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Of all the challenges your sales team face, none is more significant than handling sales objections from customers. In order to learn how to overcome doubts and instil confidence, your team should first understand the two main types of objections…
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If all goes well, a new salesperson leaves the office after the first day of work as a new brand ambassador. When speaking with friends or on social media later that night, the new hire's mates will ask how it…
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Accurate forecasting is the responsibility of both the MD and the salesperson. Both have a vested interest in accurate reporting and both will find it impossible to do — and ultimately to keep — their jobs if they can't consistently…
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How many current MDs would be hired for their role if they had to reapply and be interviewed today? Sadly, I suspect that some of them would be challenged in some areas. It’s not that they’re not qualified to lead,…
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Not everyone is suited for the high-pressure, high-stakes work of sales — and those who are lured by its lifestyle and potential rewards can be a quirky, peculiar and demanding bunch. Luckily for their managers, most of them can be…
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You don’t need to be a trained mechanic to know that a rumble or a clunking sound signals a need to look under the bonnet before something goes horribly wrong. Sadly, the warning signs of a broken sales engine are…
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If a smart business owner considers an investment, whether it is for a new refrigerator in his or her home or for the acquisition of a rival company, a strict ROI calculation precedes the purchase. Is this investment worth the…
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In the business world, the drive to climb the corporate ladder can sometimes obscure the fact that our skills for a particular role don’t always guarantee a smooth transition to a new position. In other words: not everyone is ideally…
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Sales commission planning is as much science as art; it needs to make financial sense and be logistically feasible, but it also needs to be aspirational to drive sales. In the previous article, I outlined the steps companies should take…
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Incentives for strong performance are key motivators for sales teams. In fact, they’re so deeply engrained in sales culture that it’s almost impossible to attract or retain strong salespeople, or to inspire strong performance, without competitive commission as a carrot.…
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The right technologies, when implemented the right way, can streamline sales, improve customer service and free up valuable time. Technology, however, can also be expensive, confusing, unnecessary and obstructive. To determine if a new sales technology or software will add…
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When it comes to sales budget planning, every pound spent should bring value in return. Every pound that is not geared to an investment or tasked for a purpose is wasted money. There are five steps to preventing waste and…
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Economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said,“Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” Meetings have a reputation (often well-earned) as irrelevant, tedious time-wasters. Some companies have gone so far as to abolish these gatherings. But, because it is…
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Promotions are cause for celebration; they’re transitions, a chance to start a new career chapter. Or, they’re the ideal pressure cookers for bad blood and toxic office politics. Depends on which side of the promotion one finds oneself. Sales and…
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A new title. More prestige, and perhaps a bit more money. What could be better? While highly sought-after, promotions are a great source of stress for the newly minted manager. And there’s plenty of angst to go ‘round. As a…
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Laurence J. Peter, management theorist and father of the “Peter Principle” once wrote, “If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”2 Businesses cannot achieve success if they do not define what success looks…
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No sales rep can ever hope to be successful when motivation is lacking, and when a rep slows down, disengages or approaches quotas with indifference, sales managers have to act fast. Even a small dip in motivation can lead to…
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All Sales Managers know that recruiting for a sales superstar is akin to hunting a white whale. In truth, it’s far easier to transform an average salesperson into a superstar than it is to spend your time hunting for a…
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Everyone knows the old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” In sales, we often think that the way to a rep’s heart is the money, but often, it’s ego. People are drawn to sales for…
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Defining sales team success can be tricky, because “success” looks different to everyone. Traditionally, success can be defined as consistently exceeding goals, but there are subtle nuances that managers must be able to determine and differentiate between individual and team…
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Hiring in sales is a group effort. The makeup of the team depends on the size of the business and the position that needs to be filled. Including all the key people, however, is only half the battle. They must…
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All too often, Managing Directors hire new salespeople in response to a change or an issue that has already occurred. This kind of reactive hiring is a recipe for drawing low-quality recruits who don't deliver maximum return on investment. Businesses…
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It is important to remove salespeople whose poor performance or negative attitude is dragging down the team and the company — but not before setting them up for success. Termination is a fast and neat solution for handling salespeople who…
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Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can unify a business under a company-wide system — but other forms of sales technology can be incredibly helpful on a much smaller, more individualized level. Consider using these three tools to organize and streamline…
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The right customer relationship management system can drive growth by making a business more efficient, flexible and scalable. CRM technology, however, is not one-size-fits-all. A business has to evaluate its needs, choose the right CRM tools, and then take steps…
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When a leader understands the difference between a sales person’s personalities and skills, he or she can position each member of the team where they are most likely to flourish. Businesses often hold themselves back by forcing people to play…
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A dynamic and motivated sales team is often the difference between success and failure. Hiring ambitious, creative salespeople is half of the equation. The other half is keeping them motivated, interested and engaged. Psychometric Testing: Evaluating Personalities to Choose the…
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Most new salespeople face an impossible catch-22 when they first get hired. They can't succeed until they are given the proper tools, but they often aren't given access to the proper tools until they succeed. Too many businesses hire salespeople…
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Making the best strategic hiring decisions depends on having the right tools and information at your disposal. While profiling and personality testing are not imperative for effective recruitment, they can provide helpful insights to make informed decisions if you don’t…
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Let me begin with a question: if you were selecting a company in which to invest, would you choose the well known business with a long history and high turnover, or the promising start-up with a sound strategic framework but…
