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    Hub You - Sales Management - How to Define Your Company's Sales Job - Part 2

    Grow Your Business - 10 Simple Marketing Tools
    Whether you're a new start-up or an established small business, effective marketing plays a key role in your success. In order to extend your reach and access to as many potential customers as possible, it's important to implement as many marketing tools as you can. While you might be doing quite well through writing articles or through public speaking, you can actually do much better by adding a few more techniques to your toolkit. Not only will it be a great learning experience, it will also create more visibility and credibility - the two things you must have to build a successful business. As a marketing expert, I advise my clients to implement low or no cost options first. You would be sur
    r path for your sales position?

    • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

    • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result

    Hats On To Retail
    Over $200 million dollars a year is spent on baseball-style caps, those with sporting logos alone, in the United States. This is not to mention the abundance of designer or hobby oriented cap sales. The baseball cap or "ball cap" has been seen on the heads of Americans for over a century, but in the last ten years, sports organizations began marketing their logos and trademarks on caps. This quickly grew into a huge industry, spreading throughout the world. People of all ages and culture groups have embraced the ball cap not only to support their sports teams, but also to make a statement of fashion. The incredibly diverse and dynamic market for caps has birthed several new retail stores t
    Here are seven additional factors to consider as you define the parameters that produce success in your company's sales job. If you are a salesperson, you can also benefit from considering these questions, as they can help you identify target prospects and further refine your sales approach.

    9. Administration

    • Which sales job functions require attention to detail? (Examples include making accurate forecasts, providing timely updates to the corporate CRM system, analyzing customer records to determine sales strategies, and ensuring regulatory compliance.)
    Some companies have support personnel that perform administrative tasks on their salespeople's behalf. Other companies expect their salespeople to deal with a certain amount of administration. If a tolerance for process, detail and administration is necessary for success in your company's sales job, some amount of Tolerance for Administration is desirable in your salespeople.

    10. Communication

    • How important are verbal and written communication skills to sales success in your company?

    • Are your salespeople required to make presentations?

    • Are they required to compose letters or proposals?
    Sales roles that rely heavily on high quality verbal and written communications require salespeople that have healthy doses of the attributes Communication Skills and Reasoning Ability.

    11. Pre-Sales Support

    • What support resources are available to help your salespeople manage specific steps of the sales cycle?

    • How effective must your salespeople be when managing these resources?
    The availability of support resources has a significant impact on the attributes required for sales success. If your salespeople have access to quality internal (employed by your company) or external (employed by suppliers or partners) technical resources, they don't need to invest a lot of time learning technical details. This frees them to focus more time and energy on prospecting and opportunity qualification. By the same token, if your company employs technical writers who can assist salespeople with large proposals and bid responses, there may be less need for your salespeople to have strong Communication Skills.

    12. Post-Sales Support

    • Are your salespeople expected to provide technical or operational support to customers, or do other personnel provide this support?
    If your salespeople are required to deliver post-sales support, it would be desirable for them to have a lower Sales Drive, be less Competitive, and have a higher Service Drive.

    13. Training

    • What kinds of training does your company provide to salespeople?

    • How much training does your company provide?
    Companies that provide a lot of training may have the luxury of being able to hire inexperienced sales candidates and "train them up from scratch". This is extremely valuable in markets where highly qualified sales candidates are scarce and/or prohibitively expensive. However, if your company is going to employ this approach, you should seek candidates with strong Learning Rates.

    14. Sales Manager's Style

    • What are your sales managers' styles?

    • Do they lean in the direction of being Field Generals (who prefer selling to coaching) or Administrators (who excel at mentoring and administrative duties)?
    The desired levels of the attributes Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration will differ based upon each sales manager's style.

    15. Career Path

    • What is the career path for your sales position?

      • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

      • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result

    Your Spam Box Is A Pot of Gold
    Most people would agree that the bulk mailbox fills up all too quickly with unwanted mail from every possible internet marketer trying to promote their goods and/or services. But, what if you as a business person could turn these unwanted emails into welcomed email? More junk mail may just be the way to more wealth.It seems so basic of a concept but it truly is a sensible way to get leads for your existing business. Imagine all that mail just waiting to be opened. Look for phone numbers, and other contact information contained within the body of the emails.Next, get busy sending emails out to these contacts and even calling these leads. The goal is to establish rapport with t
    ation is desirable in your salespeople.

    10. Communication

    • How important are verbal and written communication skills to sales success in your company?

    • Are your salespeople required to make presentations?

    • Are they required to compose letters or proposals?
    Sales roles that rely heavily on high quality verbal and written communications require salespeople that have healthy doses of the attributes Communication Skills and Reasoning Ability.

    11. Pre-Sales Support

    • What support resources are available to help your salespeople manage specific steps of the sales cycle?

    • How effective must your salespeople be when managing these resources?
    The availability of support resources has a significant impact on the attributes required for sales success. If your salespeople have access to quality internal (employed by your company) or external (employed by suppliers or partners) technical resources, they don't need to invest a lot of time learning technical details. This frees them to focus more time and energy on prospecting and opportunity qualification. By the same token, if your company employs technical writers who can assist salespeople with large proposals and bid responses, there may be less need for your salespeople to have strong Communication Skills.

