29Oct/090

Sales Management

I recently came across an article written by Toni Hankins in the September 2009 issue of Selling Power Magazine. The piece was titled Sixteen Ways to Survive a Recession and Build Your Sales. What at first sounded like such a negative title contained a very upbeat commentary. The sixteen points Toni raised should serve as a guide and a reminder to all sales managers. Even ‘coaches’ need to be coached! Here are a few that caught my attention:

  • Don’t experience recession – there is business out there. Someone is always buying.
  • Get out of comfort zones – get more innovative, entrepreneurial and forward thinking. Flexibility and creativity rule.
  • Train to peak performance – the military does not stop training and your sales team shouldn’t either.
  • Accept responsibility – it’s your job to build and maintain the morale of your sales team.
  • Stay the course – be confident you are doing the right things that will generate the right results.

I loved Toni’s reference to Christopher Columbus “We proceeded south by southwest,” which eventually lead the famous explorer to discover the new world.

Stay the course, be confident and optimistic. Be the leader you know you are!

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24Aug/090

Making a Lasting Impression

We recently held an executive management program that included fifteen managers from eight different companies. As part of a special promotion, the program included lodging at a first-class hotel here in Greensboro. Were there other options? Of course there were….and probably more economical.

However, the response was phenomenal. Every manager commented on his or her positive experience with the hotel and was more than pleased with the service they received.

This is real life proof that creating a positive experience will provide a lasting impression. Whenever these managers think of The Brooks Group they will not only remember the material they learned, but they will remember the experience they had with us.

Regardless if these managers choose to do business with us or not, we have created a positive experience that they will remember and pass on to other people.

The lesson learned……pay attention to the details. They can work for you; but they can also work against you.

Think about your interaction with prospects and customers and imagine what it would feel like to be on their side. What kind of things would make a lasting impression on you?

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6May/092

Learn to Leverage the Small Sales

Salespeople love the big deal - who wouldn’t? We all crave the attention, ego stroking and the recognition we receive from our peers after the big sale.

The challenge of selling in this economy is that companies are more reluctant to commit to the big deal right now. We can all theorize why that is, but it is not helping us make sales and drive revenue now.

So what key skill set or strategy do salespeople need to utilize right now in order to drive sales? It is not a skill set but more of a philosophy. The answer is simple but effective:

Help buyers make small decisions and link them to making bigger ones.

The perceived emotional costs (PEC) that potential prospects will pay you for your products or services encompass more than just money. The PECs are things like time, energy, risk, reputation or admitting to prior mistakes, and can be deal breakers to a potential buyer. Making the ‘small sale’ that leads to ‘bigger sales’ relieves that fear of buying.

Salespeople need to understand just how significant the PEC is and make adjustments accordingly. Your ability as a salesperson and organization to deliver on your promises is the best way to leverage small business into bigger business.

Think small sales first!

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25Mar/090

Motivating the Troops – Part II


Last month I wrote about managing a sales team in challenging times. The current economic environment may prove especially challenging to ‘younger’ sales managers —those who may be in the early years of their careers, and who, as a consequence, may be up against these unique challenges for the first time. Here are several thoughts for such managers to keep in mind.

  1. Although the unprecedented scope and frequency of media coverage have painted a grim portrait of the current economic forecast, economic swings and cycles are, in reality, very common. Remember that the economy will swing in a positive direction because it always does. Your job is to keep positive and keep yourself and the sales team focused.
  2. Find a mentor that you can trust. Having someone to speak with, confide in and lean on is important to all of us. The managers who have gone through these cycles are a tremendous resource to you. If Tiger Woods has a ‘coach,’ why shouldn’t you?
  3. Celebrate the smallest successes! If your sales team wins a contract, celebrate. If a salesperson schednules a face-to-face appointment celebrate! If a salesperson makes a presentation celebrate! Sales is a game of momentum, so stay positive and keep motivated.
  4. Remember, there is no substitute or shortcut for getting experience. It is something that we all need to gain first hand, through the process of trial and evaluation. The next time the economy hits a slump — and there will be a next time — you will be better prepared to face it and be a mentor for the next generation of ‘young managers.’

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4Feb/091

Motivating the Troops

Veteran sales managers have been through challenging economic times before. Somehow, some way, you and your sales team have survived. For you newer, less experienced sales managers, this recession (yes, the "r-word") may be your first. History shows us that every 8-9 years there is an economic adjustment in our economy. So guess what, welcome to the realities of managing a sales team in a challenging (yet not impossible) environment.

There are a few basic fundamentals and suggestions I would like to share with you as you navigate through this environment. Don't second-guess yourself; these fundamentals will serve you well. There are five forms of leadership:

  1. Example (most powerful)
  2. Determination
  3. Motivation
  4. Expertise
  5. Position (weakest)

The current environment requires you to lead by example. The attitude you present in front of the troops will set the stage for all efforts, enthusiasm, optimism and sense of teamwork. You have to be constantly up, even when the troops may be down. Never allow the economy and environment to be an excuse for not trying. As a leader you are expected to do your very best under any circumstance. Once that optimism leaves your team, it will be like pushing rope uphill.

Encourage your sales team to establish short-term goals (weekly and monthly). Long-term goals have the potential to seem too daunting in this environment. Hold the team accountable for hitting those short term goals with a combination of drive and empathy.

Celebrate the successes of your sales team, no matter how small they may be. A win is a win, and winning creates momentum and future successes.

Do not doubt your own abilities and the abilities of your team. Attack each day with enthusiasm and your team will appreciate it. More importantly they will follow your LEAD!

Here's to good selling!

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