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To hire a more senior sales leader or not? Blog
Is sales a numbers game? Debunking the mythBlog
Should you have a 100% commission sales team? The truthBlog
How to hire your first salesperson | Founders GuideBlog
Business Growth Goals | Rule Number OneBlog
Stop over-complicating your sales strategy & make progressBlog
Four Sales Leader Styles But Only One Yields SuccessBlog
Best North Star Metric for Startups | Hint its unmeasurableBlog
Why sales teams fail? And how to ensure its successBlog
Why sales teams miss quota | Top sales leader’s insightsBlog
Give your sales leader feedback to grow sales | CEO Talk TrackBlog
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"blog_copy_content": "How To Give Your Sales Leader Feedback To Grow Your SalesrnrnI commonly hear from sales managers and leads that providing negative feedback to their sales reps is their most challenging job.rnrnAnd this is a problem because as VP of Sales or the sales lead of an organization, you are the spearhead of the sales team\'s culture and the sales team\'s performance.rnrnIt is also a problem when the CEO or founder cannot provide their Sales Head the constructive feedback needed to foster sales performance.rnrnHow can a CEO expect their sales leader to have difficult conversations with a sales manager or sales rep missing their targets if they cannot do the same with their lead?rnrnAnd, I see this all the time.rnrnSo, how do you give your sales leader feedback and grow sales?rnrnYou frame the conversation with three components:rnrn tStart your feedback with the facts;rn tYou address the challenge without providing opportunities for excuses;rn tClose the conversation with your actionable next steps from your sales leader.rnrn rnrnIn this article, I give you a talk track that will allow you to confront your sales leader without being pulled into their web of lies, stories, or complaints as to why they didn\'t hit their targets.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "How to give you sales leader feedbackrn rnrnrnrnYour sales leader is the first person you go to after failing to miss any revenue targets.rnrnI do not allow excuses for missing quota or targets or any other agreed measurable metric. Your VP of Sales, Sales Head, or Sales Lead\'s job is to protect your bottom line and the sales team\'s success.rnrnIf they repeatedly miss targets and are on track to continue, they need critical feedback to course-correct. However, without a solid structure for this conversation, CEOs prioritize positive experiences over hurting a sales team member\'s feelings.rnrnI witness CEOs elicit sympathy while delivering feedback all the time.rnrnIt\'s human psychology. Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news.rnrnEveryone wants to fluff over everything, provide all sales teams members with some positive feedback to cushion the negative feedback.rnrnThen, they hope that somebody gets the message.rnrnrnrnRemember: delivering bad news is harsh, and you may end up hurting your sales leader\'s feelings.rnrnYour job is not counseling sales professionals.rnrnUltimately, the business doesn\'t care about feelings; you have to deliver the message, even with negative feedback. You also need this individual to produce.rnrnFraming the conversation in a manner in which they understand and receive your message is essential.rnrnSo, use this talk track to provide productive feedback to your lead sales team member and get results, not excuses.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Start Feedback with the Factsrn rnrnFirst, when you sit them down, let them know you\'re going to allow them to speak their part, but you need to communicate the truth first.rnrnStart your feedback with the facts.rnrnMy favorite phrase to start giving feedback:\",
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"blog_copy_content": "This one phrase elicits an instant paradigm shift in the conversation. And, creating this shift early in the exchange ensures that there are no opportunities for tall tales.rnrnLet them know; you see that the weekly targets and monthly targets aren't hit. And, you feel that the quarterly target will follow suit.rnrnNow, this is essential.rnrnYour lead needs to agree to these facts. Only a yes will suffice.rnrnThe reason why you want to start with this position is that you want to curb their perspective.rnrnPeople convince themselves of all sorts of drama, so allowing them to speak their piece; it's just venting.rnrnAnd, it doesn't lead to valuable and actionable feedback. It often doesn\'t lead to anything.rnrnThen finally, allow them opportunity to explain how they will course-correct to increase sales performance.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Constructive Feedback Talk Trackrn“I see the weekly targets aren\'t hit and the monthly targets aren\'t hit. This leads me to believe that the quarterly targets will not be met.”rnrn“It would be irresponsible of me to allow this madness to continue and not say something.rnrn“So, before we proceed with this conversation, do you also agree that we are potentially in jeopardy of missing the quarterly target?”rnrn“And if so, what do you plan to do to course-correct?”\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Address the Challengern rnrnThe following conversation is about addressing the challenge.rnrnUsually, CEOs have a challenging conversation with their sales leader.rnrnThese conversations provide the sales leader the space to muddy the waters.rnrnOften sales leaders will focus the discussion on what they believe should \"actually\" be measured or their perception of the \"actual\" challenge versus the tangible result.rnrnThey construct a safeguarding mechanism to protect themselves against too much negative feedback. Positive feedback will never elicit this response.rnrnThe key is to make the missing targets a foregone conclusion. Your goal in this constructive feedback or conversation is to move past it and look to solve the problem.rnrnYou must tell them clearly what the challenge looks like for you and what you need true.rnrn rnrnrnrn rnrnIf done correctly, the conversation avoids going down the road of talking about laydown leads, cheaper pricing, or something to do with the competition.rnrnThose factors cannot be controlled in this meeting.rnrnSo, at this point in the conversation, it\'s clearly understood why we are having this conversation.rnrnNow, this next bit is vital.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Providing constructive feedback but not the answerrn rnrnWhen you finally ask for their input, whatever you do; do not give them the answer.rnrnThere are two reasons for this:rnrn tIt\'s unlikely you have it.rn tEven if you do and give it to them, they\'re never going to learn.rnrnYou need them to arrive at this conclusion on their own.rnrnGood feedback should also be professional development.rnrnYour Sales Head needs to understand the process of recognizing when you will miss targets and how to pivot strategically to hit targets.rnrnThat will help them internalize an appropriate strategy.rnrnSo, next time they\'re off track, the VP of Sales will know how to course-correct themselves.rnrnRemember this great leadership principle: if the CEO comes in and fixes the problem for them every single time;rnrnwhat good is the sales leader?rnrnThis is key to creating a growth-oriented feedback culture from the top down in any organization.rnrn \",
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"blog_copy_content": "Constructive Feedback Talk Trackrn“We need to be at X, Y & Z revenue by the end of the quarter.” (It can also be any other metric you may be measuring)rnrnThen, allow them to state their position and ask them one or multiple of the following questions:rnrn t\"What would great look like for you?\"rn t\"What would you like to accomplish?\"rn t\"What can you accomplish?\"rn t\"What are you committing to?\"rn\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Get Actionable Next Stepsrn rnrnThe conversation must end with a solution.rnrnThis is perhaps the most integral component of the conversation:\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Once they start posing a solution, make sure you drill down and ask questions after questions. And follow it up with more questions.rnrnGet very granular on defining the next step or subsequent action.rnrnDo not allow them to be nebulous or leave it objective.rnrnThe following are not acceptable answers from your sales leader:rnrn tI just have to work harder.rn tI just have to try.rn tLet me think about it.rn tLet me figure something out.rnrn rnrnrnrnThey need to come to you tactically and explain the actions they are going to take, whatever the challenges.rnrnTheir response is the outcome of this conversation and is the most significant indicator of good feedback.rnrnAnd, these are the activities that we\'re going to then produce out of it.rnrnThat\'s where you\'re going to end that conversation with your sales leader.rnrnThis final part of the conversation is essential to providing your sales leader feedback that empowers them.rnrnIt\'s the difference between giving them good feedback and effective feedback.rnrnFraming the conversation this way will allow them to verbalize the actions, leading them to deliver valuable activities and align with a more growth mindset.rnrnIt acts as accountable, positive reinforcement to ensure they\'re going to want to follow through with their actions, achieving success.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Constructive Feedback Talk Trackrn“Now, help me understand how you\'re going to hit this target?”rnrnAs they respond to this question, ensure you redirect their answers back to the specific actions and activities that they will produce.rnrnEspecially if they continue to produce the following unacceptable responses:rnrn tI just have to work harder.rn tI just have to try.rn tLet me go think about it.rn tLet me figure something out.rnrnNow let\'s say they are unable to satisfy you with a correct answer, or they continue to make excuses, then it may be time to consider investing in a new sales leader.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Final Thoughtsrn rnrnIf you avoid having a challenging but beneficial conversation with your sales leader, you put feelings ahead of your sales performance and progress.rnrnA high-performing sales team has well-formed feedback culture where constructive criticism is met with actions, not excuses. This is especially true for the sales leader of that sales team.rnrnDo you expect your sales leader to give negative feedback to other sales managers, sales reps, or other sales team members if they miss their targets?rnrnIf so, why would you treat your sales leader any different?rnrnSo, the way I see it, you have two options:rnrn tHave a difficult conversation and hit targets.rn tAvoid that and let feelings get in the way of making genuine progress.rnrnIf you are concerned that your organization’s sales leader is not up to the task of spearheading your sales department, assess their suitability to the role.rnrnThe Rose Garden’s Sales Leader Evaluation Template categorically unroots current challenges with your sales leader – essentially threats to your revenue. Our Template also identifies imminent challenges specifically.rnrnRose Garden systematically guide you through a rubric of grading your sales leader on all the key components of success and then some.rnrnYou can’t afford to leave anything up to chance. To evaluate your sales leader, and ensure your organization’s growth, download the template now, or get a team assessment at Rose Garden.rnrn \",
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How to hire your first sales leader | Founders GuideBlog
How to deal with negative sales repsBlog
Your top sales rep wants to quit | Let them & here’s whyBlog
How to Pay your Salespeople: VP Sales & Sales TeamBlog
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"blog_copy_content": "rnrnSo, how should you pay your salespeople? Your compensation structure is an integral factor. You want to incentivize more of the behaviors and results you want and de-incentivize what you don\'t want. It is just that simple. rnrnI\'ve set up a few hundred different commission structures in my day, and they all, more or less, come down to this simple fact.rnrnKey insights in this guide include:rnrn tShould you hire 100% remote commission-only salespeople?rn tHow to incentivize individuals whose activities yield greater resultsrn tHow to set revenue tiers to enforce behaviors & expectationsrn tWhen should you pay out the incentive?rn tHow to protect your organization from bad dealsrnrn rnShould you hire 100% remote commission-only salespeople?rnIf you\'re trying to run an info products business, work a 4-hour workweek, or establish a passive income hustle, you can hire remote salespeople.rnrnIf you\'re running a real business, one that will be worth something, you need in-house sales representatives on payroll, not contractors.rnrnI say this, having started my career in door-to-door sales, where I was paid exclusively off commission with no base salary. But those days are long gone.rnrnWith today\'s job market, I won\'t touch anyone prepared to take a 100% commission role that doesn\'t have a seven-figure On-Target Earnings (OTE).rnrn rnrnrnrnEssentially, providing a salesperson a base salary denotes your commitment to that salesperson:rnrn tEmployment commitmentrn tFinancial security and stabilityrn tInvestment in their futurern tVested interest in their well-beingrnrnSo, in return, you can ask them to commit to certain behaviors and activities that will lead to your company\'s success.rnrnIt\'s unreasonable to believe that a contractor will have the same level of commitment as a salaried employee. Contractors on 100% commission are paid for what they sell. If they don\'t sell anything, where is the accountability?rnrnIt\'s not like you paid them to sell something; you\'re only paying them after they sell something.rnrnIn their eyes, they don\'t owe you anything because there is no fair exchange. That mentality, at best, serves for a short-term gain in reducing risk but substantially sacrifices long-term revenue growth.rnrnWhether experienced or a junior salesperson, find a first-class professional that wants to work. However, understand that this person will have a reasonable expectation to be paid a base salary.rnIncentivize individuals whose activities yield greater resultsrnThe base salary covers their commitment and daily activities to support the business, but I recommend incentivizing individuals and their behavior which deliver more significant results.rnrnTherefore, in addition to their base salary, you need to pay them a commission percentage for every dollar of revenue they bring into the company.rnrnEach industry and role have a different standard for what is appropriate, so research that before setting this commission percentage.rnrnWhen calculating commission percentage, you base it on the total contract value or off profit margin.rnrnrnrnSo, should you calculate commission percentage on the total contract value, or just off profit margin? This is dependent on whether or not your profit margin has a high variance. If it\'s consistent, set a small commission percentage based on the total deal value. Industries that habitually negotiate prices incentivize them with a larger percentage, based strictly on the margin they can maximize.rnrnIn more detail, if your profit margin is consistent, I recommend that you set a small commission percentage based on the total deal value to allow for less ambiguity and more transparency for the salesperson.rnrnPsychologically, this is more satisfying for the salesperson because they\'re paid from a more significant number than a subset.rnrnHowever, if your industry regularly negotiates prices, you want to motivate your salesperson to hold your margins. You incentivize them with a larger percentage, based strictly on the margin they can maximize.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Setting revenue tiers to enforce behaviors & expectationsrnAnother creative strategy for organizing commission structures is setting revenue tiers that denote new commission rates.rnrnFor example, if their standard commission rate is 5%, and their goal is $200k, you can set a tiered commission system that increases the commission rate to 6% at $300k, 7% at $400k, and so forth.rnrnThis prevents your sales team from sandbagging deals into the following month once they\'ve hit their quota.rnrnYou can structure this in two ways: incrementally or retroactively on the total amount.rnrnIncrementally - once they cross into $300k, you can pay them 5% on the first $200k, and then the 6% on the additional $100k.rnRetroactively- you pay them the total additional rate for the entire month. So, 6% over the whole $300k.rnrnI recommend you pay on the total amount. Incrementally, salespeople will meddle with arrangements, adjusting to get higher value deals to close after the commission bump. You don\'t want them doing that; that foolish behavior will burn and lose deals.rnrnRemember, never underestimate a salesperson to cut a corner or make an extra dollar.rnrnYou can also use this as a forcing function for hitting quota, reducing their commission rate if they miss their monthly quota.rnrnFor example, they are supposed to sell $200k of revenue for the month, getting a 5% commission on target. The salesperson only sold $150k; you reduce the commission to 3%. You enforce a 2% penalty for missing their quota. This forces your sales team to take their goals seriously.rnrnHitting quota is a non-negotiable for me, and it should be a non-negotiable for you.rnrn \",
