S&MM SoundOff

Transitioning from Sales Rep to Sales Manager

By Dave Stein (CEO and Founder, ES Research Group, Inc.  www.ESResearch.com )

One of the big mistakes that some salespeople make is thinking that, since they have experience and success selling, they would be an effective sales manager.

The skills and personal traits required for sales management are very different than those required for selling.

Here is a list of the skills and traits for sales leadership that was developed by a team of 25 CEOs in Ireland:

Skills	Traits
Team building	Strategic thinking
Motivation	Leadership
Management	Emotional intelligence
Process	Decisiveness
Objectivity	Courage
Goal setting	Positivity
Hiring	Charisma
Forecasting	Flexibility
Planning	Ambition/Drive
Coaching	Sense of Urgency
Delegation	Courage
People Skills
Training/Development
Organization skills
Plus All the skills required for selling

If you’re a salesrep and you don’t have most of these skills and traits, you’re likely going to fail.

Field Guide to Convention Wildlife

After what seems like a million conventions, I have compiled a field guide to the most frequently sighted specimens.  Perhaps you have seen some of these yourself:

1. Prospectus obliviata (The Wondering Prospect) – usually spotted walking slowly in a serpentine pattern, gazing up, without any clue as to what he’s doing or where he’s going.
2. Papyrus accumulata (The Literature Collector) – can be identified by its bulging bag of brochures, coupons, flyers, and catalogs, most of which will end up in a recycling bin at the end of the day.
3. Pathus coagulatii (The Aisle Clogger) – generally seen stopped in the middle of an aisle, or even better, an intersection, engaged in a long and involved conversation, usually involving hand gestures. This behavior is often preceded by a sudden stop, so as to force a collision with those walking behind.
4. Wheelium rotatus (The Wheel Spinner) – a convention attendee, usually one making $400k+, who will stand in line for 20 minutes to spin a wheel for a pack of gum or other trinket.
5. Baggus tripata (The Bag Dragger) – an individual who drags a wheeled suitcase around the show floor, while others trip over it.  Particularly common during peak periods when traffic is most heavy.
6. Bambino strollifera (The Stroller Pusher) – an increasingly endangered species due to new regulations at some shows.  Can be found pushing a stroller containing a screaming child through the hall, accomplishing both to clog the aisles and inflict various injuries on those who collide with it.
7. Baggus pendulumnus (The Tote Bag Swinger) – Closely related to Baggus tripata, this species can be identified by the pendulum-like motion of a full tote bag, which often results in clipping those walking in front precisely in the backs of the knees.
8. Samplus grabbiosa (The Sample Grabber) – Most often recognized by the darting motions of its hands as it scoops free samples and giveaways off counters while walking by.  Juveniles of the species are particularly prevalent.
9. Phonus blatherus (The Cell Phone Yakker) – Easy to spot as this species is generally oblivious to its surroundings.  May be stationary or transitory.  Quite common in all regions.
10. Juvenilis non-babysitterus (The Child Dragger) – This species mistakenly anticipates that its young will enjoy attending a convention and when it becomes apparent that the juveniles are becoming unmanageable, they entertain them by encouraging them to play with items on display, particularly those that can be stained, misaligned, or broken.

Coaching Results Speak Louder Than Words

By ForceLogix CEO Patrick Stakenas

Behavioral research suggests that the most effective salespeople are those who understand their actions and understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Companies that understand this are typically the companies that have winning sales organizations. It is these same companies that understand the value of measurement of leading indicators and coaching to greater success.

Increasing awareness of the significant impact of sales performance management as a set of processes and information technology is leading organizations to focus on methods to coach sales talent to generate optimal performance. Winning sales organizations are providing a methodical approach to defining, analyzing and managing sales performance indicators.

The coaching of sales individuals and leveraging the experiences of existing talent to improve the performance of the entire sales organization has become a requirement.

As a result, management can examine the required skills that need to be sharpened to deliver the results rather than just focusing on the state of the pipeline or the end of the month’s results.

Using technology to manage the coaching process saves companies weeks and months of time as each coaching session and the score associated with the session can roll up to monthly, quarterly and annual reviews. When done, the chance of sales improving is dramatically increased.

