. He observed most consumers today are looking for an advisor, not a salesperson. They want to deal with someone they can trust and who truly is an expert at understanding their needs and wants, then helping them connect the dots to determine if the product or service they are representing does or does not, do what they are hoping it will.
I challenged him on activity management asking how he would address that. He confirmed it is important for the new sales rep to know they can get in front of people so there needs to be attention here in the early days. We talked about a transition over time where referrals began to take on greater weight and countered the need for other forms of prospecting. Jim mentioned if he could influence a person to have the right sales mindset, everything else looks after itself. If you see yourself being successful, others will too. If you see everyone you meet as a potential opportunity, they may indeed be receptive to your desire to help them.
Jim summarized by asking, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if your sales team had the same loyalty and dedication to their customer, you and your firm, as your dog does to you?” At the very least, the notion does give ‘paws’ for thought!
Puppy Training for Salespeople - To learn more about this author, visit Clayton Shold'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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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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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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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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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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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva'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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