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"blog_copy_content": "When should you pay out the incentive?rnMany companies charge monthly or sign deals today but don\'t get paid until some time in the future.rnrnThere are two sides here:rnrnIf the delay in commission is too long, the salesperson will lose motivation as the fruits of their labor are not in real-time.rnOn the other side, if you don\'t get paid for 3-6 months or longer, you can\'t pay today with future earnings. In the worst-case scenario, the client cancels, and the sales rep is long gone. Not only did you not make money, but you also lost the money you paid out.rnIf the initial deposit is enough to cover admin costs and the cost of sales of the deal, I recommend you pay out the commission upon closing.rnrnFor payments with significant delays, I recommend waiting to pay until the deal is actualized.rnrnrnrnYou may be thinking–\"That still leaves me with a delayed gratification problem.\"rnrnIn those situations, while you can\'t pay your sales rep in full for the deal, you can pay a small bonus that will give them some reward. Additionally, you gamify the desire to continue closing deals.rnrnI typically set up the pay structure to pay a small bonus for particular opportunities at specific stages of the deal.rnrnFor example, an ideal client meets specific qualifications and reaches the proposal stage. I will gladly pay out 3-5% of the commission.rnrnNote: not the commission rate, but 5% of the actual commission. If the commission is $1000 for the deal, I\'ll pay $50 for every ideal opportunity that makes it to that stage.rnrnOr another example, you don\'t get paid until 9-12 months after the deal is closed. You shouldn\'t expect the salesperson to wait that long. Pay up to 10% of the commission upon the signed agreement.rnrnIf the commission to the salesperson is $1000, then I give them $100 upfront. Now, the salesperson has made $150 for a deal, and they will get the remaining $850 once I get paid. That is the best-case scenario.rnrnMy recommendations reward the salesperson and keep them motivated, but simultaneously prevents you from overextending yourself on payment delayed deals.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Protecting your organization from rep’s activitiesrnEstablishing a reserve accountrnAnother primary consideration is protecting your organization against salespeople selling a large number of deals, then abruptly quitting having never set appropriate expectations with the client.rnrnI see this scenario regularly. These companies can only lose because they\'ve already paid out the salesperson and have to either void the deal or refund the amount paid.rnrnTo counterbalance, I always recommend a reserve account. Effectively, it\'s a reserve of money that gets held back from the salesperson in the described situation.rnrnThis reserve account fills to the rate you deem appropriate. I believe that 2-3% of a salesperson\'s annual incentives are suitable.rnrnFor example, if someone is expected to make $100k in commissions, I\'d keep the reserve account limit to $2-3k.rnrnrnHow it works:rnrn tAll commissions are paid into the reserve account.rn tEvery time you pay out monthly or quarterly incentives, you complete what is known as a clearing –everything over that $2k limit is paid to the sales rep.rn tAny clawbacks in commissions come out of the reserve account, and future incentives fill it back to the limit.rn tNow, the salesperson leaves, but you still hold $2k of their commissions. You pay out to them upon the last of all their actualized deals.rnrnA reserve account protects the company, but let\'s be honest, it\'s a small amount of money.rnrnHowever, more importantly, it acts as a deterrent. The measure serves to psychologically demotivate salespeople from pushing bad deals on their way out – they won\'t be paid on it.rnrnThe more significant gain is ensuring client experience. It\'s not great to lose the money, but it\'s much worse to upset the client.rnDe-incentivize perpetually bad dealsrnOn protecting the company, let\'s not forget about that salesperson who perpetually sells terrible deals.rnrnI like to de-incentivize this behavior by only paying out bonuses, accelerators, or extra incentives to salespeople whose persistency rate is above the company average.rnrnA persistency rate is effectively the client turnover rate.rnrnTwo examples of behaviors to look out for:rnrn tA sales rep\'s clients only renew at a 50% rate but are below the company\'s client\'s renewal average, say 80%.rn tThe rate of clients living out their agreement for a sales rep exceeds the company average.rnrnThese facts are what led me to believe that the sales rep in question is mismanaging expectations.rnrnUnless they can get their persistency rate up, they don\'t qualify for extra incentives.rnrnI recommend you calculate this on a rolling 12-month basis if you sell annualized agreements.\",
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"blog_copy_content": " rnrnrnConclusionrnThere are a million different ways to pay salespeople; however, if you follow our basic structure, you\'ll find that you\'ll motivate the behaviors that will help grow your company.rnrnRemember, salespeople are paid to sell. You don\'t want order takers, so weed them out and only grow the team members committed to the organization\'s goals.rnrnFor more information on commission incentivization, visit Rose Garden.\",
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How to evaluate your sales leaderBlog
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"blog_copy_content": "rnrnSo, how do you evaluate a sales leader? Founders and business leaders can systematically assess a team leader by breaking down their sales organization into three key performance indicators: their sales abilities, their ability to use creative measures to drive results, and their ability to attract and retain top talent.rnrnThe importance of assessing whether you have the right sales leader cannot be understated, but it can be challenging without guidance in today\'s evolving talent market.rnrnKey insights in this guide include:rnrn tUnderstanding A Sales Leader Rolern tMeasuring Sales Leaders Successrn tAssessing Sales Leaders Sales Abilitiesrn tCreative Measures & Processes to Drive Sales Successrn tTalent Management: Attracting and Retaining Top Talentrnrn rnWhat is a sales leader?rn rnrnA sales leader is your sales team\'s visionary that guides the team members toward meeting or exceeding their sales goals by demanding excellence and inspiring the team.rnrnBusiness leaders and founders are essential to the sales organization and overall sales strategy and management.rnrnSales leaders create effective sales strategies that align with a company\'s revenue goals and create a sales culture that fosters success.rnrnSeveral vital traits make sales leaders stand out among other sales professionals, including:rnrn tStrategic thinkingrn tSales leadershiprn tCreative thinkingrn tEmotional intelligencern tStrong communication skillsrn tHaving a powerful vision for achievementrnrn rnHow your sales leader impacts your sales teamrn rnrn\",
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"blog_copy_content": "While many sales leaders share these traits above, you must apply contexts to assess sales leaders' performance accurately.rnrnThere is no person more influential to the health of the sales organization than the sales leader—their sales activities and behaviors will actively build a strong sales culture or unknowingly destroy it.rnrnUnderstanding how the sales leader impacts the sales team provides you with the necessary context to conduct meaningful performance reviews.rnrnKnow this:rnrn tSales leaders should align their sales team with the company\'s purpose. Mediocre sales managers will unwillingly create a disconnect;rn tHigh-performing sales leaders play an active daily role in creating and nurturing the culture through modeling ideal sales behaviors. Mediocre sales managers let a sales culture happen organically;rn tA quality sales leader enables coaching for the sales team and sales reps, rather than being distracted by sales metric inspections;rn tHigh-performing sales leaders spend less time analyzing results and more time coaching and looking for opportunities for guidance that drives results;rn tFinally, top sales leaders can hire and retain top performers, whereas mediocre sales managers spend time finding salespeople replacements for their sales team;rn tHaving clear expectations for the sales organization ensures that you have a measurable standard that your sales leader should actively pursue through their daily actions and behaviors.rnrnHow do I measure the success of my sales leader?rnWhen I hear founders describe their sales leader\'s current abilities as strong, my first question is always, \"how do we know that to be true\"? Especially when they admit the company is not maximizing the revenue potential.rnrnSo, the obvious question becomes: \"Are you sure?\" Are you sure the sales leader can sell, be strategic, and lead?rnrnHow do you know that to be true?rnrnMany CEOs and founders deny reality. They answer my questions to spare a leader\'s feelings or project their own cognitive biases that prevent them from admitting they made the wrong decision.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "When I ask these business leaders to prove the point, they are usually taken back because it's the first time they have consciously thought about it.rnrnFounders and business leaders need to systematically assess your team leader\'s performance against a set of key performance indicators. And, those three key indicators are their sales abilities, their ability to use creative measures to drive results, and their ability to attract and retain top talent.rnrnSo, how do you truly know for a fact whether or not you have the right sales leader? Or, how do you know when it\'s time to invest in some executive measures?rnrnWe recommend using a systematic evaluation template that categorically unroots imminent challenges with your sales leader and what those challenges may be.rnrnUsing tools like assessment rubrics and templates for performance reviews ensures that you assess all the critical components of success and then some.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Sales leaders are top performersrn rnrnWe\'ve all heard it before: sales leaders do not need to be the best salespeople. That\'s not entirely an outright lie, but it should be seen as the exception to the rule!rnrnThe sales leader needs to inspire respect from every salesperson on the sales team, and they do this with their ability to walk into a deal and close it.rnrnWithout an excellent sales ability, a team leader will never truly inspire their salespeople to reach their full potential, nor feel confident in their abilities and training.rnrnrnrnAlways remember, sales teams with high achievers want nothing to do with low achievers, so they project success and high achievement. How can a sales leader attract top talent when they are a low achiever?rnrnSo, you need to be sure your sales leader can garner the team\'s respect by showcasing their ability to sell.rnEvaluating the sales performance of your leaderrnIt is essential that you determine if your sales leader can even sell. Sales leaders should undergo regular sales assessments and performance reviews as any member of the sales team.rnrnEvaluate your leader\'s sales performance considering their sales activities, skills, and right metrics for the whole picture.rnrnIt is essential that you determine if your sales leader can even sell. Sales leaders should undergo regular sales assessments and performance reviews as any member of the sales team.rnrnEvaluate your leader\'s sales performance considering their sales activities, skills, and right metrics for the whole picture.rnrnFirstly, determine your sales leader\'s pitch. Ask yourself:rnrn tWhat is their demeanor on sales calls or in-person meetings?rn tAre they confident, or are they nervous?rn tDo they stutter, or are they fluid and smooth?rn tWhat does their discovery process look like?rn tDo they ask tailored sales questions, or are they asking the standard sales questions?rnrnrnrnThen you need to assess your sales leader\'s pitch. Ask yourself:rnrn tCan they pitch?rn tDo they inspire confidence?rn tCan they move the new customers forward, or are they just reading a list of features and benefits?rnrnNext, we look at their ability to close deals - sales is a numbers game. A salesperson\'s job starts when the potential customer says no. Ask yourself:rnrn tCan they turn that \"no\" into a \"yes\"?rn tCan they get that client to commit to moving forward?rnrnFinally, their job is to bring revenue in the door and ensure that it stays there. As every business owner knows: having clients leads to difficulties. Ask yourself:rnrn tDoes my sales leader speak directly to the client in difficult situations?rn tAre situations handled and handled correctly?rn tDo you have to jump in and fix the issue to keep the business?rnrnUnderstanding the nuances of all of these skill sets will tell you whether or not your sales leader can not only sell but sell well.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Creative measures to drive sales successrn rnrnrnrnYour sales leaders are battlefield commanders tasked with devising your sales strategy and sales process to defeat the competition.rnrnA sales leader\'s processes must be strategically driven by sales metrics analysis, domain experience, and creative & calculative decision making.rnrnSales leaders execute a predictable sales process for the entire sales team to follow while having enough domain experience to know when to change sales strategies.rnrnAnnie Duke uses the term \"Resulting\" in her book Thinking in Bets: When you don\'t have all the facts. The concept is that individuals, like sales leaders, determine the quality of a decision solely based on the outcome of that decision.rnrnSales leaders who use this practice are not good long-term decision-makers.rnEvaluating team leads creative measures & processesrnYou want to make sure that your sales leader is not a \"resultist.\" They need to make decisions based on domain experience, statistically significant insights, and the pulse of the deal, not just blindly off data and historical results.rnrnAsk yourself:rnrn tIs there a sales strategy obvious?rn tHow does your sales leader make decisions? Is it based on a mixture of sales experience, statistically significant insights, and the pulse of the deal?rn tDoes their decision rely solely only on data and historical results?rnrn rnAttracting and retaining top talentrn rnrnAbove all else in the sales organization, the sales leader needs to be the best at culture control and sales team development.rnrnResearch indicates that high-performing sales cultures are characterized by aligning and gaining clarity on mission or purpose, vision, strategy, and shared sales rep behavior.rnrnThe annual CEO speech to the company (no matter how motivating) will not install behaviors and attitudes of all in the sales team —that\'s up to the sales leader.rnrnTherefore, the sales leader must set clear expectations for everyone responsible within the sales team and hold the entire team accountable to those expectations every day.rnrnrnrnSales leaders have uncanny intuition when to intervene with course correction conversations versus implementing forcing functions to keep the team in line —all while refraining from constant hand-holding.rnrnSales leaders implement intervention methods before a sales rep\'s performance review, adapting their coaching approach to suit each individual.rnrnSales leaders that foster a high-performing sales culture prioritize the hiring process. They devote considerable time and energy to recruiting and selecting the right salespeople for open positions.rnrnAlways remember, sales teams with high achievers want nothing to do with low achievers. Therefore, your sales leader needs to be vigilant in growing the right team. Otherwise, you will lose your best people.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Evaluating sales leaders\' team managementrnSales leaders build and scale a team of the right people and retain highly accountable, professional salespeople while weeding out unimproved low performers.rnrnAsk yourself:rnrn tDoes your sales leader attract top talent?rn tWhat is their demeanor in recruitment meetings? Are they confident, or are they nervous?rn tWhat does their hiring process look like?rn tDo they ask meaningful questions, or are they asking the standard recruitment questions?rn tDo you retain your top performers? What is your sales rep retention rate?rn tHow does your sales manager actively support the business\'s mission and vision?rn tDo they look for coaching and guidance opportunities, or is support limited to sales rep performance review?rn tAre they hand-holding their sales team?rnrn \",
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"blog_copy_content": "ConclusionrnThe importance of attracting the best sales leader cannot be understated, but in today’s evolving talent market, it can be challenging without guidance.rnrnThe Rose Garden’s Sales Leader Evaluation Template categorically unroots current challenges with your sales leader – essentially threats to your revenue. Our Template also identifies imminent challenges specifically.rnrnWe systematically guide you through a rubric of grading your sales leader on all the key components of success and then some.rnrnYou can’t afford to leave anything up to chance. To evaluate your sales leader, and ensure your organization’s growth, download the template now or visit Rose Garden.rnrn \",
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How to hire the best sales leader | A Founders & CEO GuideBlog
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"blog_copy_content": "rnrnSo, how do you hire the best sales leader? During the hiring process, you need to look for three traits: a high-performing seller, unwavering determination to hit the revenue targets, and a cultivator of sales culture that will command the respect of the entire sales team. Using selective questioning and sales leadership rubrics can help you determine these traits in a potential sales lead candidate.rnrnTo achieve your company’s vision, you require leadership from a top sales director. Understand the significance of who you choose for this position.rnrnKey insights in this guide include:rnrn tWhat is a sales leader?rn tWhy is hiring a great sales leader so essential?rn tWhat are the essential traits you need in an effective sales leader?rn tHow to hire the best sales leader and the questions to ask when hiring?rnrnrnWhat is a sales leader?rn rnrnThe sales leader is the spearhead of a company’s bottom line generating predictable and repeatable revenue growth to ensure the company’s growth.rnrnEssentially, the sales leader is the person securing sales channels and driving the direction, the sales strategy, and the attitude approach to selling successfully.rnrnHowever, the difference between a great sales leader and a good sales leader is someone who takes all of that and inculcates the business ideals and vision with the sales know-how to leverage innovative sales processes.rnrnStartup sales in an early-stage or new company are usually led by the founder or founding team. There may be very little sales direction or lacking a fully established sales team.rnrnIn established companies, the sales leader carefully builds out sales teams or teams. They may also assign sales managers to lead the day-to-day operations of each department, overseen by the sales leader.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Why is hiring a great sales leader so essential?rn rnrnHiring the wrong sales leader can be detrimental to your sales teams and the overall profitability of the business.rnrnFor example, a founder in a fast-growing new startup requires a sales strategy full of sales exploration, experimentation, and flexibility. Their first sales leader is a senior sales leader with a proven track record from a previous company. This leader has impressive past experiences in established companies, extensive market knowledge, and sales execution.rnrnHowever, the new Head of Sales couldn’t find success in the startup’s high-growth environment. The mismatch in the startup’s business model and the leader’s leadership skills could prevent the startup from attracting new business and meeting revenue targets.rnrnrnrnBest case scenario; the founder identifies this mismatch early and course corrects in the next stage with a new hire. Worst case scenario; the startup closes its doors.rnrnTake another example, as the CEO of an established technology company, you hire a new VP of sales who has an aggressive leadership style. Your sales organization always meets revenue targets, but your staff turnover rate is through the roof, and you begin to lose great salespeople and talent to competitors.rnrnWhile your sales organization may be consistently meeting targets, the damage to the business, culture, and reputation was enduring.rnrnIn the best-case scenario, the founder steps in to correct the imbalance of culture and of course corrects the VP of sales. Worst case scenario; the startup loses their best sellers and cannot compete with the competition.