http://www.salescoachinglive.com/blog/category/sales-coaching-methodology/ Blog categories... http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-the-best-sales-people/ Do great B2B sales people, regardless of what they sell, have any practices in common? In other words, do the best sales people all sell the same way...
A number of years ago, a professional association attempted to answer that question. They studied superstar sales people from a wide variety of industries and concluded: Yes!

In fact, the best sales people excel at the same things. Here are the top five practices of the very best sales people:
1. They see the situation from the customer’s point of view.
2. They ask better questions.
3. They listen more constructively.
4. They are obsessed with time management.
5. They do bigger deals.

Let’s look at the relationship among these items to see if there are any lessons for us.

“They do bigger deals.” That is both the result of their work (that is, after all, why they are the best sales people) as well as their focus from the beginning. They start with an understanding that it is their job to bring revenue into the company, and that the more revenue they bring in, the more valuable they are to their companies and the more successful they become. And this realization leads them to what becomes an obsession.

“They are obsessed with time management.” That means that they intentionally and methodically strive to make the best use of their sales time by focusing the bulk of their efforts on the highest-potential opportunities and customers. You won’t find them running an errand for a “C” customer just to be a nice guy.

In my book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, I make the point that this practice – investing in the highest potential prospects and customers – trumps all other sales practices. If you are a great presenter, for example, and wonderful at closing the sale, your skills will be squandered if they are not exercised with the right people.

And what do the best sales people do with the time they invest in the highest-potential customers? “Ask better questions,” and “listen more constructively.” Amazing. These two fundamental communication skills are, perhaps, the earliest communication skills we learn. Yet, the best take these foundational skills and execute them better. And since they excel at these two fundamentals, they naturally gain a better understanding of the “customer’s point of view.” Equipped with that competitive advantage, they formulate creative proposals that lead them back to where they started: bigger deals.

This should be immensely encouraging to sales people. Unlike the promotional messages from legions of sales trainers and authors, the reality is that there are no “secrets” in sales. Success comes not from hidden strategies and mysterious tactics, but rather from the excellent execution of the essentials.

The best sales people execute the most fundamental skills with excellence. And, since we can all do the things the best do, we can, if we choose, strive to do them better. And, if we strive to do them better, at some point we will arrive at the same place they are: a master sales person.

In other words, there is a path to sales mastery, and we can all follow it, if we choose.

It begins with our mind-set. We need to see ourselves as professional sales people, whose job it is to bring revenue into the company. That sounds so simple and so basic, yet legions of sales people are loath to consider themselves sales people. They are account executives, sales facilitators, mobile customer service representatives, etc. Some consider themselves to be exclusively the advocates for the customer and hand out discounts and concessions to anyone and everyone.

Since they don’t see themselves as professional sales people, they don’t invest in improving their sales skills. They don’t understand that their behavior creates a reciprocal reaction on the part of the customer. The sales person’s actions create reactions on the part of the customer. If they want more profitable actions from the customer, they need to improve their actions.

Once we have the mind-set of the professional sales person, we slowly begin to gravitate toward the opportunities and customers that hold the greatest potential. We understand that we only have a small and limited quantity of sales time, and that we must invest it, with a cold-blooded business attitude, in those situations that will bring the greatest reward. In short, effective time management becomes a daily obsession.

Now, since we are interacting more frequently with the highest potential customers and prospects, we focus on excelling at the most fundamental communication skill: asking better questions and listening more constructively. Armed with these two fundamental and powerful communication devices, we strive for continued improvement and constant development.

With this as a path, sales mastery is an achievable goal for every committed sales person.

As the best have taught us, there is a path to sales mastery, and it comes travels through excellent execution of the essentials.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-the-best-sales-people/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:45:03 +0000 Dave Kahle http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:10:28 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:09:51 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ I have often heard that opinions are like anal orifices, everyone has one! The fact is that just like parts of our own body, we not only have opinions...
Our ownership of opinions is absolute regardless of the facts!! Two plus two always equals four. New York City is the largest city in the United States. San Francisco is on the west coast. These are objective facts.
Red is better than blue. Chicago is a more dynamic city than LA. The Packers should win over Minnesota (said before the season begins). These are ALL opinions and their truth lies solely in the eye of the beholder.

Before we enter in a discussion about what is “Better” for someone we care about, we need to take a minute and review what their opinions and beliefs are. That review can take many forms. Here is one possible way to begin the evaluation.

