How can hiring a sales manager be a growth strategy? (Part 2)

We invite you to complete this Hiring Sales Manager Best Practice Survey. It will take 2-3 minutes to complete. We’ll be interacting with the insights gathered at EcSELL Institute’s next webinar on September 23rd, “When Hiring a Sales Manager, Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes.”

In a recent report, CSO Insights revealed some telling statistics that relate to the sales management function. More than 90% of companies have raised revenue targets – in many cases by over 25%. This requires sales reps to be fully engaged in the extra effort that it will take to make successful sales. It also requires that the VP of Sales from growth-oriented companies know how to hire sales managers that can grow a sales team that will flourish during these economic conditions.

Yet, studies continually show that only 1 in 4 employees of the average company are fully engaged. We would like to think that this malaise doesn’t impact the sales team. However, in many sales teams, a status-quo approach is tolerated. The result? A rollercoaster sales team that rides the ups and downs of the economic and market whims. As the studies indicate, 75% of the sales team is often putting in the time – but with little or no passion or even undermining the positive effort of engaged employees.

So what does it mean to your company when an employee is fully engaged? At its core, it indicates the level of commitment that your team members have to the success of the organization and how hard they will work in future to take care of customers and revenue production.

As CEO’s and business leaders, you already realize the competitive advantage that a fully engaged employee can bring to your company growth. An Acceleration Team, that’s 100% engaged can take market share. How is an Acceleration Team created? It starts with a strong Sales Manager. Marcus Buckingham in The One Great Thing, concurs. He concludes that the process of guiding individual team members to the top level of engagement is in the hands of the immediate supervisor, the Sales Manager.

Getting your entire sales team to perform at this top level of engagement will require dedicated guidance and motivation from an exceptional Sales Manager. This is one of the reasons why the hiring of the right Sales Manager is so critical to your continued success and future revenue growth. In an ideal skill set, the right Sales Manager should be a motivator, mentor, performance master, recruiter and coach.

Sales Growth Question: Is your sales manager bringing out the best in every team member?

Sales Growth Lesson: Ensure your sales manager has the right skill set combination to inspire financial growth in your company.

We’ll be interacting with the insights gathered at EcSELL Institute’s next webinar on September 23rd, “When Hiring a Sales Manager, Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes.” Hope you can attend. If not, let me know and I’ll share the results to the national survey with you. Or, you might be interested in doing your own analysis of your sales systems, processes and people. Check out Sales-Centric Assessments.

September 20, 2011 | Filed Under Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, Sales Management, Sales Recruiting | Leave a Comment

How can hiring a sales manager be a growth strategy?

I invite you to complete this Hiring Sales Manager Best Practice Survey. It will take 2-3 minutes to complete. We’ll be interacting with the insights gathered at EcSELL Institute’s next webinar on Sept 23rd, “When Hiring a Sales Manager, Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes.”

With the DOW falling 2.2% last week, consumer confidence dropping to the lowest level since 2009, and growing fears of a double dip recession, it’s more important than ever for owners, CEOs and president to assess every role in their sales organizations. Each sales position must be laser focused on revenue production so that you can thrive in these unpredictable conditions, especially the sales management role.

The right sales manager can increase the capacity of your sales team by 26%. When you’re committed to becoming a market dominator, you must also be prepared to get the right people in the right seats on the bus. Getting the sales manager for your business is a critical decision that impacts the trajectory of sales revenues.

In the 2011 Strategic Sales Survey conducted by Sales Growth Specialists, we discovered two important findings:

Growth companies are nearly 85% more likely to consistently hire top performers. So, companies committed to growth see hiring, especially the sales manager position, as a key strategic move that enhances their competitive position.
Growth companies are 60% more likely to score themselves high on staff motivation. Interestingly, motivation of the sales staff is a key responsibility of the sales manager.

Sales Growth Question: What value is your sales manager bringing to the company?

Sales Growth Lesson: Ensure every sales position is focused on revenue generation.

Hope you can attend the webinar. If not, let me know and I’ll share the results to the national survey with you. Or, you might be interested in doing your own analysis of your sales systems, processes and people. Check out Sales-Centric Assessments.

September 13, 2011 | Filed Under Sales Recruiting | Leave a Comment

3 Sales Shifts to Outpace the Industry: Positioning

At the recent ROI Leader Forum, I talked about vital shifts in sales processes and sales people that CEOs, presidents and business leaders must ensure their sales teams have the speed, agility and resilience to outpace their industry. In addition, it’s important to examine how your sales team is positioning your company’s solution when talking with prospects and clients.

As autumn approaches, those of us the Midwest will witness great flocks of Canadian geese flying south for the winter in their infamous V formation. Every time I see them, it reminds me that this is what I want on a sales staff. I want everything that we do to be purposefully, intentional, moving us toward our ultimate goal.

Scientists know that geese flying in this classic V formation with achieve a greater distance of 770% when flying in groups than each flying in solo, using the same amount of energy.

So, how does this V Principle apply to how your sales people are positioning your company?

Often I find that salespeople are unclear about the unique value that your solutions can bring. The unclarity slows down the entire sales process, using up valuable time and energy. Since prospects aren’t clear, there’s little response to the salesperson’s new business development or hunting efforts.

This lack of clarity then translates into a non-descriptive discovery and qualification process, leaving prospects thinking that you offer a commodity. Because of this commoditization, there’s no sense of urgency…..the decision can be delayed until the prospect can do a competitive face-off. So, closing takes forever. What causes the delay in hunting, qualifying and closing? Lack of understanding and/or confusion about what solutions you really provide.

Recently, we helped a client survey their sales people to determine if the sales team was in sync with the leadership and marketing team on Brand Promise, Value Proposition and Elevator Pitch. There were four separate Brand Promises that emerged from the sales staff:

28% We fit the highest level of technology.

15% We provide the highest level of professionalism.

34% We have the highest quality product and service.

23% We stand behind our product 100%.

With a confused sales staff, the market and clients will be confused also.

So, ensure your team is targeted, flying in formation when it comes to your positioning and messaging.

Sales Growth Question: What steps are you taking to ensure there’s clarity of message with your sales staff?

Sales Growth Lesson: Clarity of message ensures a straight-forward approach to achieving objectives.

To learn more about this please download a copy of my sales hiring assessments ebook.

September 11, 2011 | Filed Under Sales Assessment | Leave a Comment

3 Sales Shifts to Outpace the Economy: Positioning (2)

Applying the V-Principle for Sales Success

As the turmoil around us seems to grow with each new day, it becomes more and more obvious that it’s going to take some serious shifts in previously held sales truths, to survive Hurricane Financial Chaos.

Every time I see a flock of migrating geese, it reminds me that this is what I want on a sales staff. I want everything that we do to be purposeful, intentional and moving us toward our ultimate goal – together.

Teamwork = better results
Experiments have shown that a flock of geese flying in a V can add at least 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction can also get where they are going quicker because they each bring their unique talents and skills to the group.

The advantage of the teamwork principle is not limited to the success of the sales team only. If both parties are receptive, clients and sales people can benefit equally when the principle of synergy becomes part of your selling processes.

In much the same way that the migrating geese take turns to occupy the “flock-leader” role, sales people can ultimately deliver a better service if they are willing to draw on their clients experience and knowledge.

If you are as clever as a goose, you’ll know that it often pays to stay in formation – or in business terms, stay focused to the common goal – where you can take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of you.

Sales Growth Question: How do you tap the unique talents of each person on your team in order to create collaboration and team synergy?

Sales Growth Lesson: Know the unique strengths and development opportunities of everyone on your team.

Check out our Sales Force Evaluation Products and Services.