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "For sales leadership roles, hiring the right person matters because a great leader will:rnrn tprovides clear direction and a strong grasp of the businessrn texecute sale processes that prioritize customers experiencern tinstill core business objectives, values, and missionrn tdeepen existing customer relationships and relationships with potential clientsrn tbuild a sales playbook; a path to predictable sales growthrn tbuild a sales hiring profile that can be replicated and scaledrn tincrease salespeople tenure and lower turnover, especially sales talentrn tprioritize sales recruiting, development, and retention of team membersrn tincrease employee (sales managers, sales reps, and staff members) motivationrn tincrease revenue numbersrn tincrease growth across sales reps and sales managersrnrnWhat are the essential traits you need in an effective sales leader?rn rnrnrnrnSales TalentrnSales leadership requires sales talent; in other words, the candidate must have had success as a salesperson in the past.rnrnThey need to know when to jump on a deal and close it versus when they should let their team experiences failure as a learning opportunity. Only high-performing sales experience gives you this.rnrnWith that in mind, successful salespeople do not typically need to possess the key skills associated with team orientation – crucial to sales leadership. In fact, their ability to take ownership over a goal is what makes them good sales representatives.rnrnOften as they become more successful in their career, those selfish tendencies, which made them successful, are reinforced and allow them to hit bigger numbers. Those results garner the attention of the organization, and everyone inherently believes that the best person to lead the sales team is the best salesperson.rnrnrnrnAt face value, that may be a decent idea for several reasons.rnrnFirst, if your salespeople mirror your sales director, you would want that to be the most successful and accomplished person.rnrnSecond, if you have a high-producing salesperson, they’re typically looking for career growth, and if you don’t give them a path to leadership, they’ll go outside the organization to find it.rnrnFor these reasons, conventional logic tells us to promote the most skilled person to lead the team. However, conventional logic can steer a founder or CEO in the wrong direction.rnrnThe reality of the situation is you are pulling your highest producing asset off the field. And, just because they can sell doesn’t mean they can lead.rnrnDo not promote a high performer out of a sales role simply for the sake of a promotion.rnrnYou effectively place them in a brand new role that they have not displayed any proficiency in, and what made them successful as a salesperson could make them poor as a sales leader.rnrnRemember, this is all assuming this person knows how to sell. You need to validate that through an interview process.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Strategic decision making to meet business goalsrnYou employ a sales director as a buffer from everyone else who believes you have overly ambitious goals.rnrnA great sales leader is in the trenches with you, holding the fervent belief that your goals are realistic but actively strategizing to achieve those goals. It’s an unwavering commitment to the goal –– “there’s always a way” mentality.rnrnFar too many business owners hire sales leaders that produce data and reports that explain why they are missing targets and why the quarterly and annual projections will be missed.rnrnLet me make one thing very clear: You can miss the targets on your own without a sales leader. The sales leader is effectively an insurance policy that ensures the targets will be hit without a founder or CEO involvement.rnrnYou need to make it abundantly clear that they need to be solutions-focused and results-driven, not effort-driven. This requires strategic thinking and creative thinking alike.rnCultivating Sales culture and respect of the sales teamrnA strong sales lead adapts their coaching and guidance to suit each salesperson and a new hire on the sales team.rnrnIf a salesperson or sales rep feels they get limited value from the sales leader, they will not utilize the sales leader to their fullest potential because they won’t feel confident in the leader’s abilities and training.rnrnThis also leads back to whether sales lead can sell or not. You need to be certain this person can garner the respect of the team by showcasing their ability to sell and create a culture of winning and high achievement.rnrn rnrnrnrnThe sales leader will need to hold everyone accountable to elite standards, so they must be capable of achieving those standards as well.rnrnWhen the leader isn’t beholden to any particular rep, they can push the boundaries and push the reps to achieve more. This also creates the need to have crucial conversations while also implementing the forcing functions that keep the team in line without constant hand-holding.rnrnThe leader must prioritize sales hiring to build and scale a team of the right people and retain highly accountable, professional salespeople while consistently weeding out unimproved low performers.rnHow to hire a high-performing sales leaderrn rnrnGreat sales leaders display proficiency in many leadership and selling traits, but I combine them into five essential sales lead activities; they are:rnrn tSales Talentrn tStrategic & Creative thinkingrn tSales Culture Developmentrnrn rnSales TalentrnFirst and foremost, they have to be able to sell. You cannot hire a sales leader that isn’t the highest producing salesperson on the team.rnrnThe sales team won’t take the sales leader seriously, and they won’t be able to hold the team accountable, nor will they understand the nuance of sales. The sales team will take them seriously, and the leader won’t be beholden to any individual sales rep.rnrnYou cannot have a situation where the leader needs the rep more than the rep needs the sales leader. That would create a power imbalance that will offset the sales team’s culture.rnrnNow, you may be thinking, “didn’t you just tell me not to promote my best salesperson?”rnrnNot quite. I said, don’t promote your best salesperson simply because they’re the best. Being the best salesperson on the team is a qualification but not a deciding factor.rnrnTypically, sales leaders or directors of sales come in from outside the organizations and aren’t promoted from within. Now, that’s not to say that sales leadership positions shouldn’t be held by salespeople.rnrnDuring the interview, some questions to ask:rnrn tHow have you used unconventional approaches to increase revenue at other companies?rn tHow do you propose making my/our business more profitable?rn tWhat was your best and worst sales decision within the last 12 months, and what did you base that on?rn tHow do you determine the best sales process to meet targets?rn tHow do you adjust their sales methodology? When do you know how to pivot a sales strategy?rn tWhile selling capabilities is essential, there are other factors you should look towards in finding the right sales leader.rnrnStrategic & Creative ThinkingrnAs a founder or CEO, you must systematically determine whether your next VP of sales will find a window when a door is closed. And if that window is locked, they will find another path.rnrnYou must clearly communicate this expectation to them before hiring them, and you need to test their ability to produce creative solutions when all else fails.rnrnYou only want people on my team that believe failure is not an option. I have found this to be one of the biggest reasons why certain sales leaders are successful while others fail. It has little to do with the solution, little to do with marketing, and even less to do with the current economy.rnrnIf you have categorically determined that this person has the willingness to achieve the desired result at all costs, that is the only way you stand a chance of hitting your ambitious targets.rnrnrnrnDuring the interview, some questions to ask:rnrn tHow have you utilized unconventional approaches or sales funnels to increase revenue at other companies?rn tHow do you propose making my business more profitable?rn tHow would you incorporate our other departments like marketing, operations, and customer success teams in your sales efforts?rnrnSales Culture DevelopmentrnGreat sales leaders value sales culture and actively incorporate culture building as they build out sales teams, sales managers, and individuals.rnrnThey have an uncanny sense of the entire team’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as individuals. However, they also recognize the diversity of selling styles by which salespeople can achieve success.rnrnThe sales hiring process is their responsibility, and they use sales hiring to recruit and retain top talent and to recruit positions to fill gaps.rnrnTherefore, sales leaders are also like coaches and find ways to develop team members, helping them reach their fullest potential.rnrnrnrnDuring the interview, some questions to ask:rnrn tHow would you describe your leadership style?rn tHow do you build a sales culture? How would you describe an ideal sales culture? Please share examples of strategies you’ve used.rn tWhat does your sales recruiting or sales hiring process look like?rn tHow have you built high-performing sales teams in the past?rn tHow do you know when to step into a situation versus allowing the team to experience failure? Please share some examples.rnrn \",
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Today’s Accountability Creates Tomorrow’s CultureWebinars
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnYou\'ve got to create a separation between yourself and the rest of the market without insulting your competition.rn \",
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When a Top Performer Tries to QuitVideos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "When an employee tries to quit, you realistically have two options. You can let them quit or you can try and save them.rnWhen a good, strong, high achieving salesperson tries to quit, most leaders typically sit down and ask the individual why they are trying to quit. They\'ll then give a whole host of reasons why, most of which are, usually, untrue. Now they could be vying some sort of a raise or perks, or they’re leveraging to get something and they\'re bluffing. But when they are genuinely trying to leave, I\'ve seen CEOs so confident and arrogant that they know they can keep them, that they try to either manipulate or create a situation or sell the individual on an alternative solution to keep them. When someone wants to quit, they usually want to quit for a specific reason and you can change and reframe things to whatever capacity you want, but at the end of the day you will have a decision to make.rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnUnderstand when someone tries to quit, there is a level of resentment there.rnAnd so what most CEO’s or leaders typically do is say, “hey, why do you want to quit? Because you hate your job? Because you hate the role that you\'re in?” But they want to make sure that it’s the current position that they aren’t happy with and not the company. So they try to reframe or recreate their role or they try to give them more responsibilities and money or a whole host of different solutions, all of which on the onset sound like great ideas. Now the CEO can say “Hey, I saved a person. I\'m not going to suffer the opportunity cost of having a vacant seat. I\'m not going to suffer the turnover cost”. This all sounds great, however there is a downside that is rarely seen.rnrnThe truth is that by the time they tell you, mentally they’ve already walked out the door. Whatever problems they had usually still remain and persist and those you typically cannot change by simply realigning or readjusting their duties. And so here’s what ends up happening: if you save this person, it\'s only a matter of time until they come back to have the same conversation again. Over the next three to six months that person either comes back and wants to quit or their demeanor, their attitude, their behavior, and their level of personal responsibility to the organization has significantly decreased. They are no longer nearly as effective as they once were prior to them wanting to quit and they believe that the grass is greener on the other side. The grass is never greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it. So what do you do? What do you do when someone tries to come in and quit? My recommendation would be to let them go. Let them go because if they believe that the grass is greener on the other side and you keep them, they will always be looking over the fence. They will always be wanting to go and explore that other opportunity, even if you create a new situation that is wonderful. But because they have this unmet desire and they have this conflict inside of them, they’ll feel unfulfilled, always thinking “what if”. Then they will again denigrate themselves to a point where they\'re no longer as effective as they once were. So let them leave because by trying to keep them on, you’re just kicking the can down the road and causing more trouble in the long run.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnAsk them respectfully to tell the honest truth and that you need to know in order to address the issues.rnWhen somebody says that they want to quit, of course, ask them, “Why do you want to quit? What\'s going on? You\'re a top performer, we really value you here. I don\'t want you to leave, but I want to respect your wishes.” But also ask them respectfully to tell the honest truth and that you need to know in order to address the issues. You can’t fix something that you don\'t know. You’ll want to speak it in a way which inspires confidence in them, and gives them some level of safety and security so they actually provide you with the correct feedback. Now that you know what is holding them back, Here\'s what you do: Ask them if they have another job lined up. They’re going to more than likely have something else, since this person is a high performing high achiever, they are most likely responsible. People don\'t typically just quit a job on a whim. Which means that they have been looking for some time or maybe they were headhunted and recruited into a different situation. What was the first thing I said? The grass is not always greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it.rnrnSo you tell them this: “Go and take the other position, but if it is not everything that they promised you, if you are not absolutely happy like a pig in shit inside of ninety days, you can come back.” When you do that, you have now reframed the conversation. You have told them that they are a valued member, and you respect and admire their input. You’ve also told them to go on, go ahead and scratch that itch. But if it\'s not what they want or what they think it is, they can always come back. I see countless people leave a situation for another one that they think will be better, and it turns out that it isn\'t. But then they can’t come back. This creates the expectation that this person will come back but you don\'t just leave it there, remember? What\'s the first rule of sales? Always make sure you have next steps. So what you do is you say, “OK, today is the first, you\'re going to serve out your two weeks so on the fourteenth you will be done here. Ninety days from the fourteenth, let\'s put a meeting on the calendar.” You put a meeting on the calendar and you meet that person face to face, outside of the office.rnrnThis prevents you from overpaying to keep someone that is going to be a diminishing asset. When you overpay, you tell them that they have something over you, that you need them that much more and again, this person cannot help themselves. It\'s human nature for them to continue to look over the fence. So the most important thing and the best thing you can do is sit down with a top performer, get them to take their guard down, let them open up and tell you exactly why they\'re leaving. But also, create an opportunity for them to return. When you do this you shift the power dynamic in your favor. You are not beholden to them and if and when they come back, you maintain the good will and loyalty of a top performer.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnYou\'re doing this for a high level, high performing employee. It’s going to be very difficult to replace someone that\'s already very difficult to find. You can never have too much good talent. In many sports, you can have too many stars on the court at once, because ultimately there\'s only one ball that’s being handled. Business is more like baseball. Everyone\'s up solo, it\'s you up against everybody else. You can never have too many home run hitters because you can never run out of dingers to hit. So if it’s a top performer, you can always find a spot for them. And if you can\'t, then you can\'t. But realistically, you\'re not holding a seat open for them. Give them enough space to figure out what it is they want and need, and what it is that they value. If and when they come back, they will be 10 times more valuable than before, because they’ve seen what it’s like on the other side, and they know where their loyalties lie.\",