1. What is their underlining belief system?
2. What in their background could influence the critical viewpoint or decision?
3. Who else will influence this discussion / decision?
4. Why am I involved in this discussion / decision?
5. What impact will this have on their resources - mental, physical, financial
6. What do I KNOW about their opinions that will come into play?
7. What are the facts? Are these truly facts or MY opinions of the facts?

These are first steps. Remember that a person’s opinions are critically important to them and they will defend them to the death! If you think this is a bit of an exaggeration then look to the Middle East, the Middle Ages, witch hunts, the Hatfield verses McCoy feud, Democrats verses Republicans, USC verses UCLA and High School Football in Texas!!

Treat people’s opinions as if they are as precious as their children. They might have had them longer!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:13:59 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is p...]]>
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is passionate about abandoned St. Bernard dogs. This became a mission that has lead to the rescuing of hundreds of these beautiful animals.

Passion is the reason Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine and when asked why he did not patent it stated when asked by famed reporter Edward R. Murrow “Who owns this patent?", Salk replied, "No one. Could you patent the sun?"

Here are a couple of key ways to know what you are passionate about:

1. Does your voice get stronger when you are talking to others about building a house?
2. When someone asks your advice on a finding new customers do you find yourself giving them all sorts of advice?
3. Do you find yourself going on and on about Golden Retrievers?
4. Do bridal dresses give you goose bumps?
5. When you are tired and you get a call to go do something that involves a subject does your exhaustion disappear?

If this happens than more than likely you are passionate about these particular items.

When someone asks me about helping others be successful, I have to hold myself back. When someone mentions a golf game, I am there.

Now translate this to business. What about your business turns you on? Is it that your office is a great place to work? Do your clients send you thank you notes? Are you award winners in your industry? Do you make a difference in your clients lives? How do you fulfill their wants and needs? How do you make communication better in the office, with your sales force, with your clients? Are you passionate about adding value to you clients lives? If so, how?

Be passionate and make a DIFFERENCE!!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:48:14 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/seanpiket/blog/sales-coaching-compared-to-traditional-sales-management/
It is almost inevitable tha...]]>
It is almost inevitable that each time I ask a Sales VP, Director or Manager whether they feel they coach their salespeople or not the majority of these sales leaders feel they do a good job of coaching their reps. However, when pressed to describe the sales coaching methodology or process they use to coach their reps most all of these same sales leaders look puzzled and have a hard time describing how they coach. They typically launch into a description that sounds a little bit like this:

"I meet one-on-one with each of my reps on a weekly basis. I print off a static report of their sales pipeline and sift through each opportunity seeking an update from the rep. Leveraging my experience, I then provide guidance, suggestions and directives on what they need to do as a next step to move each opportunity through the funnel so they can close more sales!"

That is a classic description of traditional sales management. That is management by metrics and activity. Some refer to it as management by hammer depending on the manager's style! Nonetheless, it has nothing to do with effective sales coaching. And therein lies the challenge: most sales leaders think they are coaching when in reality they are not.

A Sales Executive Council study of over 2000 salespeople showed that less than 50% of salespeople receive consistent, personalized sales coaching from their managers. That same study showed that salespeople who receive 3 hours of sales coaching per month, on average, achieve 107% of quota compared to 82% of quota for their peers who don't receive sales coaching. Finally, out of 10 categories listed in the Manager Skill Index in that same Sales Executive Council study, managers ranked dead last (10 out of 10) in the critical skill area of sales coaching.

So to sum it up - sales coaching is the absolute best thing a sales leader can do to stimulate company sales and individual sales rep success yet it is the critical skill area where they struggle the most (or simply neglect). This is what I refer to as "The Great Sales Coaching Gap". My company, Sales Integrity, works on closing this gap for our customers on a daily/weekly basis through the implementation of corporate sales coaching programs. We either directly coach their sales professionals and sales leaders or we teach their sales leaders how to formally coach their salespeople through the implementation of a formal sales coaching methodology and systematic approach, complete with tools, templates and technology to enable, track and measure the coaching process. Either way, it all starts with a basic understanding of the difference between sales coaching and traditional sales management.

At it's core, here is the easiest way to describe the difference between sales coaching and sales management:

You manage an operation. You coach people. Period.

Start with that as your philosophy and foundation for implementing a formal sales coaching program at your organization. In the meantime, stay tuned for my next blog when I further breakdown the specific differences between sales coaching and traditional sales management and how you can apply sales coaching to your sales leadership arsenal.

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Sean Piket is the Founder]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/seanpiket/blog/sales-coaching-compared-to-traditional-sales-management/ Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:29:59 +0000 Sean Piket