Dean Moothart, on January 22, 2019
Many organizations have built barriers between the various functions of their business. Even groups that rely on and support each other’s goals (like Sales and Marketing) are “siloed” in their own worlds and rarely communicate. Breaking down those walls and aligning goals and expectations can be challenging, but there are tremendous benefits as well.
Shaye Smith, on January 18, 2019
-ZIG ZIGLAR
Matt Sunshine, on January 17, 2019
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in Sales & Marketing Management.
As a sales manager, you spend serious time and care setting clear expectations; this is how you help your salespeople approach their work with purpose. But to see real improvement, you need a system in place that measures how those expectations are being met.
Worse, metrics these days are like pop songs: They’re catchy for a while until a new one comes along and grabs everyone’s attention. A sales manager I once knew was in love with a particular metric: the number of calls each seller made in a day. While call volume certainly contributed to sales success, it shouldn’t have been this manager’s sole focus. What he ended up creating was a team that blustered through calls without making meaningful progress with sales.
Kurt Sima, on January 16, 2019
I’m a sales performance improvement geek, and I admit it!
I enjoy discovering, and sometimes creating, things that help sales organizations improve revenue performance. I encountered some really cool things in 2018 — here’s a list of my top 5.
Shaye Smith, on January 15, 2019
It's not out of character to hear a sales manager say, 'ABC: Always Be Closing.' Or to have a salesperson live out that phrase daily. But in reality, to close more business, you must sell less and help more.
Kurt Sima, on January 14, 2019
Recently, I provided five options for New Year’s resolutions for struggling sellers and managers who had a less than awesome 2018. If none of these options seemed attractive, here are five additional things you can do to reset your sales compass for 2019—plus some information to help make these resolutions part of your sales routine to improve sales performance.
Shaye Smith, on January 11, 2019
-VINCENT VAN GOGH
Matt Sunshine, on January 10, 2019
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on Liveplan.com.
The longer a sales proposal sits, the less likely it is to convert to an actual sale.
The trouble with these stalled proposals is that you could have 100 potential sales stuck in limbo, but you can’t use those possible sales to pay your real bills. A bloated sales pipeline can start to have a real impact on your company’s cash flow if you’re not careful.
Deborah Fulghum, on January 9, 2019
Setting your New Year’s Resolutions? Did you add exercise more frequently to your list? We are here to help you!
Many studies show that exercising your brain is a key to professional development. One of the best ways to do this is to read a good book. In this age of podcasts and blogs, it is still a good idea to set aside time to go deeper than surface information and picking up a good book gives you more in-depth insight and provides ideas for your personal growth.
Mindy Murphy, on January 8, 2019
What if your greatest opportunity to grow as a leader was right in front of you every day? Your team may hold the key to unlocking new opportunities for your professional development, and there is one simple thing you can do to make sure you don’t miss out on information that could make you better. Ask for feedback.
The best leaders feel there is always an opportunity to grow, so they consistently ask for feedback on their performance. A study of more than 50,000 executives done by leadership development consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, found that "Leaders who ranked at the top 10% in asking for feedback were rated, on average, at the 86th percentile in overall leadership effectiveness." Bottom line – asking for feedback can help you become a better leader.