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How to Deal With Negative Sales RepsVideos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "There are negative and disruptive sales reps that are not performing and have low numbers and then there are negative and disruptive sales reps that have good numbers that are actually hitting or exceeding quota.rnKnow the difference between the two. There are two ways to judge a sales person. The first one is their attitude. Do they have a can-do attitude? Are they growth minded? Do they want to learn? Are they a positive influence in the organization? And number two, are they hitting numbers? Are they hitting their quotas? Those are typically the only two qualities I look for when I am looking to listen to what a sales rep has to tell me.rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnThey must be in core alignment.rnNegative disruptive sales reps are not in core alignment with the company’s goals. They are not positive cheerleaders of change. They are not assisting the organization’s focus on what the goals are. Typically, they are hurting and distracting from it. They typically question what types of leads we have. They question the strategy, they question the pricing, the clients, the prospects, they question everything. “Well, why would we sell this way? Why would this be the price? I mean, so-and-so sells it for cheaper and they do a better job, etc.” They will always blame everyone else and complain about everything. The reason why they are blaming and complaining, is because they are missing their own numbers. God forbid this person ever actually take accountability or take stock for what they control, what they need to do. It is never their fault. So when somebody is negative, typically that leads to or stems from them not hitting numbers.rnrnWhen somebody is missing numbers and they are negative, I don\'t see a reason to keep them around. I would pull them into my office, sit them down and have a very frank and candid conversation. These conversations don\'t start with me posing questions. Rather, these conversations usually start with me letting them know what I see and what I know to be true. And then from there I set my expectation of what I want. I’m having this conversation to find a level of alignment, and to reaffirm with them what the direction of the company is. I simply ask them: “Are you aligned with the goals and are they your goals as well? And then secondly. Can you adhere to these sort of subjective standards and have core values alignment, can you be a positive influence on the sales team?” If these two questions are not answered with a resounding yes, that means it’s time to transition that individual out of the organization.rnrnA negative and disruptive sales rep in your team is hurting the rest of the organization. When the other individuals come to work and try to hit their goals, they\'re trying to maintain a positive mental attitude. And yet, they\'re sitting next to this other individual who is complaining about everything. It actually hurts them as well. Not only is this person missing their own goal, but they are actively, negatively impacting other people and preventing others from being able to hit their own goals, they’re preventing overall progress. So individuals who are negative and disruptive and are missing goals need to be dealt with immediately. When you pull this person into your office, and you ask them if they’re aligned with the company’s goals and they respond with a resounding “yes, absolutely! My mistake, I apologize. I am bought in, I am committed to hitting these goals”, then from there you put them on a performance improvement plan. You tell them “this is what needs to be true in the next 30, 60, 90 days, in order for you to maintain your employment here, you need to have core values alignment. You need to be a positive team member and you need to start hitting these KPIs, these goals, and these are the numbers”. That\'s how you deal with that individual.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnWhat do you do with a disruptive sales rep who is hitting their numbers?rnSo you have an individual who is disenfranchised with the sales team culture, they are potentially not bought in, they are not enjoying being around other individuals, but they are hitting their numbers and they are hitting their quotas. The first thing I always look at is: how can somebody hate their job but still be good at it? Then I look to see if their quotas are too low? Are they getting great leads? Should they be selling more? If the answer to that is no, then from there I’d want to sit down with this person and have a conversation with them. People who are hitting their goals are the individuals I want to hear from. Those are the people that I want to speak to and say, “hey, what\'s going on? You are a valuable member of this team, but your attitude has not been what we need it to be.” And I want to hear this person\'s opinion. I want to know what I can do to put this person in their best self? When somebody has good numbers and is hitting their metrics, that is an individual I want to invest in. That is somebody I want to work with. Because I want to figure out if this person is in a bad place in their life? Is there a misunderstanding which is causing them to work in a particular way? Or maybe they just have a coworker who constantly puts them in a bad mood, who constantly gasses them up or puts negative thoughts in their head. And this could be intentional or unintentional. This could be somebody who is like the first individual, just a negative drain and a cancer on the organization and is operating in that way. Or it could be somebody who just simply is bothering this person and they really dislike working with them.rnrnIt is important to get to the root cause, because if you do not figure out why this person is dissatisfied or is acting negatively, it is only a countdown to when they start missing their goals and you lose this individual. A sales rep that is hitting their numbers and their quotas is not someone to be taken for granted or someone I want to lose. When you have somebody like that and you see them trending off the cliff, it is your responsibility as their leader to step in and correct the course.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnConstantly missed quotas and consistent poor or negative attitudes set a bad precedent for everyone else in the organization. Missed quotas and negative attitudes are very contagious, like a sickness. Once one person has it, it can spread like crazy and even your top performers will start to take their foot off the pedal. It’s important that your team’s are filled with people who are positive, growth minded, and welcome the new challenges facing the organization.\",
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Videos
04/22/21
Feedback + Transparent Communication With A Sales Leader Missing Targets
Watch Video
Feedback + Transparent Communication With A Sales Leader Missing TargetsVideos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "However, it would be irresponsible of me to allow this madness to continue and not say something.rnAs a leader you should memorize this phrase and use it often “It would be irresponsible for me not to say something”.rnrnMany people don’t like delivering bad news or confront people with hard issues, because everyone loves to kill the messenger. This is a talk track you can utilize with a sales leader who isn’t hitting targets and you are afraid to confront them because you don’t want to be pulled into their web of stories and excuses.rnrnIt’s an instant paradigm shift in the conversation when you say that. You elicit empathy while being the bearer of bad news.rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnStart with facts.rnLet them know you will give them a chance to speak their part, but first you want them to understand your position. Start with facts, tell them you see that the targets haven’t been hit week over week and month over month. This is leading you to believe that the quarterly target is in jeopardy of being missed.rnrn“It would be irresponsible of me to see this and not say anything.\" rnrnSo before we continue with this conversation, do you also see that we are in jeopardy of missing the target? and what do you plan to change in order to ensure successful achievement of the quarterly target?”rnrnThe reason you want to curb their position is because it will only serve to drag the conversation down a road of different perceptions and drama, and not serve the purpose of progress. Allowing them to “speak their peace” is just venting and typically a waste of time as it only allows them to further root their misconceptions and validate drama.rnrnKeep in mind, this isn’t for collaborative conversations, this is to win consensus. You aren’t looking to have a dialogue about whether or not the goals haven’t been met; you already know they haven’t been met. You need to not belabour that, it’s a given. This conversation is about understanding what the problem is and how to solve it. Most CEOs have a difficult time getting to that point because the sales leader usually muddies the water about what the goals are, whether they were reasonable//achievable or not and what contributions we should be measuring. Make the missed targets a foregone conclusion and move past it. Look to now solve the problem.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnEnsure everyone knows what the desired outcome is.rnAt the start of a conversation about your sales leader’s poor performance, ensure you tell them your objective and state it as;rnrn“at the end of this conversation, I’d like to have alignment on clear steps of how we will hit our revenue target this quarter. That is what great would look like for me. What would great look like for you?”rnrnThis will prevent the talk about all the things that are missing like good or bad leads, discounting or competition. As that isn’t something that can be accomplished in the meeting. Once we accept an agreed sense of reality and stop fighting, the decisions we make are focused on accomplishing the task at hand rather than hoping something changes, because as we all know ‘hope isn\'t a strategy’.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnHelp me understand how you will hit this goal. This enables and empowers the sales leader to create an action plan. You are asking them to verbalize it. They can now own it and imagine themselves engaging the appropriate activities. This is the most appropriate way to address missed targets and being off track. Now knowing this, and if you don’t have this conversation, you are allowing your organization to fail. Just ask yourself, would you rather have an uncomfortable conversation and hit targets? Or would you rather avoid direct, honest communication and put your goals on pause. You are putting feelings ahead of hitting targets and making progress.\",
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Why Sales Teams Are Constantly Missing Quotas?Videos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "When you get a quota that gives you that sinking feeling of panic, a little bit of fear, a dash of anger, and a lot of excitement..that feeling is called growth.rnQuota attainment has been dropping since 2011 when it was 63%, 50% in 2016 and is expected to be at or below 40% in 2020. While being a very real problem for many, Covid is a convenient scapegoat for many underperforming sales leaders. We know first hand that with the right leadership, companies have been thriving in industries that have been deeply affected by COVID. What separates these thriving companies and the ones that act as victims, is the ability to quickly pivot and put into motion a contingency plan. We helped our client navigate his unprecedented challenge to thrive in a time when they were not in an industry that benefited from Covid (ie Zoom, Lysol or some Mask manufacturer). Despite the fact that their business required onsite visits to fulfil services, they continued to hit targets and set revenue records. This just goes to show, where there is a will there\'s a way.rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnSo then why are so many companies having trouble hitting their Quotas?rnOne reason is that quotas are too low.rnrnWhile this may seem counter intuitive, if we are constantly regressing our quota setting based on under performance assuming that is ‘what is possible’. That means we’re lowering the bar for everyone and we’ll never see the good reps outperform the mediocre.rnrnBy raising quotas, it will give us freedom to deploy new strategies, step out of the shadows of past behavior and discover new ways to achieve. Also, remember, Quota is the bare minimum not to get fired. You shouldn’t celebrate hitting quota. Your stretch goal is what you celebrate and reward, that’s 20-30% past quota.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnAim for a quota and you\'ll land short.rn rnrnThat brings us to our second reason why nobody hits quota, it is because that’s what we are aiming at. There is no goal. Everyone is aiming at quota, and they land short. There is little margin for error or buffer when the goal and the quota is the same thing.rnrnWhat’s the expression? Aim for the moon, even if you miss you\'ll land amongst the stars.rnrnEveryone puts up a quota and crosses their fingers hoping they’ve calculated the number of leads, opportunities, and closed deals properly. They create a mini data science project with numbers and data with little understanding as to what needs to be said and done daily to get a particular client to buy. Instead we use best practices and spam just enough people with emails that someone will accidentally say yes. Strategies aren’t formulated anymore. You need to create strategies as to why your client will buy and how your team will hit quota.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 3rnSales requires 100% focus on the goal.rnSales team’s focus has been shifting to distractions. Sales is much a different job accounting, than marketing, and customer service or engineering. Sales requires 100% focus on the goal and nothing else to be truly spectacular at it. All the flavors of the week lightning rod topics around the office are distractions and focus sales reps on the very things they cannot actually control.rnrnTheir own behaviour.rnrnDon’t get me wrong, mental health is important, but there is no reputable study that shows mental health is disproportionality attacked on a sales team more than any other demanding role. In fact, sales has more upside than any other field. Most jobs, the harder you work, the more you accomplish, you typically aren’t proportionally and directly rewarded. And certainly not in a direct and transparent manner. All social psychology reinforcers why sales is properly set up. Diversity and inclusion. I think engineering has a much bigger problem and they have and need more mandates to correct, so why is sales under attack? We are creating problems where there really aren’t problems. Things could always be better, but when we act like something is treacherous, when it isn’t, we seek to solve something that isn’t reality. Thus we end up in a fight with the invisible man, which requires more and more resources, time, energy and effort.rnrnLet’s focus on actually creating a positive and growth minded culture and environment. As a result, people will rise to the occasion or not, but that can be delt with on an individual basis.rnrnWe’ve stopped focusing on what’s needed, and we’ve created entitlement which is hurting the growth of our teams and quota achievement. Intensity is needed, it’s not toxic. You can’t ever enter a competition without limbering up, without getting your blood flowing, pumping up your adrenaline. That’s how teams function at a high level. We’ve sterilized sales by having everyone act like they work at a museum and focus on things that don’t help, rather we’ve conflated issues and told them it will hurt them.\",
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When Should You Terminate Your Sales Leader?Videos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnHow are they missing their targets?rnThe team isn’t hitting targets. No good leader would fire a sales leader as soon as they miss targets, but how they miss targets is important. Were they close? Did the leader make adjustments throughout the month, quarter? Did they make adjustments or did you have to make recommendations? Did they have weekly milestones they were off track on and did nothing about? Do they know and understand why they missed targets? What is their plan to course correct? If you change nothing, you won’t magically get amazing results. Execs cannot be sucked into babysitting the sales team and being expected to grow.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnMaybe termination isn\'t the best option.rnGood culture fit, but bad skills fit. In this situation, termination isn’t always the best course because often they have the loyalty of the team, but not the skills to hit targets. Perhaps shifting them into a new role or bringing in a more senior leader is more appropriate when your Sales Leader is a culture fit, has core values alignment and is willing to do what is needed to help the organization succeed. In that case, if they are simply out of their depth and don’t have the tools to take the company further, it is incumbent upon you as the leader to do something.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 3rnOr maybe it is.rnPoor culture fit. If they are emotionally wasteful, they create a toxic environment, this is one of those unfortunate but necessary times when it’s best to remove them. These people create a political minefield inside the company, often creating turmoil between team members and other teams within the company. Even if they are hitting their targets, it’s a countdown to when they miss targets. Also, imagine if they weren\'t such a drain, where else could the team be?rnrnNow, just because they are intense and make people uncomfortable, that doesn\'t make them toxic. That simply means the rest of the organization needs to step up. You have a high performer that is a pacesetter for everyone else. Most organizations would kill to get their hands on someone who makes everyone else look bad.\",
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Stop Asking For Permission To GrowVideos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Business owners who are not confident enough to make decisions on their own, will never actualize their true potential. By needing to run everything past your team, you are looking for a scapegoat so you don’t have to play a bigger game.rnWhen you come across an idea that you like and you want to move forward with, why would you not? I speak with business owners all the time that have growth goals that are not being actualized because their team isn’t on the same page. The only time this occurs is when you allow them to prevent progress. If you want to do something, if you want to grow, if you want to take the next steps, and your team decides that it would require more work than they’re prepared to put in, you have to ask yourself, what are the true goals of the organization? Are we looking to grow? Are we looking to maintain? Or are we looking not to survive? Your team will take leadership cues from you, but if you keep asking them for permission to grow, you will alienate your top performers, and give a voice mediocrity.rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnThe reality is, this is your organization. You don’t need to ask for anyone’s permission to grow. If your team does not want to grow, you have the wrong team. That doesn’t mean you have to fire everyone, you just need to realign their focus and explain to them that your growth goals need to be their growth goals, and that that is a non-negotiable. Before you find yourself in a position where you feel you need to speak to your team, you should ensure that the organization\'s mission and vision are appropriately aligned. Everyone needs to be on the same page and the goal needs to be crystal clear. Once you have that, then when you’re in a situation where you need to make a decision, you don’t have to ask for permission the only thing you need to ask yourself is: Does this line up with our company’s vision and will this help us achieve our goals? If the answer is yes, then you move forward. If the answer is no, then you don’t move forward. But either way, you can operate with conviction knowing that you have team alignment. This allows for transparent communication, strong leadership, and decisive action.rn\",
