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Sales Answer Man: Should You Spend More Time with Less Experienced or Seasoned Sales Professionals?

Question Dan, what tips do you have on managing less experienced sales professionals versus seasoned sales professionals? Sometimes I feel like I’m spending too much time with the less experienced and not enough time with the seasoned ones.  Answer You have probably heard of the 80/20 rule in sales. That is: 80% of your salespeople produce only 20% of the revenue. If that’s not enough, management tends to spend 80%…

Sales Answer Man: How to Get Great Referrals

Q: I’m doing a really great job of getting referrals from my clients. Are there other sources of referrals I might be overlooking?  A: Congratulations on your success getting referrals from your current clients. As with most behaviors, though, there may be room for improvement. What if you scheduled a meeting with your clients about not only receiving referrals from them – but also giving referrals to your clients? It’s…

Sales Answer Man: How to Go from an Excellent Sales Producer to a Sales Manager

Q: I have been a sales producer for the past year and will likely have some additional responsibilities in sales management in the next few months. What competencies will I need for that role versus my current one?  A: You are wise to give this thought before the change occurs, rather than after.  It’s unusual to find someone who is an excellent sales producer and equally competent as a sales…

Sales Answer Man: Find out Who Has the Authority to Say “Yes”

Q: “We sell our services to many companies with multiple influencers in the decision process: co-owners, partners, etc. Sometimes they have differing needs. Should we approach these prospects differently than single decision-makers?” A: Congratulations on selling to larger, more complicated clients – you are working the mature market segment! At Sandler, we talk about the “stairway to success.”  Step 1 of the stairway might be an owner who has one…

Sales Answer Man: How to Hire Salespeople Who Actually Produce Results

Lose the Gut Hire Q: We have a long sales cycle – anywhere from six to 18 months. Because of this, it takes time to understand the effectiveness of our new sales team members. We know some sales “professionals” exist who are skilled at getting themselves on a payroll only to under-perform until the guarantee runs out. Any advice on how we break this cycle? A: You are not alone….
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