Overall, any company can benefit from having a consistent process for understanding qualitative and quantitative metrics. Once understood and technology is put in place, coaching becomes a daily occurrence rather than an annual event. Improvement on leading indicators can now be tracked and coached on and a resulting increase in revenue is naturally evident.

Patrick Stakenas is president and CEO ForceLogix, which is a Chicago-based company that builds on-demand sales performance management solutions.

Going the Distance

No matter which presidential candidate ultimately takes up residence in the White House next year, here's a reasonably safe assumption: He or she's going to be at the job a lot longer than you're going to be at yours.

At risk of stating the obvious, employee retention and longevity ain’t what they once were. In fact, it’s no stretch whatsoever to imagine some fresh-faced 2008 college graduate will be at his fourth or fifth job by the time Barack, Hillary or John wraps up term number two.

But according to Peter Handal, chairman, president and CEO of Hauppage, N.Y.-based Dale Carnegie Training (dalecarnegie.com), this needn’t be a foregone conclusion. On the contrary, Handal says there are certain steps businesses can take to ensure their employees stay engaged and loyal.

"The pursuit of professional bliss is a lifelong journey," he explains. "Businesses in today’s market must provide their staff with opportunities to grow in their current positions, as well as experience various fields of work. Additionally, engaging the ‘hearts and minds’ of employees through sincere appreciation, rewarding accomplishments and encouraging ideas, enables them to feel engaged in their company’s initiatives.

“This connection to the company provides employees with a sense of commitment, making it less likely that they will leave.”

To read more about the specific steps Handal has in mind, check out Padlocking the Revolving Door, on salesandmarketingmanagement.com.

Is Brand Management an Oxymoron?

It depends on your approach to management.

Remember the 1960s management theories, Theory X and Theory Y? The basic idea was that a company's approach to employee management followed one of two assumptions: Theory X was that employees are basically lazy and need a strong, hierarchical hand. Theory Y assumes that people are inherently motivated and ambitious and just need to be encouraged in the right way.

I think you could view the management of brands similarly. Currently nearly all brand management takes a theory X approach... customers are dumb and lazy and in order to be motivated need highly controlled repetitive messages and standardized experiences. This assumption influences everything about how brands are created. The process of developing a brand strategy is typically linear and didactic. The messages are pushed out into channels. Customers are engaged by proxy through focus groups.

And yet increasingly, we're seeing (as a result of innovations in technology) another trend emerge. Some successful brands are becoming much more akin to Theory Y. Apple, Salesforce, Scion are all examples of brands with a high degree of involvement. Customers are "co-owners" of the brand and there is a kind of collaboration between the brands and their customers. But in these cases, the brand managers are willing to sacrifice some control on the bet that it will engender greater involvement and enthusiasm.

Which brings us back to management theory -- we're all familiar with the transformation of the ideal manager from boss to "coach". And we've all experienced heavy handed managers that led through force and we've also had managers that inspired us by offering us their trust. It's time to start seeing similar changes in the bossing of brands.

Group 1066 is a marketing innovation firm that helps clients create and revitalize offerings, make their value clear and then takes them to market through an integrated approach to product development and marketing.

If I Only Had the Time I'd Answer You!

By Mona Piontkowski, www.SeminarInformation.com

We're all inundated with e-mails - what king of Nigeria died in a plane crash without a will leaving me millions of dollars? Who wants to give me free shipping on an item I really don't want or need? Who wants to improve my romantic life? Who the heck is bothering me now??????

Time management becomes even more important as we add this new element to our daily lives. How do we handle it all and not spend the whole day reading unimportant messages, poorly written sales pitches, jokes and chain emails we have to pass on or have bad luck for the next 99 years....

How am I supposed to read it all and still get any work done? In the old days, last month, time management seminars taught me to prioritize - even make piles of the things I was supposed to accomplish today - how do you make piles of emails? Print them I suppose - but hey, I want to be green and not waste all that paper.

Some seminar companies have addressed the problem and updated their time management seminars to include emails and dealing with the Internet. A few suggestions include:

Learning Tree International has two seminars that specifically address the problem of time management and prioritizing: "Managing Information Overload: Techniques for Working Smarter" and "Effective Time Management: Prioritizing for Success"

National Seminars  offers "Essential Time Management & Organization Skills" a seminar  that offers tips how not to drown in emails and how to avoid procrastination.