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Not All That Can Be Measured Is ValuableVideos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "What you measure is what you value. But what if you don’t know what is valuable - how will you know to measure it?rnData is relative. Numbers alone don’t mean anything. 2/10? that means nothing. If you get into an accident 2/10 times you drive that’s a risk you’ll want to avoid. If you win the lottery 2/10 times you play, that’s a reward you’ll want to repeat. If the risk and return are understood relative to the baseline, you can make educated decisions. However, relativity, risks and subsequent gains are all based on baselines. Baselines you establish after you’ve spent a certain amount of time measuring something. There are 2 main problems with that.rnrnOne, what if you are measuring the wrong things?rnrnSecond, what if your initial numbers were flawed?rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnWhat if what you are measuring isn’t the most critical factor to your sales team’s success?rnLet’s say you’re optimizing for a number of opportunities and looking to increase your close rates? In theory that should lead to greater revenue, however, what if increasing the average deal value reduces the close rate. You’ll optimize for the wrong thing and likely never capitalize on your market potential. Because, in certain situations certain clients have a greater appetite for larger service offerings. Could that revenue amount potentially eclipse the revenue from more clients at a lower rate? These are the types of questions you should be asking yourself, before you set your KPIs and goals. One of the ways to avoid this pitfall is to know what your true north star metric is. What do you want? More clients? More revenue?. Once you understand that, you need to determine three unique ways to get to that north star metric and optimize the outcomes. You need to forecast multiple scenarios optimizing for different outcomes and see which one gives you the highest likelihood of maximizing your north star Now understand this, simply doing this doesn’t guarantee you’ve unearthed all the nuance. This is just step one.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnDomain experience should influence your benchmarks.rnWhat if your initial batch of results were too low because the control group you used was wildly unprepared and had terrible performance. You wouldn’t know that because you don’t have the data to prove they were terrible. Now, your baseline numbers are reflective of poor performance and you’ll only ever look to optimize it. You pigeon hole yourself with data constraints and now you optimize from a bad place. When I speak to a sales person that has a 90% close rate, my initial gut reaction is to look at how many prospects they have disqualified. When close rates are that high you don’t have enough opportunities at bat and aren’t utilizing the right tools. When a sales person says they have a 2% close rate, my initial thought is to look at who you’re speaking to and focus the conversation. Trying to be all things to everybody results in a serious waste of time. I would look to determine the true value prop of what it is you’re selling, who it is most likely to benefit, how do we position it in a way they want it, and look to speak to those people. Data tells you where something is, it is up to you to understand whether that positioning is right or wrong and in what context.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnData only gives you a certain part of the picture. To truly take that next step and differentiate yourself to create the biggest gap between you and your competitors, you have to find value in the unmeasurable. If it can’t be measured, no one else is measuring it. If it can’t be measured, no one else is looking at it. That is your competitive edge. You will inherently separate yourself from the pack, because if it could be measured, everyone else would already be doing it.rnrnMost organizations have a very linear approach to problem solving. Previous solutions inspire future solutions, creating a very derivative and unimaginative strategy. They do this because it’s safe, because they have a framework of how they can measure progress, but like I said, true separation comes from doing something different. The only thing that is different in today’s marketplace are things that cannot be measured, because your competitors are afraid of investing in something they cannot tangibly track. The organizations who are brave enough to make decisions based on their domain experience, irrespective of what a data scientist tells them, are the ones that make the biggest strives forward. True change comes from anticipating what your market needs, before the data supports it.\",
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Looking To Hire A Sales Leader?Videos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Of course this problem is getting worse, there are charlatans everywhere and usually their best sales is to employers.rnHiring the wrong sales leader is the single easiest bad decision you can make. Regardless of whether you are looking to hire a Sales Manager, Director of Sales, VP of Sales, CRO, CSO, etc. Don’t matter if it’s 100% commission, $80k base, $400k Base, $350k OTE, 7 figure comp package, you will be wildly surprised at the lack of talent on the market. When we say lack of talent, we mean actual ability to do the job. Most will impress you during the interview process, but their ability to deliver results is astonishing. A study by SalesHacker revealed that in 2018 average sales leader tenure had dropped to 19 months, compared to 26 months in 2010. That’s enough time ramp, miss targets, be put on a PIP, miss the PIP and then the awkward dance between you, HR and the sales leader for you to get them gone with minimal collateral damage.rnrnJust in case you don’t know about turnover costs, the average senior sales leader has about $97k in turnover costs. From, recruitment, severance, time-cost and opportunity costs. So you better get it right.rnrnIn a study by Vantage Point Performance, they found that the cost of a bad sales manager on average is $3.5M in out of pocket cash, opportunity cost, team performance, and team morale/turnover.rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnPrevious “success” isn’t a great determinant.rnGet the right leader for where you are today, that can get you to where you want to be tomorrow.rnrnPrevious “success” isn’t a great determinant.rnrnThere are many factors why people are successful, so drill down into exactly what they did and what marketing, market forces, VC money + connections.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rn It doesn\'t pay to be an optimist here.rnLook for the flaws or potential weaknesses to make a safer hire.rnrnYou better know what they can’t do. Nobody can do everything, or at least not well and definitely not quickly.rnrnIsolate what they are good at by finding out what they are bad at. You should have a laundry list of what they can’t do, so you have a known talent coming in and you can surround them with all the right pieces.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 3rnDefine the strategy for the leader’s success before you start looking.rnOtherwise it will be the blind leading the blind. Know what you are hiring them to do, make sure they can do it, test them, and then let them create their ramp, before you hire them.rnrnThat way there is ownership and accountability over the initial steps. If they set a ramp that’s too slow, don’t hire them. If they create one that’s too ambitious and not realistic, that shows they don’t have experience. Also, get them to define what parameters they are basing this off, so if they are off track, they don’t find some wiggle room or excuse when the rubber meets the road.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnHiring a bad sales leader is easy, that’s why everyone does it.\",
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Sales Team Not Working As A Team?Videos<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "I’ll never understand how you can work with someone on a daily basis and not need to understand how to communicate with them.rnThe inherent nature of sales is very competitive. Not only do you have to motivate and push sales people out of their comfort zone, but you also have to ensure they have healthy competition without breeding contempt. This age old problem is rarely solved because it’s viewed very linearly and singularly. Everyone thinks you have to motivate reps to move faster and close harder by showing them how much they gain to make and how they appear compared to their peers.rnrn rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rnSalespeople are driven by conative functions, not intrinsic or extrinsic forcesrnFirst point. A salesperson’s tendency to move on a deal, stress the action, if you will, and ultimately natural reactions to the prospect are largely driven by their conative functions, not any intrinsic or extrinsic forces. When a salesperson is moving slowly, asking questions that seem immaterial to the deal, not looking to actively set next steps, or doesn’t place value on ‘in the moment pivots’, we classify them as lazy or not having that killer instinct. Or that they don’t want the deal. The problem is, that’s not always the case. While yes, there are poor salespeople that make mistakes and are lazy. However, could there be an alternate reason? What if they want to be successful, but you see the way their brain functions in a meeting is naturally to Strategize, Systematize and Stabilize? You know they should look to Simplify, Adapt and Innovate. But they don’t. This is a function of that person’s conative ability. Now, it’s not to say they can’t change it, but the important thing is to understand where on the spectrum they land and how to build fail safes as well as triggers to ensure they don’t move too slowly and lose the deal in the process. It’s important to test the conative functions of your salespeople to better understand how to align with their workstyles so you can have the right people in the right seats.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnSales teams don\'t work as a team ... there\'s always a \"winner\"rnThe second reason why most sales teams fail to achieve their full potential is that they don’t work as a team. You see this in Formula 1 all the time. You tell two highly competitive individuals who are judged independently of one another that they are on the same team, however, one will inevitably lose to the other one. There is no win-win solution. You can’t have 2 drivers in the number 1 spot, just like you can’t have 2 or all salespeople be the top salesperson. Someone will win, someone will come in second, someone will finish last, irrespective of how well they play along. So this notion of “let’s help each other” is foolish and illogical. It ignores the obvious, which I just mentioned. The reason we are always left fighting the same battle is that the structure we’ve created is a hierarchy based on merit and accomplishment. That is further reinforced by a graduated pay scale. The more you sell, the more you make. Now, I’m not advocating for participation trophies or paying everyone the same. That will have an even larger disastrous effect. I’m all for ‘eat what you kill,’ there are no moral victories and there can only be one winner. Which is why I think there is a better way. Create a system that rewards top performers, look to incentivize the behaviour that you want. From an individual and team standpoint. Of course paying commission commensurate to revenue sold is the first part. But, then look to leave that there. It’s important to understand each individual on your team. Money is a soft motivator, it’s not enough until it’s enough, and the increase in earnings doesn\'t always translate linearly to an increase in sales. So pay enough to make your salespeople happy, but then forget about it, because the more you bring it up, the more they will think they want + need because the money isn’t filling a hole left by their affective desires. Money isn’t an intrinsic motivator. The root cause could be stability, achievement, recognition, freedom, a whole host of different things. It’s important to understand the WHY behind why your team does what they do. It’s important to test the affective desires of your salespeople to better understand how to align with their desires so you can press on the right buttons. Simply telling them you\'re a team and you need to work together won’t do anyone any good. They will be in a dog eat dog mentality if they are pushing hard. But to create a team full of hungry, high achievers, that don’t create infighting, have no cultural issues, and work together, well, that’s a thing of beauty.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnHigh functioning sales teams are notorious for having a toxic culture. The reason is simply because the right behaviour, per the team member, isn\'t reinforced properly. Work styles and desires are important to understand for each individual so you can speak with them at a 1 to 1 level. The structures are rarely the problem, competition, pay for performance, leaderboards, quotas, that’s all a part of sales. Removing those core fundamentals of accountability and transparency is the wrong correction. Rather, keeping such motivating factors but applying them with the right lens and positioning for each individual on your team, is what will truly allow your team to succeed without anyone running interference.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Hey, I\'ve built a billion dollar company, I cashed out, and now I’m sitting on ten million dollars. Would you like to hire me for a 9-5. All I need is a 150K base salary. If you’re expecting someone to say that to you, you’re wildly out of touch with reality.rnYou’ve taken your company as far as you can. You have a few sales people, revenue feels stable, but you know you can impact the market in a big way. The only thing you’re missing is that right hand man who will come in and capitalize on the market potential. Now it can’t just be anybody, you want someone that’s already been there before. You want somebody that took an early stage company from 5 to 500 salespeople, multiple rounds of funding, and ultimately either an acquisition or an IPO. Now, your desires aren’t unwarranted, however, they are unrealistic. I want you to think this through logically, what is so special about your organization that somebody at that level would want to join you? Don’t tell me it’s your culture, don’t tell me it’s your solution, don’t tell me it’s the market. The truth is, nobody believes their kid is ugly. Everyone thinks their kid is the cutest kid in the world, as they should. But this person, as rare as they are, is not on the open market. If you truly had an organization that was worthy of a unicorn, you wouldn’t be looking for one. You would already have one. The truth is, you’re just like everyone else and you’re going to need to put in the hard work of developing your sales leader. First, you need to figure out what type of sales leader your organization needs. Second, you have to figure out what objective qualities this person will display if they’re the right person. And finally, you need a process to be able to attract and hire them.rnrn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 1rn What kind of leader do you need?rnFirst let’s break down how you determine what type of sales leader you need. There is a difference between a wartime and a peacetime general. Is your organization at a point where it is stable, trending upwards, there is no market uncertainty, opportunities are plentiful, and you just need someone to maintain and steer the ship forward? If so, you need a peacetime sales leader. Now, if you have a market incumbent you’re looking to overtake or someone else is making serious noise and you need to destroy their momentum before it gets out of hand, what you need is a wartime sales leader. Another thing to consider, is this a person who is responsible for building the systems, processes, and onboarding sales people to ensure success? Because if so, you’re going to need someone who is operationally minded. However, if you’re still looking to find your differentiator and separate yourself from the market, you’re going to need somebody who can develop a creative strategy. Finally, what support are you giving this person? What are your expectations of what they will do? Are you looking for somebody to build a proper management structure with sales managers, sales operations, and all the other roles required to support salespeople? Or are you looking for somebody to simply help you take the next step by covering all the above in one role? Because that person will be more junior and scrappy vs. the individual, who is more senior, and will build the sales management from top down. This is the first thing you need to correct. If you don’t understand this, you will be barking up the wrong tree.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 2rnIdentifying the individual who fits the role.rnNow assuming you’ve come to an understanding as to what type of sales leader you need, you need to be able to identify this individual. Again, there are many different types of sales leaders, and depending on your situation, their attributes will vary significantly. What I will say is, the type of sales leader that is needed in most organizations is a wartime sales leader who needs to be scrappy, and be held accountable for revenue and developing sales team culture. In order to identify this individual, you need to understand the characteristics they will portray. This person will not call themselves servant leader. They may come across slightly egotistical, but there is a difference between ego and confidence. Ego is someone who is looking for glory. Confidence is someone who is looking for a challenge. Is this person talking about what they can do or what they have done? I am always wary of people that talk about their past. I don’t care what you have done, I care about what you are going to do for me now. In the interview, are they telling you about how they would execute certain initiatives? If so, does it make sense? Do you like the idea? Does it feel aggressive and as if this person is putting their neck on the line by making bold claims? If so, there’s your wartime sales leader. Somebody who is egotistical and has no intention of delivering any results will talk a lot about what they’ve done in the past, will offer more questions than solutions and their go to line will be “well, we just have to test and see what the outcome is.” My friend, I’m not asking you to test, I’m asking you to execute with precision. Do you know what you’re supposed to do? Do you know what will bring me results? If so, great. If not, stop wasting my time.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Point 3rnYou want someone with a chip on their shoulder.rnNow that you know who you’re looking for and what they look like, you just gotta find them. One place they most certainly are not, is on the open market. This person is not unemployed. This person is gainfully employed, making a serious amount of money, but is restricted with what they can do based on their current leadership structure. I would work with a sales recruiter and focus on organizations that have recently passed on promoting a sales leader from within, and brought in someone from the outside. In there, you may find your diamond in the rough. Now understand, these are people that have been passed up for promotion. This likely means they are not ready to lead at that level. However, many organizations pass up the right person, just to bring in someone from the outside. So while most that have been passed up rightfully so, there is a person on that list that should not have been, and is pissed off they were passed up. This is the person that will come in with a chip on their shoulder, looking for a new challenge, looking to prove what they can do. That is the person I would put my money on.\",
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"body_copy_content": "ConclusionrnSo while you feel an ideal situation would be a unicorn walking in the door, and taking your business to the next level. The reality is this, in order to get there you need your wartime general. Your diamond in the rough. This person may be a little harder to find, but will pay off in the end. Your effort on the front end will dictate your success for the long term. Hiring the right sales leader is tricky when you don’t know what it is you’re looking for. Sit down, be disciplined, understand it will not be an easy process. But when you find the right person, you will understand why you waited so long.\",
