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Greg van der Linde Articles

Guest post by: Greg van der Linde

5 Types of Questioning - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary There is no sense asking aimless questions. Sales reps must be responsible and ask questions that serve a specific purpose. They need to understand the type of questions they are asking, and the resulting information they can expect in return. Sales reps that can master the five types of questioning will be able to develop a detailed account of their buyer’s situation and the solution they desire.

Hiring Quality Sales Reps - Click To Read Article
Hiring quality sales reps takes time. It cannot be rushed and must be done properly. Sales leaders must have an effective hiring process in place to evaluate the pool of candidates they have developed. Hiring is much more then filling a position. It is an opportunity to improve the sales team by adding successful individuals.

Using Social Media to Enhance Email Marketing Campaigns - Click To Read Article
Social media is continuously expanding its capabilities and adaptability to current sales and marketing tools. Companies are increasingly planning integrated social media and email marketing campaigns that are inexpensive and yield positive results.

Create a Prospecting Tracking Process - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: Adhering to processes creates consistent results. Sales leaders who regularly track the prospecting efforts of their sales reps see better, more consistent results. Making prospecting a company objective, and rewarding the efforts of sales reps who prospect effectively on a consistent basis, will embed prospecting into the culture of the sales organization.

Gaining Access to Power in a Buyer's Organization - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: Sell to people with buying authority. Sales reps must understand the level of buying authority their contacts have within buying organizations. Reps must gain access to true power, and sell to buyers that have the ability to authorize transactions and close deals.

Components of Effective Compensation Plans - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: A problem arises when sales leaders struggle to measure the effectiveness of the compensation plan in place for their sales reps. Compensation plans, particularly those with a variable component, are designed to illicit desirable behaviors and/or outcomes from reps. Many sales leaders are discovering that they have been paying reps for results that were not the primary objectives for the company. This is simply wasted money. Setting well thoughtout, clearly defined objectives with aligned metrics attached, will ensure that both the company and sales reps reap the benefits of a solid compensation plan.

Feature/Benefit Selling Does Not Replace Effective Questioning - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: Buyers are only concerned about product features that are relevant to their needs. Sales reps that focus on creating alignment with buyers, and avoid using a ‘feature dump’ as their primary means to sell, will connect with buyers. This is accomplished when reps focus on the unique capabilities of their product as the best means by which to improve the buyer’s current situation.

Understanding Sales Purpose and Foundational Structure - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: Every interaction with a buyer has a common purpose and structure. Even though no two sales processes are the same, they share fundamental steps and sales engagement methods. These set the stage for a rep’s buyer engagement process.

Solve the One Problem the Buyer Has, Not the Nine They Do Not - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: The buyer is the focal point of the sales process. Sales reps need to evolve from traditional sales practices and place a greater emphasis on the buyer’s perspective. Having insight into what buyers expect will allow sales reps to customize the features and benefits of their product solution that directly impact a buyer’s situation.

Money is a Short Term Fix: Motivate Sales Reps the Right Way - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary: Sales leaders who wish to temporarily solve motivational issues use monetary rewards. However, long term behavioral change is created by challenging sales reps, offering praise, recognition, and the opportunity to grow and expand their sales career.

Sales Leader’s Job in Perspective - Click To Read Article
Sales leaders must recognize their role within the context of the sales organization. They have to remove their personal attachment to the sales team, and approach sales from a business perspective. This creates clarity and helps them focus on their main objectives as team leaders: Increasing revenue and encouraging the growth of their sales team.

Exclusive Short Term Revenue Focus, Long Term Business Issues - Click To Read Article
Revenue is king. It is the primary focus for most sales leaders, and the measuring stick for sales success. While revenue is an important indicator of sales success, sales leaders also need to broaden their focus to consider the sustainability of revenue over a long period of time. Sales leaders who focus on achieving repeatable results through an effective sales process will consistently realize the revenue they desire.

The Buyer Engagement Experience - Click To Read Article
The buyer is the key to the sale. Sales reps that follow a sales process which effectively focuses on the buyer’s perspectives, needs, and situation will create an effective buyer engagement experience. Reps that can offer a customized service with a personal touch will have a significant edge over competitors that focus on a “make the sale” rep-centric approach to the sales process.

Classifying Buyer Pain - Click To Read Article
Sales reps that can identify a buyer’s goals and objectives will be in an ideal position to uncover obstacles that are creating pain. Sales reps must understand that a buyer’s pain is their opportunity. The bigger and more urgent the pain, the better reps can properly identify the buyer’s pain classification, and therefore be able to effectively lead with an aligned solution that meets their needs.

Individual Purpose Statements - Click To Read Article
Sales reps have their own personal goals and motivators for success, but they often do not align with corporate goals. When an individual purpose statement is created that aligns these goals, reps demonstrate improved morale, better results, and fewer performance issues.

Avoidale Mistakes Made By Sales Leaders - Click To Read Article
Sales reps must be managed effectively. Sales leaders have to understand their reps’ capabilities in order to place them in an ideal sales environment where they can have a positive impact on the company and sales results. Sales leaders who can successfully identify their reps capabilities will be able to utilize their talents in the proper context. This will create a more efficient sales team while working within the context of their sales skills.

Becoming a Priority - Click To Read Article
Sales reps that do not put ample time into researching and planning can only hope for the best. Reps that are dedicated to creating specific and specialized solutions that are based on the buyer’s current priorities have a legitimate chance of doing business. These sales reps can effectively relate a valid business reason to the buyer’s current situation.

Best Action Commitment - Click To Read Article
Sales reps must strive for the best action commitment from their potential buyers when developing a sale. Agreeing to commitment requests from a sales rep proves a buyer’s engagement in the sales process. Agreeing to the rep’s best action commitment demonstrates engagement at an even higher level, potentially reducing the number of steps required to close in the multi-step sales process.

Communicating Challenging News - Click To Read Article
Communication is tough at the best of times and even tougher when it is challenging news on a departmental or company level. Most sales leaders do not communicate challenging news well. Learning to improve their communication tactics will help them face less resistance and facilitate a smooth transition when changes are to be made.

Closing Challenges & The Buyer Engagement Process - Click To Read Article
Buyers are savvy. A buyer’s purchase process and tactics present a number of closing challenges for sales reps. Sales reps that understand buyer tactics and negotiation methods are in a better position to implement the buyer engagement process.

Developing a Strategic Action Plan - Click To Read Article
Strategic action plans bridge each step in the sales process. Key account planning allows reps to better align, differentiate, and demonstrate value throughout the sales process. This alone can reduce the number of accounts that require discounting by up to 20%. Sales leaders who take the time to implement action plans into the culture of their sales teams reap the benefits of better defined actions and adherence to processes from their reps.

Creating a Quality Sales Culture - Click To Read Article
Sales culture has a large impact on any organization. A quality sales culture that is adopted by every individual within an organization creates efficient practices and consistent results. Sales leaders and upper management must understand that people are inherently resistant to change. New practices must be introduced over time to ease transition and ensure their new envisioned culture is accepted within the organization.

Addressing Common Difficulties for Sales Leaders - Click To Read Article
Executive Summary Sales leaders must control their sales organization. They have to be aware of potential difficulties and must be prepared to overcome any issues that arise. Having the ability to work from the top down, sales leaders must be firm, and clearly communicate expectations to avoid difficulties before they affect business operations.





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