Sweetnam Communications Inc. offers an inhouse presentation "Email Efficiency" with tips and suggestions how to re-organize your email system, decrease volume as well as how to apply influence tactics so your emails won't get lost in someone's inbox.

Time management has become more of a problem as we become more technological - the innovations that were supposed to make our life all the easier have made our days even more full.

Imagine if all those emails were stuffed in your mailbox - you couldn't even get the door opened.

Gender Bender: Women Buy Brands...What Do You Sell Her?

'Women buy brands. The days of simply selling a woman a product or service are over. Markets are far too crowded. To make a positive impact, today's seller must develop a brand that's meaningful to a woman. It's the only way to stand out from the competition. It’s also the only way to gain access to the world’s largest buying market: women."

You just read the opening paragraph of my recent online column for Sales & Marketing Management. Read the full article and learn how to position your products and services, develop your message, and target your sales approach. © 2008 Kelly McCormick, All rights reserved.

Kelly McCormick writes a monthly online columnist for SalesandMarketing.com. She covers a variety of topics pertaining to women and sales. Her book, OutSell Yourself®, is soon to be released. Sign up for Kelly’s Communication E-tips and read articles about sales and women at www.OutSellYourself.com. For information on Kelly’s sessions and keynote talks, call 800-889-9637 (PST) or e-mail [email protected].

Got Clutter?

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not a neat person by nature. Sure, I try: I wash my dishes as soon as I'm done eating so they don't sit, I sweep the floor daily and I even have designated piles in my room for 'clean,' 'still wearable,' and 'dirty' clothes. But no matter what I do to stay organized and neat, my office space always takes the brunt.

My true pigpen colors always push through by the end of the week. Every Friday like clockwork, my desk is ultimately devoured by an overflow of folders, edit copy and notes scribbled on anything from magazine covers to napkins (I always say 'My desk reflects my week'). And while it's an organized chaos (somehow I always manage to find that random Post-It note I need), it would leave anyone like hit TV-show character Monk gawking.

Think your office mess could rival anyone’s? Then start off the work week on a fun note, and monetize your clutter. MyFax is hosting their Messy Office Contest until February 25. Just send them a photo or a video of your messy office and you could win the grand prize of $10,000 or up to $5,000 in their additional weekly prizes.

Talk about a reward! And with that money, you might just be able to hire a maid to help you keep the chaos under control.

Powerful Questions to Increase Your Sales

I recently wrote an article called, Feeble Questions Can Kill Your Business. In the article, I stated that too many sales people get caught in the trap of asking low-quality questions instead of more powerful ones. Many people contacted me and requested more information on what constitutes a great question. This article will address that issue.

First, the reason it is important to ask questions is to gain a thorough understanding of each customer’s situation including their needs, wants, desired results, decision-making process as well as potential concerns and roadblocks. Most salespeople understand this—at least at a fundamental level. In virtually every sales training workshop I conduct, participants nod when we discuss the importance of asking questions early in the sales process. However, in real life, they often skip through this stage in order to present their product, or discuss a solution. It’s only when the customer raises an objection, that many sales people backtrack and ask questions. Unfortunately, they have the process backward.

Powerful questions can help you demonstrate your expertise. Powerful questions demonstrate that you are not an average person selling a product, service or solution. And powerful questions help you determine the best way to present your solution. So what constitutes a powerful question?

Powerful questions are designed to make your customer think. The majority of salespeople I encounter are hesitant about asking deep, thought-provoking questions because they are afraid that their prospect will find them invasive. However, the higher up in an organization you sell, the more important it is to ask these types of questions simply because executives are used to asking—and answering—tough questions. In fact, if you sell to senior level executives, it is essential to ask high-level questions. Here are a few examples;

§      What goals are you striving to achieve this quarter?

§      How do those targets compare to last year’s results?

§      What, if anything, is preventing you from achieving these goals?

However, do NOT start your conversation with questions like this because you have to earn the right to ask them, especially if you do not have an established relationship. It is much better to begin by demonstrating your expertise, industry knowledge, and understanding of your prospect’s business and/or company.