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How To Be The Best At What You DoBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "How do you motivate yourself as a salesperson?rnWhat things drive you to work the hardest? Is it money? Is it your family? Is it too prove a point to yourself?rnrnAs an individual, in order to succeed in anything in life, including sales, you must find the main motivator for you to propel yourself in your life and your career.rnAs humans we get lost in the race of making money.rnHowever, in order to find true success, what we need to be looking at is how to improve ourselves as individuals in order to develop the external habits to attract the success we want to see in our lives.rnrnrnrnrnThe sales industry is probably one of the hardest industries to really master.rnHowever, in retrospect, if you understand what sales is really all about, and that is to help others, then it all boils down to how you as a person value your own ethics and morals. This is because these are the real tools you will be using to sell your prospects the product and/or service your organization offers.rnrnPeople can see right through lies and deceit, but when you\'re being honest as a salesperson, your prospects will see that you\'re being genuine, which will result in the trust you and your organization need to make the sale.rnrnIf you\'re looking to develop habits and a set of specific attributes that compliment your organization\'s sales pitch, then please read our article by clicking here.rnOur goal here at Rose Garden Consulting...rnIs to help organizations find Rockstar sales leaders to properly build a solid and high performance sales team. However if you believe you already have a rockstar sales leader, our duties then shift to training and honing in on the weaknesses and strengths of your sales leader, and amplifying all the things that make them great. We then take these positive traits, reinforce them, and provide a process that your organization can use to train and scale a team around the sales leaders positive attributes.rnrnWith the right structure, training, and tools, it\'s possible for any organization to improve their sales. All it takes is some time to properly discover what’s working and not working, distill those attributes, and deploy them into the field.rnrnTake our team assessment now so we can begin discovering how to grow your sales team. \",
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3 Signs You Might Have A Disengaged Sales TeamBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "When your sales team is missing targets, it\'s very important to figure out if they\'re engaged or disengaged.rn- Here are three signs to find out if your sales team is disengaged.rnSIGN #1: Are They Happy?rnThe first sign of having a disengaged sales team is having a very happy sales team when they\'re behind on targets. Nobody should be happy and excited when they\'re behind on their targets. That doesn\'t mean that you need to be moping around and upset all day long.Yet, at the end of the day, you need to have a clear focus on what your target is and what you need to be doing to hit it. Now if you\'re having fun and horsing around, and continuously engage in activities that you shouldn\'t be engaged in, how engaged could you possibly be?rnrnSIGN #2: Are They Making Excuses?rnThe second sign of your sales team being disengaged is when they\'re constantly coming up with reasons as to why their target cannot be hit. Sales teams need to be constantly solution focused. They\'re looking for how it could potentially be done. They\'re asking you questions of what you would do in a particular situation, rather than coming to you mid-month after having already agreed to the target. If they’re coming back to you and saying it\'s not possible, I can\'t do it, and really looking for you to lower the quota rather than coming up with solutions of how to hit that goal, then this should immediately raise a red flag.rnrn rnrn rnSIGN #3: Is There A Sense of Urgency?rnThe third biggest sign that your sales team is disengaged is when the meeting recap emails are going out later than usual. They\'re not setting up the next steps on the call, and frankly, they\'re usually giving up on the second or third objection. They throw up their hands and say that\'s fine by me, and let the sale go. Sometimes they might say, “oh, not a problem, let me send you some information.” And then that information takes quite a while to get out to the prospect.rnrnFrankly, even if they don\'t have something to rebuttal with, that objection with sending a recap email is a very simple thing that they can do to try and build their case again. Now, if you\'re not actively looking to do that as soon as you get off the call, how much do you really want the deal? How badly do you want to help your prospect? If you don\'t really want the deal, how engaged are you? That\'s one of the biggest problems with sales teams when they become disengaged.rnCONCLUSIONrnIf your people are giving up relatively quickly, then that\'s a clear sign of disengagement. And if you\'re spotting this inside of your sales team, and you\'d like to get them re-engaged, you don\'t have to fire them. But there are clear ways of how we can pull them away from that and get them engaged again.rnrnSign up for a Team Assessment now and let us help you with these problems.\",
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The Attitude You Need To Be A Rockstar Salesman Blog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": " rnDiscipline and habits are the first key to finding major success in life.rnAs a salesman, you need to consider yourself as a business. You’re not just selling a product or service, you’re selling yourself. But what about yourself are you selling? Have you asked yourself this question? rn rnThe issue we see with many sales people is that they want to make their sale, get their commission, and move on. Now, being in the sales field, that’s completely understandable. Because at the end of the day, we’re not going to argue that everyone wants to make money. However, how do you go from just closing a sale, to being a master salesman? How do the top salesmen make it to the top of their leadership board? Why do only a handful of salesmen get true recognition? Well, it’s simple. Their mission is to actually use the product or service they’re selling to find a solution to a problem a prospect is facing. Does this make sense? rn rnThe organization you work for has grown to be a successful company for a reason.rnThey offer something that solves a problem. The organization didn’t just become successful because people are selling ‘things’ and making commissions and moving on to more people ‘to swindle.’ This is not the case at all. Organizations that are based on sales have been built up and put onto pedestals because their best sales people find solutions to problems using the services and products their companies offer. It’s quite simple to be honest. rn rnThere’s no rocket science involved. When approaching a situation with a prospect from the perspective of actually trying to be helpful and useful to their needs, you have a much higher probability of making a deal. rn rnAs a salesman, you need to believe in the service or product you’re offering to the public.rnFirst of all, have you invested into it yourself? And if not, why is that? Because it’s more than likely your prospects will ask how your experiences have been with said service / product. If you understand the true benefits through experience - then there’s no better sales pitch then the honest and transparent truth. rn rnThe world has put such a stain on salesmen over the years, and people who jump into the field think that they’re in it to make a quick easy commission check and move on to the next until the next job opportunity arises. That shouldn’t be the mentality at all. It’s quite simple and vastly rewarding to actually attempt to sustain longevity in a sales field. As long as you understand the core reasoning behind the product or service your organization offers. Why would you enter a career only to assume you will be on your way out soon? Make the mental shift to dedicate yourself to the opportunity you’ve been given. Learn and educate yourself about the platform you’re standing on, invest your time and efforts into understanding what types of people need this product or service, and then begin ‘helping’ prospects by solving their problems. rnrnCONCLUSIONrnIt’s all mentality. It’s all self education. It’s all about giving to others. If you can successfully develop these habits and this particular mind frame, you can become the most successful salesman the world has ever seen.\",
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Are your salespeople lazy? Or is it your communication?Blog
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"body_copy_content": "rnrnI\'ve met a lot of sales managers, sales leaders, and intelligent CEOs convinced their sales teams are made of lazy salespeople, usually describing this scene to me:rnrn\"I have lazy salespeople. They never want to work,\" they say. \"A large majority want to sit around, wasting time on their phones play and put in the bare minimum effort. It\'s ridiculous!\"rnrnOr, they will describe one particular salesperson to me in detail only to summarise them as a \"typical time waster\" or \"not having a killer instinct.\"rnrnHere\'s the deal. Even if your sales team is lazy, calling them out will not change them. You\'re probably going to make things worse.rnrnAsk yourself:rnrn tCould there potentially be an alternative reason?rn tWhat if they want to be successful?rn tWhat are their natural work styles?rn tDo they strategize, systematize, and genuinely understand your buyer\'s business rather than just closing deals right away?rnrnWhat\'s more, before you blame your team, take a hard look at your sales leadership and sales process. When sales decrease or plateau, I have seen CEOs and sales leaders quickly blame the sales professionals for their own sales management mistakes.rnrnBut suppose your team is disengaged and unmotivated. You can do a few things to turn things around, and it starts with shifting your perspective on the problem.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Shift your perspectivernrnrnMost sales teams are not lazy. Don\'t get me wrong, in every company; you may have one or two lazy salespeople. And, even your most successful salesperson can fall back on lazy sales behaviors.rnrnRemember, never underestimate a salesperson to cut corners or make an extra dollar, even smart salespeople.rnrnHowever, you can protect against these foolish and lazy behaviors using an incentive-based compensation structure and a good sales process.rnrnThere is also a distinction between lazy and negative or disruptive salespeople, which is absolutely critical.rnrnNegative and disruptive salespeople are often your weak salespeople who are not hitting their numbers.rnrnTheir insecurity and fear will quickly turn into negativity for you and your company.rnrnNegativity is also toxic, and it will hurt a good employee even with a great attitude.rnrnIf I have a negative sales manager or sales rep on my team, I don\'t see much point in keeping them around.rnrnHowever, if most of your salespeople on your team are displaying lazy behaviors, that\'s a symptom of a more endemic sales culture problem.rnrnIf your sales team is lazy, your sales team is likely bored, and your sales process and methods are inefficient.rnrnNow that is a sales leadership issue.rnrnMost salespeople and teams need three important things:rnrn tEfficient processesrn tLeadership and coachingrn tAffective motivator (not always pay)rn\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Inspired Coachingrnrnrn rnrnYour sales leader or VP of Sales is essentially your culture driver of the sales team. If something is wrong with your sales team\'s culture, you start there.rnrnIf you want your salespeople to give you their best, it\'s essential to showcase the very best — your sales leader.rnrnYour sales leader needs to be your best seller, not just an average salesperson.rnrnThe sales leader is also your spearhead of coaching and development. It is vital for a successful partnership.rnrn \",
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"blog_copy_content": "Very few people are motivated by money; it is no longer intrinsic.rnrnMost sales professionals seek gratification and satisfaction from their work. So, provide coaching and more support for the entire sales team.rnrnAlso, remember, smart salespeople create opportunities for themselves utilizing their strengths which derive from different perspectives and personalities that need to sell in different ways.rnrnAs a sales leader, spend time with each of your sales reps, ensuring that any form of sales training is tailored and custom to them. They get value and find genuine alignment from the sales training to sales methods.rnrnIt should not be generic training that is not adaptable - you will effectively handicap your team.rnTight Sales ProcessrnrnrnSome businesses believe that lazy salespeople sell well because they stick to a tried-and-true sales process. They are committed and bought into the sales process.rnrnHowever, while lazy salespeople are typically not your most weak salespeople, the sales rep\'s decision to cut corners is distinguished by laziness.rnrnYou don\'t want them doing that; that foolish behavior will eventually burn a client\'s expectations and lose deals.rnrnYour process should be buttoned up so tight with an obvious choreography. That\'s not to say you restrict your salespeople, but give them the path that they can follow to success. Without that path, people spiral out of control and are ultimately unhappy.rnrnNow, your process also needs to be vetted and legit. A bad implementation creates unnecessary work down the line.rnSuppose your sales team sees an easier way to do their job; that\'s what they\'ll prioritize.rnrnBut, suppose they find a more efficient way to work smarter with a customer-focused buying process, ensure that you reward the team for thinking outside of the box, and see a more engaged and productive sales team with personal accountability.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Sales Team Affective MotivatorsrnrnrnIt\'s important to understand that money is not an intrinsic motivator.rnrnYour pay structures should help to incentivize good behaviors and de-incentivize destructive behaviors outside of your sales process.rnrnTheir solution to increasing motivation for many sales leaders is paying sales representatives more. But, money is not an intrinsic motivator.rnrnThe intrinsic motivator could be stability, achievement, recognition, or freedom.rnrnIt could be a whole host of different things.rnrnUnderstand why your team does what they do, and you will create a strong relationship and know the exact buttons to push to turn on the motivation gears.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Apply action stepsrnrnI want to stress laziness amongst a sales team is often a symptom, not a personality defect of one salesperson.rnrnThere are several observable events and actionable steps:rnrn tEvaluate your sales leader and how they deliver feedback to the team.rn tLeverage your top-performing sales reps to understand better the situation and what motivates them. Get them engaged with the process early, and you\'ll get new insights and a deeper understanding of what motivates your team for higher productivity.rn tAccess your sales process and methods.rnrn rnConcluding ThoughtsrnWork styles and desires are essential to understand for each individual. So you can speak to them at a one-to-one level.rnrnThe structure is rarely the problem.rnrnInstead, it would help if you kept such motivating factors, applied them in the right lens, and positioned each individual on your team.rnrnThat\'s what will indeed allow your team to succeed without running any interference.rnrnThe importance of attracting the best sales leader cannot be understated, but in today’s evolving talent market, it can be challenging without guidance.rnrnThe Rose Garden Sales Leader Hiring Rubric categorically unroots the best for the job from the best available. You don’t want the best available because good enough isn’t good enough.rnrnI systematically guide you through a rubric of grading your potential hire on all the key components of success and then some.rnrnYou can’t afford to leave anything up to chance. To evaluate your potential sales leads, and ensure your organization’s growth, download the hiring rubric now.\",
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How To Be The Best Salesman In Your OrganizationBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "When you receive a quota that scares you, you might get a feeling of fear... That feeling... It’s called growth.rnRemember, a quota is just the bare minimum to not get fired. We should not be celebrating hitting a quota. You need to have a goal that you are set to achieve every single month. Your goals should easily be between 20 to 30 percent past your quota. Again, the quota is the bare minimum not to get fired. That\'s to earn your keep. And if you can only muster up about half of that. Something is extremely wrong. You should always have a goal that you aim for, set the habits to achieve them, then execute!rnYou don\'t punch at the wall, you punch through it.rnEveryone just puts up a quota and then crosses their fingers, hoping that they get there. Sales people try to calculate the number of cadences, touches, contacts, or whatever activities that they\'re going to need. They create a science project and then proceed to try and calculate the numbers and data with zero interest in actually trying to understand why the client needs the product or service.rnSo why does the client need your product or service?rnrnrnYou must understand that there needs to be several approaches with multiple perspectives, so your client can understand the angle you’re coming from.rnrnSo you need to create strategies as to why your client will benefit from buying into your product or service, and how your clients in the past have benefited. rnrnYou’ll never achieve surpassing your quota if you’re not focused on your clients best interests. Solve the problem for the customer, don’t look at it “as a sale.”rnrnAnother reason why so many people miss their quota is because the sales teams focus has been shifted to things that they cannot control. It\'s all about work life balance, about their mental health, and boils down to diversity and inclusion.rnThey talk about everything except for actually how and why they will hit their number.rnThings can always be better, but when we act like something is the end of the world (in this case setting a higher goal), when it\'s not, that\'s when we become distracted. It takes our focus away from creating a positive, growth minded organization that\'s focused on the goals at hand. And as a result, people don\'t improve. They enter into this downward spiral of aggression. They don\'t level up. There\'s no skill set improvement, and thus quotas are missed. We\'ve stopped focusing on what\'s needed in order to grow, and we\'ve created entitlement, which is hurting the growth of our teams and organizations.rnCONCLUSIONrnIt’s important to understand that a positive mindset is vital when setting out to achieve a goal. Stay optimistic, stay determined, and understand that your success lies within your own hands. You determine the outcome of your day, the outcome of your week, the outcome of your month, and the outcome of your life. If you want to be great, then don’t let small challenges, or uncomfortable territory frighten you. Stand up to the challenge and face your fears head on.\",
