Sales Evolution

27Dec/100

4.25 Predictions for How Companies Will Change Sales Behavior in 2011

2011 will be a great year. I just know it! But, then again, I'm an optimist. Here are my predictions for how Salespeople's Behavior will change for the better in 2011...

1. Customers will be at the Center of "Org. Charts"

Next year customers (and prospective customers) will be in their rightful place at the core of org charts. Having a true "Sales Culture" means that everyone in an organization understands, appreciates, and adds value to customer relationships. Why not build an org chart AROUND your clients? The printing company Consolidated Graphics, for example, ditched its annual sales conference. In its place, the company hosts a celebration of its clients (complete with an awards ceremony) called "emerge." How can you highlight your customers?

2. People will continue to try to figure out "Sales 2.0"

By now, there’s no mystery: Sales + Technology = Sales 2.0. It's a neat concept, but sales has been innovating since the first sale was made and, if we’re just now arriving at “2.0,” we’re a bit behind. In truth, that’s neither here nor there. Technology is changing more rapidly now than ever before. And smart companies don’t particularly care about the label that’s slapped on innovation, they just seek it out.

3. Coaching will become even more important

Sales coaching is a critical component to behavioral change. If companies truly want to see sales improve, they’ll adopt the philosophy that it requires constant attention. Enter Sales Coaching! The truth of the matter is that if you’re interested in change, it’s the only way to go. Event-based training accomplishes nothing. If you're looking at really changing behavior, there's no better route to take than coaching. Truly great Sales Managers will make a New Year's Resolution to spend a lot of their time providing real-time feedback to their teams.

4. Collaboration will be King

Collaboration is clearly the wave of the future. Sharing knowledge, experience, and skills among groups of people (e.g., sales, marketing, and operations teams) will make companies more flexible. And flexibility means victory in today’s dynamic marketplace. Tools like SalesForce.com’s Chatter are just the beginning -- these tools allow people from all over a company to work together on projects without having to worry about silos (departments that can't -- or won't -- work together). Companies that will thrive are the ones that harness the knowledge, experience, and skills of both their internal resources (employees) and their clients. Again, take a look at prediction #1.

4.25. We'll make more predictions in about 365 days-or-so

We'll have more predictions for 2012. And some of them will be identical to the 4 that are listed above. This one's only a .25 because it's not really much of a prediction. But this is the one that I guarantee will come true. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!

@JebBrooks

Tagged as: predictions, sales behavior change, sales training No Comments

21Dec/102

Introduction to High IMPACT Selling

Hello readers.

I need your help with our new book.

My brother and I are collaborating on another book, High IMPACT Selling. We're completely revising the original (first published by The Brooks Group in 1988). It'll probably be out by March 2011. Right now, everything is set except for the Introduction. That's where you come in.

Sales 2.0 is a thread that runs throughout the book, but I want to frame up our discussion on the front end. As a result, I'd appreciate your thoughts on this section . . .

Combine rapidly evolving technology with a dynamically changing marketplace and you’ve got what has been called “Sales 2.0.” Factors like CRM’s, smart phones, marketing automation, social networking, and all kinds of cloud-based solutions have changed professional selling forever. However, that's nothing new. After all, sales has been changing since the first sale was won and, if we’re just now arriving at “2.0,” we’re a bit behind!

Regardless of where we are on the timeline, technology (from Internet searches to GPS devices) is useless unless salespeople can use it within a customer-focused, linked, sequential selling process. Sales training – whether it’s in a Sales 1.0 world or a Sales 9.0 world – should teach salespeople to focus first on their prospects and customers. Only then should it worry itself with how salespeople can use technology to become even more effective. Technology should compliment salespeople's professional relationships, not distract from them.

Please post your thoughts to the comments feed. Are we hitting the nail on the head? Or are we missing something?

@JebBrooks

Tagged as: books, impact selling, sales books 2 Comments

17Dec/100

The Brooks Group’s Founder Inducted Into the Sales Hall of Fame

We're pleased to announce that in the first-ever Top Sales Awards, our founder (and my father), the late Bill Brooks, was inducted into the Sales Hall of Fame. He was included for his amazing contributions to Professional Selling. Although he passed away in 2007, his books, audios, and speeches continue to inspire salespeople all over the world. Yesterday's announcement was recognition for his great work. His work on the buying process was far ahead of its time.

Other inductees included:

Zig Ziglar
Linda Richardson
Earl Nightingale
Keith Rosen
Jeffrey Gitomer
Neil Rackham
Tony Alessandra
Brian Tracy
Gerhard Gschwandtner

What a privilege to be connected to a man whose amazing legacy lives on beyond his lifetime.

@JebBrooks

Tagged as: awards, recognition, The Brooks Group No Comments

16Dec/102

Brooks on Books: Make What You Say Pay

Anne Miller’s new book “Make What You Say Pay!” was a pleasant surprise for me. As a blogger, I am infrequently offered books to review. When they’re good, I like to write about them in this category called "Brooks on Books."

In the book, Anne explores the role that language plays in a sales interaction. She specifically talks about how metaphors can make a world of difference when presenting to a prospect or customer.

The book is engaging mostly because metaphors are engaging! She ties them in so fluidly that it’s easy to forget that you’re reading a business book and not a collection of short stories.

And that’s really exactly what she does – tie a series of short stories together. Each chapter is a story. And each story could stand on its own. Her breadth of experience working with a large number of organizations shines through in the varied examples she provides.

I was a little disappointed to see my least favorite word in selling -- "Pitch" -- make an appearance in Chapter 3. But her advice on how to build what we call a Unique Selling Proposition is fantastic! In fact, I'm rethinking my own "elevator speech" to try to incorporate a creative metaphor.

In short, it’s a great book. If you’re looking to hone your story-telling skills, it’s a great resource.

As an aside, I've never believed in l-o-n-g book reviews. A book should stand on its own without people writing endless essays about it (and this one certainly does).

@JebBrooks