§       We’ve noticed several trends occurring in the industry lately. The two that stand out the most are… How are these affecting you and your business?

§       When I was doing some research, I noticed on your website that your company is… What progress are you making on that initiative?

These questions are powerful because it shows that you have done some preliminary research or homework and executives appreciate that. In fact, many of them would like their own sales team to take this approach before calling on a new prospect. Questions like this also demonstrate that you know what is happening in business as well as your customer’s industry.

It is critical to note that I am NOT suggesting that you spend fifteen minutes lecturing to your prospect trying to show them how smart you are. The goal is to be prepared and to demonstrate this preparation by asking key questions.

Assuming you have captured your prospect’s attention you can move the sales process forward by asking other powerful questions that focus on an outcome. It is critical to understand that most people, especially business people, do not make buying decisions based on your ability to spew out product specifications and information. Instead, they want to know what result they can expect. In other words, your prospect wants to know how your solution will affect their top line (sales) or bottom line (profits).

Will they make more money? Will they gain more market share? Will they increase brand recognition? Will they be able to compete more effectively? Will they save money? Improve morale? Increase productivity? Reduce costs in a specific area(s)?

That means you need to be prepared to ask questions that focus on the future. When I talk to new prospects about sales training, I usually ask what their current conversion ratio is. In other words, what percentage of sales do they close compared to the qualified leads they generate? Then I ask what ratio they would like to reach after the training. Depending on my prospect’s goals and objectives, we may also talk about the size and scope of each sale and what increase they would like to experience. This information then helps me position my solution and the positive financial impact training will have on their business. Consider these questions.

§       What is the ideal outcome you would like to see or experience?

§       How does this compare with your current results?

§       You mentioned that you want to improve employee morale with this initiative. Can you tell me what that looks like?

§       You have stated that increasing market awareness is one of your primary objectives. How will you know that you have succeeded?

Lastly, other powerful questions will help you determine the priority of this decision, how the decision will be made, and what potential roadblocks may prevent you from moving forward. Here are few examples.

§       How does this project rank in priority compared to the others you are working on?

§       Walk me through the process you follow when you consider decisions of this nature?

§       Who else do you normally consult with on decisions like this?

§       What potential roadblocks might prevent you from moving ahead with this?

§       What concerns, if any, do you have about moving forward?

These may sound like difficult questions. But I have learned from experience that most people are willing to answer them if you have the courage to ask.

© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses pinpoint how they can improve their sales. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or [email protected].

Like It or Not, You're Always Marketing

By Mike McCue, Editor-in-Chief, Sales & Marketing Management

A lot of people would change that sentence to read 'you're always selling,' and that's true too...it just depends on how you look at it. It's also true that the truly colossal marketing/PR failures will always stick out in people's minds more than the great successes. After all, drivers on the highway don't rubberneck when you perform a slick driving maneuver that prevents an accident; they only stop and stare when twisted metal's involved.

Like most people, I have a few 'marketing disaster' stories to tell, but my favorite actually happened when I was interviewing for a marketing director position. The head of sales had a sense of professionalism, but the company's president also wanted to talk to me in his office after the interview. It was a family-owned business, and the very first words out of the president's mouth were, 'So, do you want to know about the way the company is run today, or the way I'm going to run it in a few years when I take over?'

Talk about getting off to a rocky start! He proceeded to tell me how much better things were going to be once 'the old man' stepped aside, and mentioned that there were several internal wars going on over personnel. For instance, he wanted to fire an underperforming salesperson, but the VP of sales didn't agree...so that situation hadn't been resolved yet. Oh, and some of the people in the marketing department were a little flaky, he informed me.

Why he felt the need to tell me these things, I have no idea--but King Midas himself couldn't have produced enough gold to make me take that job. I have enough craziness in my life without spending five or six days a week at the funny farm, so I stopped pursuing the opportunity.

It is hard to believe that any company could achieve a high level of success with such loose-lipped leaders, but these things do indeed happen‹especially in family-owned businesses, where succession sometimes depends more on bloodlines than performance.

The moral of the story? Everyone talks about their crazy workplaces and dysfunctional jobs, but be careful when airing your company's dirty laundry in any setting. After all, the bigger and stranger the stains are, the more likely they are to find their way onto someone¹s blog.