    12. Post-Sales Support

    • Are your salespeople expected to provide technical or operational support to customers, or do other personnel provide this support?
    If your salespeople are required to deliver post-sales support, it would be desirable for them to have a lower Sales Drive, be less Competitive, and have a higher Service Drive.

    13. Training

    • What kinds of training does your company provide to salespeople?

    • How much training does your company provide?
    Companies that provide a lot of training may have the luxury of being able to hire inexperienced sales candidates and "train them up from scratch". This is extremely valuable in markets where highly qualified sales candidates are scarce and/or prohibitively expensive. However, if your company is going to employ this approach, you should seek candidates with strong Learning Rates.

    14. Sales Manager's Style

    • What are your sales managers' styles?

    • Do they lean in the direction of being Field Generals (who prefer selling to coaching) or Administrators (who excel at mentoring and administrative duties)?
    The desired levels of the attributes Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration will differ based upon each sales manager's style.

    15. Career Path

    • What is the career path for your sales position?

      • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

      • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result

    What Role Does Ethics Play in Your Cleaning Company?
    In the past few years, news headlines have screamed of high profile scandals involving big names and companies like Martha Stewart, Enron, and Tyco. Because of these high profile scandals, businesses and individuals are becoming more and more aware of the importance of ethics in the workplace and in everyday life. What role do ethics play in your cleaning business?You will often (and perhaps always) be cleaning your clients' buildings at night when no one from the business is around. In addition, you might have access to areas that have confidential or nonpublic types of information. Because of this, it is critical that your customers can trust your cleaning company and believe that you
    ny) or external (employed by suppliers or partners) technical resources, they don't need to invest a lot of time learning technical details. This frees them to focus more time and energy on prospecting and opportunity qualification. By the same token, if your company employs technical writers who can assist salespeople with large proposals and bid responses, there may be less need for your salespeople to have strong Communication Skills.

    12. Post-Sales Support

    • Are your salespeople expected to provide technical or operational support to customers, or do other personnel provide this support?
    If your salespeople are required to deliver post-sales support, it would be desirable for them to have a lower Sales Drive, be less Competitive, and have a higher Service Drive.

    13. Training

    • What kinds of training does your company provide to salespeople?

    • How much training does your company provide?
    Companies that provide a lot of training may have the luxury of being able to hire inexperienced sales candidates and "train them up from scratch". This is extremely valuable in markets where highly qualified sales candidates are scarce and/or prohibitively expensive. However, if your company is going to employ this approach, you should seek candidates with strong Learning Rates.

    14. Sales Manager's Style

    • What are your sales managers' styles?

    • Do they lean in the direction of being Field Generals (who prefer selling to coaching) or Administrators (who excel at mentoring and administrative duties)?
    The desired levels of the attributes Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration will differ based upon each sales manager's style.

    15. Career Path

    • What is the career path for your sales position?

      • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

      • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result

    The 6 Power-Steps To Networking For New Prospects
    Prospecting is one of the key success factors in sales. If you’re great at closing and presenting, but lousy at finding the right people to sell to, it will hold you back.Question: If you were going to open a new restaurant in town, what is the one thing you would want most? If you are thinking a great chef, some wonderful recipes, a fantastic location or a great name, I cannot guarantee your success. Marketing guru, Gary Halbert, says a starving crowd. In other words, it’s no good selling good stuff if you can’t find good people to sell it to!Two of the most overlooked ways to find your starving crown are networking and generating referrals. In this first of two articles, we will
    raining does your company provide? Companies that provide a lot of training may have the luxury of being able to hire inexperienced sales candidates and "train them up from scratch". This is extremely valuable in markets where highly qualified sales candidates are scarce and/or prohibitively expensive. However, if your company is going to employ this approach, you should seek candidates with strong Learning Rates.

    14. Sales Manager's Style

    • What are your sales managers' styles?

    • Do they lean in the direction of being Field Generals (who prefer selling to coaching) or Administrators (who excel at mentoring and administrative duties)?
    The desired levels of the attributes Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration will differ based upon each sales manager's style.

    15. Career Path

    • What is the career path for your sales position?

      • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

      • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result

    The Language of Success - Listening to Your Parents May Be Bad for Business
    When we were young children, our parents were the most powerful figures in the universe.When a parent talked, we listened. Or at least we were supposed to.Parents are a bridge between generations. Parents are supposed to hand down valuable teachings and cultural guidance.Unfortunately, most parents don’t teach their children the language of business. Most parents don’t even know about the “Language of Success.”How could they know? Their parents didn’t teach them, and it certainly isn’t taught in our schools.When it comes to effective communication, the training our parents were equipped to give us may have actually put up a roadblock to business success.r path for your sales position?

    • From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?

    • From sales to management?
    If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

    Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result from a "promotion" to big ticket item sales?

    Similarly, the attributes required to be an effective manager are often quite different from the attributes required to be an effective salesperson. Success in management can require more attention to detail and the willingness to delegate and mentor. These requirements impact the target ranges for the attributes of Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration.

    If you keep the fifteen questions discussed in this two-part article in mind, you will be able to more accurately define the parameters that will lead to success in YOUR company's sales job(s).

    Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

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