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Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news (Part 2 of 2)Blog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Please click here and read Part 1 before beginning with Part 2.rnWhilst having an open conversation about measurables, don’t ever fold your hand and give away the answers. First of all, it\'s unlikely you have it. And number two, even if you do know the answers, and you give it to them, they\'re never going to learn. You need them to arrive upon this conclusion on their own. They need to understand the process from being able to go from not on track - to actually being able to hit targets. This will allow them to internalize an appropriate strategy so that the next time when they\'re off track, they know how to course correct themselves. As leaders of an organization - you cannot just come in and fix it for them every single time.rnMake sure you drill down and continue to ask question after question after question. Get very granular on what the next step, what the next action will be. Do not allow them to be nebulous or subjective.rnrn“I just have to work harder.”rn“I just have to try.”rn“Let me go think about it.”rn“Let me figure something out.”rnrnrnThose are not answers. They need to come to you tactically and explain. These are the actions I\'m going to take. I\'m going to sit down with my team. We\'re going to talk about X, Y and Z.rnrn“Whatever the challenges are, solutions must be provided. That is what the outcome of this conversation will be. And these are the activities that we\'re going to then produce to hit this target.”rnCONCLUSIONrnSay those words, make sure they write it down. That\'s what you\'re going to begin the conversation with. When you say this, it’s going to empower them, that\'s going to allow them to verbalize their own actions. Therefore, they will then take control over their actions. They\'re actually going to want to do it. If you do not have these difficult conversations with your sales leader, you are putting feelings ahead of making progress. So the only question you really have to ask yourself is, do you want to have a difficult conversation and hit targets? Or would you rather avoid that and let feelings get in the way of making true progress?\",
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Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news (Part 1 of 2)Blog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Everyone wants to fluff up everything and hope that somebody gets the message.rnBecause delivering bad news is harsh, and you may end up hurting the person\'s feelings. Ultimately, business doesn\'t care about feelings.rnrnYou have to deliver the message, but you also need this individual to deliver results. So framing the conversation in a manner in which they actually understand and positively receive your message is very important.rnrnI\'m going to give you the verbiage that is going to allow you to confront your sales leader without being pulled into their web of lies as to why they didn\'t hit their targets. When you sit them down, let them know you\'re going to give them an opportunity to speak their part. But you need to communicate to them what you see first. Then start with the facts. Let them know you see that the weekly targets aren\'t being hit, the monthly targets aren\'t being hit, and you feel that the quarterly target will follow suit. It would be irresponsible of me to allow this madness to continue and not say something.rn“So before we proceed with this conversation, would you also agree that we are potentially in jeopardy of missing the quarterly target? And if so, what do you plan to do to course?”rnrnrnrnThe reason why you want to start with this position is because you want to curb their perspective. People convince themselves of all sorts of drama. So allowing them to speak their piece. Usually, CEOs have a very difficult time having this conversation with their sales leader, because if they open up a conversation, the sales leader is able to muddy the waters with what they should actually be measuring, what the actual challenge is versus what the actual results are, and even make the missed targets a foregone conclusion. You need to move past it and actually look to solve the problem.rnrnExplain to them what needs to be true by the end of the quarter. We need to be at X, Y and Z revenue or whatever metric it is that we\'re measuring. Then give them an opportunity to state their position and ask them what would it look like for you? What would you like to accomplish? What can you accomplish? And what are you committing to if done properly?rnrnThis is going to prevent the conversation from going down the road of talking about leads, cheaper pricing, or something to do with the competition.rnPlease Continue With Part 2 by Clicking Here\",
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How To Hire Diamond Level SalespeopleBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "The most logical approach to hiring new salespeople is to first make sure you have a transparent checklist of the people within your organization.rnYou must develop a long laundry list of things people can and cannot do. As an organization, you must be sure that they are aware of their pros and cons. This tactic will allow them to be self aware of their own limitations, thus allowing you to understand where people fail, and where they succeed the most.rnOnly then will you know who you need to bring into your organization, and what pieces need to be present for new hires to succeed.rnIf you believe people can do everything, then you my friend have many blindspots. First define your strategy before you start looking for new salespeople. Otherwise it\'s just going to be the blind leading the blind. By the standards of human nature, we must understand that people are lazy, people aren\'t productive, people are reactive. Being in the sales sector of the world, these things are extremely important to understand and consider when building a sales team within your organization.rnSo if you don\'t have a defined strategy and you don\'t know who it is that you\'re looking for, you\'re going to end up with the wrong individual.rnrnrnrnWhen you finally feel like you\'ve actually found the right individual, let them create their own rep. That way there is accountability and ownership. It\'s then your responsibility to vet their work each step of the way until the set expectations are met.rnrnMany times individuals will provide an amazing interview experience, and then follow up with poor habits that gradually uncover their work ethic and ability to deliver at the organization\'s standards. And so we get asked, under what parameters will this trap occur?rnrnWhat you don\'t want is for them to miss their rent and then come up with the best excuse after the fact saying, oh, I assumed that I would have X, Y, Z resources. I assumed that marketing would be doing this. I assumed ‘this or that.’ You don\'t want to leave it up to chance, get them to define their rep, and get them to define what parameters they need set up for this to be true?rnMake sure you stay diligent to your hiring process. Don\'t exclusively rely on previous experience.rnMake sure you come up with the strategy, and a proper rep is defined. Hiring a bad salesperson is easy - it’s finding the diamonds in the rough that take planning and time.\",
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Having Trouble Keeping Your Best Sales People Around?Blog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "When you have a great sales team and you\'d like to get more out of them, what you want to do is boost their sales performance.rnHere are three ways on how you can boost your sales team\'s performance.rnrn(Step 1)rnKnowing what your team is doing:rnThe first and easiest thing that you can do to boost your sales team’s performance is making sure they all know what they\'re supposed to be doing. You can have a great sales team that\'s winning deals, but they may not be doing it as consistently as you\'d like. The easiest way to fix that is by making sure they all know what they’re supposed to be doing. You\'d be shocked how often people accidentally win deals. If everybody is on the same page and they’re doing the same thing over and over again, there’s a higher probability that you\'re going to create a level of consistency, and you\'re going to be surfing in clear waters rather than turbulent waves.rn(Step 2)rnKeeping track of your team\'s activities:rnThe second way to boost sales performance is to effectively keep track of everyone\'s activities. A lot of times what we see is when sales teams need to hit a quota, they rally, they hustle, they engage very heavily towards the end of the month, typically because they weren\'t doing very much at the beginning of the month. If you have a clear understanding as to who\'s doing what they\'re supposed to be doing, it holds everyone that much more accountable, and effectively keeps them honest to what their goal is. Therefore, you end up creating consistent activity and results throughout the month rather than having all of these peaks and valleys. More often than not, what ultimately ends up happening is that salespeople will rally when they need to, and they’ll take their foot off the pedal when they don\'t need to. That\'s a lot easier to do when there\'s not a lot of transparency as to what your day to day activities look like.rn(Step 3)rnIncentivizing the right activities:rnThe third way to increase your sales team’s performance is by simply making sure you\'re incentivizing the right activities. Far too often we go into organizations and discover that people are incentivizing the number of calls and booked meetings. That could potentially be something that you need to incentivize, but how do we know that to be true? Make sure you can clearly track what activities and what behaviors will lead you to your end goal. Do not fall into the trap of incentivizing vanity metrics. An example of some vanity metrics are things like open rates, number of incoming and outgoing calls, and the number of leads generated. Those could potentially lead to closing a deal, but from personal experience, they likely may not. So make sure you clearly understand what you should be incentivizing.rnConclusion:rnUltimately, these are three standard things that anyone can do to boost a sales team’s performance. However, they may or may not be applicable to you and your organization. If you want to take a real deep dive and discover what’s preventing each member of your sales team from producing more, visit Rose Garden Consulting and apply for a consultation call.\",
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It’s Not You It’s Your Email – Why You Should Stop Sending Breakup EmailsBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "rn“Best of luck [[name]]” rnrnrn“I am letting you know you’ll no longer be hearing from me. I am crossing you off my list, but if there is a time in the future when this becomes a priority feel free to reach out” rnrnSound familiar? This emotional trigger, the ubiquitous breakup email, exploits its clients and has become a hallmark of business development and salespeople over the last 6 years. rnHere’s how it usually goes: your email sequence runs for 21-31 days, sending 6 emails and making 4 calls. Now you’re on the last email, or your client got hot and bothered after a demo, but you haven’t been able to get them on the phone. What do you do? You send them the breakup email hoping they’ll be shocked and feel pangs for what could have been.rnWhile playing hard to get in a relationship is one thing, using this tactic when you should be building trust with a prospective client is counterproductive and lazy. The breakup email has become increasingly pervasive. Let’s walk through how this tactic came to be and why you should stop using it.rnThe Breakup Email BlueprintrnThe email breakup email plays off two parts; the subject line designed to grab the prospect’s attention by surprise, and the body of the email where the emotional games play out. rnrnThe subject line typically reads something like ‘Goodbye and good luck’ or “Best of luck”. It’s some sort of declarative statement to remove yourself from continued interactions. rnThe body is basically a one-two punch of guilt trip and FOMO. rnrnSaying ‘you haven’t gotten back to me, now I am not going to continue to waste my time on you”. Makes the client feel responsible, and implies that they didn’t follow through on something. Followed up by “I won’t be reaching back out but if you’re curious to learn what results our other clients are seeing, reach back out.’ spreads FOMO while implying social proof.rnThe popularity of this tactic makes sense. It plays to common emotional triggers that generate a response. The breakup email is largely seen as an acceptable sales tactic, though mildly manipulative. But in a world where most CEOs, execs, and sales managers are preaching “add value’”, I ask everyone reading this, do you really believe that this breakup email is adding value?rnI don’t believe that the ‘always be adding value’ sales strategy is best all the time, but that’s besides the point. The breakup email servers only the seller and does not serve the client. The client will not benefit from this interaction, they will only feel manipulated. rnHow Did We End Up Like This?rnIt’s important to understand how the breakup email became so popular. This trend has two contributing factors, #1. Sophisticated Email Marketing #2. Sales Email Automation Tools. rnLet’s dive into #1. The breakup email started off as a clever marketing tactic that has been adapted to sales. For a very long time, email marketing success was measured on things like, opens, clicks, and response rate. As the saying goes, “what gets measured, gets managed”. Since those were the KPIs, smart, clever, and savvy people figured out ways to optimize for opens, clicks, and responses.rnNow, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to imagine a situation where BDR/SDRs or even salespeople were reaching out to potential customers, struggling to close sales, and A VP of sales says I’ve got an idea. “Hey email marketing team, can you give sales a few tips to help them improve their response rate with their clients?” There it is, the cross-pollination of marketing tactics into the sales world happened. rnThe reason I pointed out that marketing’s KPIs are opens, clicks, and response rate, is because this crossover tactic is optimized for marketing KPIs and it\'s not optimized for sales KPIs. It\'s the wrong tool for the job. Sales’ goal is to get engagement not simply a response. Marketing is used to handing off ‘responsive’ leads to the sales team, but once he sales team reaches out they are looking for engaged leads. rn#2. Sales Email Automation Tools.rnThe second reason why the breakup email became such a popular tactic was the introduction of sales email automation tools. This allowed sales reps to spam clients at an all-time high rate. I say spam because when used improperly these rapid emails are unwelcome, ineffective, and often end up reported as spam.. When done right email automation can be incredibly valuable, and at first it was. Sales automation software started to really take off in 2015-2016. This almost immediately gave rise to the counterbalance to mass communication, ABM or Account Based Marketing. ABM relies on highly targeted and tailored efforts directed at very few potential customers, rather than lightly personalized, mass emails, commonly referred to as spray and pray. rnSales Automation tools have been an incredible blessing and a curse that has befallen sales. Sales has never been more equipped to engage clients than they are today. Like anything that you don\'t have to work hard for, you take it for granted, you get lazy and begin to rely on the tools to do your job for you. rnThe ability to reach literally hundreds of people per day has allowed sales to act as a giant sieve, filtering for the people who are ready right now, but never engaging up the ones who will be soon. \",
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"body_copy_content": "Your business is growing, sales are booming and more leads are coming your way. The time is ripe to add more members to your sales team to help take your organization to the next level of success.rnGetting to the point where you need to scale your sales teams within your company is an exciting milestone to reach. However, before you embark on a hiring spree, your leadership style needs to change in order to reflect this new phase. You no longer can make decisions and expect people to follow every aspect of the business.rnThe progress these changes bring means that the core values and culture in your business now make a stronger impact than the directives and mandates.rnThere are proven techniques and practices to help you scale your sales process and sales team without jeopardizing the quality of the working environment within the team and the company as a whole. Following these 5 steps can massively help scale your sales organization. These tips and techniques are your guidance into scaling your sales team and process effectively and smoothly.rn1. Find Real Team PlayersrnWhen you’re looking to successfully scale your sales process you need to have the right people on board first. Creating a mix of different characters in your sales team will help you carry your vision forward and experience real progress when it comes to your company’s growth. Having the right people from the start lays down the foundation of a high performing sales team.rnFor a sales team in any company to function well and bring in results, it first and foremost needs to consist of people who know how to work well in a team. Sure, you also want employees who are independent and thinking for themselves but the key to creating a successful team is in fact, finding people who work on bringing value to the team as a whole. So, in order to scale your sales team, you need people who will know their team success is measured as a part of a whole not individually.rn2. Hire People Who Fit the CompanyrnThis one can actually serve for all of the HR managers who are looking to hire new employees. You see, sometimes there are people with the right skills, background, experience, and education for the job position, however, they don’t quite match the spirit and politics of the company.rnOn the other hand, you may find yourself interviewing a person whose resume does not shine as much as the one before, but this person shares the same values and the same spirit that your company is built on. Don’t hesitate to give this person a chance because if you want to scale your sales process, you need people who will share the same core values you have for selling, not just the knowledge for the job.rnOnce you find people who are the right fit, make sure that you assign them clear roles and responsibilities and communicate the same to them. Having clear roles and assigning solid goals prevents your sales reps from being overburdened and stretching themselves too thin.rn3. Give Your Employees the Right TrainingrnRegardless of the speed with which your team is scaling, it is your responsibility as a leader to give each person the right knowledge about the product or service they are selling. They should know the process of creation inside and out. The internal processes, the methodology, the reason why you’re doing what you’re doing and on top of it all, they should know how to implement your sales techniques into their own growth plan.rnYou may have laid down a strong organizational structure and may be following a solid sales process but your sales reps still need coaching and training for boosting productivity and staying motivated. Sales training is an undervalued activity which has the biggest impact on sales team performance. Get the new team members you hire to shadow the work of experienced sales reps and learn from them. Give them access to the templates and sales scripts that they need to succeed.rnIn order to know if you really have the right people by your side, you should recognize that high-quality salespeople are eager to constantly improve and have a tendency to be curious about all the nooks and crannies when it comes to the product/service they are working with. If you don’t have enough of these people around, it will be harder to successfully scale your sales team.rn4. Measure Their ProgressrnEven if you’re satisfied with your team as a whole, you need to measure each person’s performance regularly. This won’t only motivate your employees to work harder and prove their skills, but it’s a base on which you can set your team scaling later on. By measuring their results you see who’s performing well and who’s being outperformed. Who can be on top and who should follow.rnAs a measuring tool, take real numbers related to their performance at work such as their activity numbers, hit rate, their turnaround, and sales cycle. This is a simple equation that can help you put things into perspective: Multiply the sales opportunity your employee has had by their average deal value and also win rate percentage. The value you get should be divided by their length of the sales cycle.rnSales opportunity x average deal value x win rate% / length of sales cyclernThe end result should be measured and compared over time in order to track the success of each one in the team.rn5. Keep Tabs on But Don’t Micromanage Your TeamrnLast but certainly not least, after the measuring tip above, this next step will inevitably help you scale your sales process within the team. We know that change within a company is just part of business. Just like adapting to a company is a learning experience for your new hires, scaling sales teams is a learning experience for growing businesses.rnNo one stays the same and it is possible that an employee you’ve once considered to be of great potential is now failing to meet your expectations. The opposite is true as well, people who you were hesitant of, may find motivation and improve over time, which is why measuring the pulse of the team regularly can help you discover and track these changes easily.rnConclusionrnUltimately, you want to scale your sales process and scale your sales team between people who share the same core values as the ones your company is built upon, people who are fully dedicated to the cause and most importantly, people who are flexible enough to welcome the company’s growth and changes over time and follow those respectively.rnAre you looking to scale your sales team and unlock business growth? Get in touch with expert sales consultants at Rose Garden Consulting today!\",
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5 Steps to Closing a DealBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "After weeks of talking over the phone and email, you’ve finally gotten a potential client to agree to meet for a sales pitch. While having a great product or service is very important, it’s even more important to have a great pitch.rnSuccessful closure of a deal is never by fluke. It requires a solid sales strategy to form the backbone of your sales process. Here is the 5 step sales process that can help you nail your sales pitch and get you to close deals faster and more effectively.rn1. Have a Client-Personalized ApproachrnIf you’re selling a product then you’ve already been sold on said product. It is important, however, to remember that the client you’re trying to sell to might not see the necessity in buying your product. This is why it’s important to have a sales approach tailored to the client. Make sure that you engage the client and make them feel like they’re actually a part of the sales process.rnA thorough understanding of the client’s business needs, the unique challenges they face, the competitive market scenario, goals, passions, pain points etc. can give you vital insights into personalizing your offering to suit the client’s requirements.rnOffering a personal touch in client interactions is a crucial requirement for improving your sales team’s performance. Engaging with the clients can offer critical insights that can help you position your offering better, making it more relevant to their needs. With the client’s requirements serving as the context for your proposal, your pitch is also more likely to get a favorable response.rn2. Gather InformationrnHow do you personalize your sales pitch for every client? The key to a client-centered approach is asking them questions. Before starting to talk about your offering, you need to first listen to their needs.rnLearning to be a good listener is an art that every successful sales rep needs to cultivate. Start by having a list of questions that you need to ask the prospect to understand their business better. While it is natural to want to talk about your product or service from the get-go, focusing on becoming a good listener let’s the prospects feel they are being heard and understood, building their trust in you.rnThis step is very crucial because without knowing what the client wants or needs then you can’t offer a proper solution to their problem. Ask as many questions as you can without sounding annoying or uninformed. By doing this you both you and the client know that your solution is going to be specialized towards them.rn3. Create a Dynamic Yet Effective PresentationrnHaving an effective presentation is key for any sales pitch because it creates an image to go along with the idea that you’re trying to sell. Don’t just use some boring slide deck with graphs and numbers. Instead, create a dynamic and engaging presentation while telling only the information vital to the sales pitch.rnThe presentation shouldn’t aim at selling your product or service. Rather, it needs to focus on selling the vision of the benefits that would be in store for them once they accept your offering.rnDecision making takes place in the limbic part of the brain that functions on emotions rather than purely rational thinking. The emotional response that your presentation elicits from your prospects inches you closer to successfully closing the deal. The presentation needs to answer the questions of “why” and “how” rather than just focusing on the “what”.rn4. Address Any Potential ObjectionsrnThe prospects would likely have queries and questions about your offering before agreeing to the deal. These points raised during the discussion stage are called objections, which need to be addressed for successfully closing the deal.rnAn experienced sales rep would tell you that the objections they face when interacting with the prospects tend to recur from time to time. You need to maintain a record of frequently asked questions and commonly faced objections. Come up with the best possible way to mitigate these objections and train every member of the sales team to handle these objections in a streamlined and uniform manner.rnVery rarely are you going to go into a sales pitch where the potential client already wants to buy your product. The whole point of sales pitches is for the client to decide if your product can satisfy the need that the client has. Expect a lot of questions and objections to come from the client. Also, don’t take offense if the client is asking a lot of questions because they just don’t want to waste their money!rn5. Close the DealrnNow that you’ve presented your product and answered any questions that the client may have, it\'s finally time to do what you met for in the first place, to close the deal. Just because you might be having an engaging discussion about your product with the customer doesn’t mean that they’re sold and ready to buy.rnBe sure to display confidence without coming off as arrogant because one wrong move and the entire deal could fall through.rnNow that you have the necessary steps needed to close a deal you show the world why your product or service is great and why it will be beneficial to buy it!rnAn easy to replicate and systematic sales process can help your sales reps accelerate the successful closing sales while decreasing the time required to close the deal.rnInterested in increasing your sales team efficiency through a well-designed sales framework? Expert sales consultants at Rosegarden Consulting can help your sales team unlock their true potential and bring in tangible business benefits. Contact us for a consultation now.\",
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How to Increase Your Sales Efficiency in 90 Days: Updated for 2020Blog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Now more than ever productivity and efficiency are important. I would make the argument that productivity is the outcome of efficiency and that the goal is to be more efficient and effective in your job, thus being more productive. So we should then focus on the root of productivity, being efficient. Effective is important too, you cannot forgo efficacy for efficiency, but if you’re being effective. We need to find ways to do more of it.rnrnTime, effort, and attention are all non-renewable resources, we must make the most of them.rnrnThese are imperatives for a truly effective revenue generating organization.rnIn 2018 we posted this guide with 4 main pointsrnrnQualify your leadsrnReduce the time needed to develop sale leadsrnIncrease Conversion RaternIncrease Average Order ValuernrnNow, these are all still good points of advice, but over the last 2 years, we’ve developed a deeper and better approach and have a greater impact on efficiency and result in development of a strategic sales plan.rnSales will always and forever be a balance in time and effort. There are always people who need what you’re selling, but they may or may not be looking for it or even be aware they need it yet. Sale’s job is to help them in that journey. Now, the biggest struggle is balancing the effort of being too much or too little to help someone get to this understanding.rn1. Make sure you’re clear on your ICP.rnFirst and foremost, if we’re talking about efficiency, we need to make sure that we’re at least talking to people who can benefit from what we do. Thus extreme clarity on your ICP (Ideal customer profile) is important.rnIf you’re trying to sell Ice to an Eskimo, you’re probably going to be wasting a lot of timernFocus on talking only to people who can benefit what you sell and speak directly to them in their language. rn2. Measure Lead QualityrnAll leads are not created equal. A lack of efficiency can be when reps are spending too much time on unqualified or underqualified leads and missing opportunities to talk to the most qualified leads who are most likely to make a decision.rnThe quality of your leads can be measured a number of different ways, but the most important and quickest way is through conversion metrics and lead scoring. rnConversion MetricsrnThese will show you where your process and skills are the weakest when you see a large drop off between different stages in the buyer’s decision-making process.rnBest practice suggests looking back at the data and sees how your best-performing ICP customers (now), went through the process and then compare your existing funnel and prospects. This should identify points of friction in lead qualification, conversation quality, and create a dynamic sales process.rnLead ScoringrnLead scoring applies a value to profile, activities, and actions taken by the lead. Weighted scores are assigned to different actions based on how much intent for purchase might be indicated by the action. These actions and scores are aggregated to total that allows for a ranking system of a lead’s quality compared to others.rnThis allows reps to prioritize the best and most qualified leads who are the most engaged first.rnAll Leads are not created equal, find the ones that best resemble your best-performing ICP and prioritize them. rn3. Quality Interactions over the Quantity of interactions.rnSales Tools and automation has made it easier than ever to put a highly powerful tool in the unskilled hands. Email, linkedin, and social media interactions are diluted with meaningless interactions. Quality stands apart and is transparent.rn100 mediocre emails are better than 1000 bad ones, which are both worse than 20 amazing ones.rnFocus on quality first. Then figure out how to scale it. rn4. But Quantity also matters.rnYou can’t take so few shots that you go hungry.rnIn a world where Account-Based Activity/Sales/Marketing is all the rage (and rightfully so because as we mentioned spam is diluting every message out there), it’s important to know that volume does matter when it comes to sales.rnJust because you target an account that can benefit from what you do, doesn’t mean you can will a sale into existence. Companies have contracts and relationships and many times are just lazy or stubborn. So don’t sell yourself on someone who isn’t willing to change and make sure you’re speaking your efforts around.rnI think of sales like planting seeds to grow your own food but you have limited water (water here is your time, it’s limited but nothing happens without it). You know the seed should grow if you water it. But the reality is that not every seed will result in an adult plant that you can eat and survive. You can’t water all of them or else you’ll run out of water and nothing will grow, but you can’t only water a few of them because some might not grow at all and you’ll go hungry. So you must strike a balance and water just enough of them so that your best chance at eating.rn5. Automate what can be safely automated.rnAutomation is powerful and must be used effectively. These days there is a piece of software for everything. If you had an unlimited budget would you want unlimited tools? All of the shiny toys? The answer is no, because its all about how/if the team’s use them that adds value to the process.rnSome sales teams use sales automation tools incredibly effectively, while others are burning leads and diminishing their chances at a deal no and in the future.rnWhere some have a nurture process that automatically reminds them to follow up or even do it for them, other’s are so burned by the step-by-step process of the tool stack that they are paralyzed and start using spreadsheets again or ignore the tool altogether.rnAutomation is like perfume or cologne, a little goes a long way. The most effective uses are small and barely noticeable and if you’re noticing it too much, then it’s probably overwhelming.rnFinal ThoughtsrnThese can be easily forgot in the chaos of the day to day and the urgency of the moment, but if you’re ever seeing an underperforming sales org or you want to take the existing one to the next level focus on these 5 areas.rnrnFocus on talking only to people who can benefit what you sell and speak directly to them in their language.rnAll Leads are not created equal, find the ones that best resemble your best-performing ICP and prioritize them over the others. rnFocus on quality first. Then figure out how to scale it.rnQuantity matters. You need to plant and water enough seeds to be able to eat.rnWhen it comes to automation, a little goes a long way.rnrnIf you’re looking for some assistance with that 90-day strategy, we have the resources you need to succeed. Request a consultation and we’ll let you know how we can help.rn\",
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How to Motivate Your Sales TeamBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "There is a direct correlation between the motivation of your sales team and their performance. It is important to develop strategies to motivate your sales team to increase the performance of your company. It’s simple – the more motivated your salespeople are, the more sales your company will have.rnHowever, motivating a sales team can be a difficult task in modern businesses. Business owners and sales managers need a comprehensive strategy that leverages the power of psychology to motivate your sales reps to succeed while giving them access to the tools and resources necessary to do so.rnHere are some tried and tested strategies that you need to implement within your organization to amp up the levels of motivation within your sales team.rnMotivation Strategies for Sales Excellencern1. Establish Trust With Your Sales TeamrnTrust may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about motivation, but it may be the most important factor. Trust lays down the foundation for motivation and your sales team is no exception to it. In the absence of trust, two way communication between you and your sales reps cannot be established.rnIf your sales team doesn’t believe that their best interest is considered, they won’t be motivated to make sales for you. In order to motivate someone, they must be open about goals and concerns that they have, which won’t happen if trust has not been established. Being honest and straightforward with the members of your sales team will grow the trust.rnSo, how do you go about establishing trust within your team?rnCreate a culture of transparency. Foster two-way communication within the organization. Focus on being a leader rather than a boss and actively seek feedback from your team. Instead of simply telling your team that you trust them, show it to them through your actions too,rnWhen your sales reps believe that you have their best interests at heart, they will be intrinsically compelled to succeed and motivated to give their 100 percent.rn2. Determine How To Manage Individuals Effectively rnEverybody is different, and thrives within their own environment based on their personality. Because of this, not every salesperson should be managed the same way. Have a conversation with each individual salesperson and find out their preferences. There is no one-size fit all approach when managing a sales team and customization is the way forward when trying to achieve sales team motivation.rnOne-on-one communication is crucial for a high functioning and highly effective sales team. Engage with your sales reps on an individual level to uncover what works for them. Cater your strategy as per their individual needs and requirements. Be upfront and ask them what they need from you. What is the level of supervision and interactions they are comfortable with? Direct questions are an effective strategy going forward.rnBy tailoring the way you manage your sales team to the preferences of individuals, they will be more satisfied and you’ll get the most out of them. Not only that, but being responsive to the preferences of your salespeople will solidify the trust they have in you as a manager.rn3. Identify the individual motivatorsrnThe members of your sales team may have different motivations. While someone may thrive on monetary returns, others need rewards and recognition to stay motivated. Some sales reps are intrinsically motivated while others need extrinsic motivators to keep them going.rnIt is important to identify what drives the individuals within your sales team and draft incentives that are designed to elicit performance. When building a sales team, drafting compensation plans that factor in the individual motivators is a great way of building a high performing and highly motivated sales team within your company.rn4. Implement Performance-Based Incentives rnPerformance based incentive work. They help to motivate individuals; especially sales professionals. There is a theory that they only work for the short-term, however, this isn’t always the case.rnPerformance based incentives don’t work for people who are just looking to coast. However, they’re highly effective for people who are hungry and already highly motivated. People who are hungry for sales actually lose their edge when their hunger isn’t rewarded. Planning a sales compensation structure that keeps your sales reps motivated to give every deal their best shot is something you need to be mindful about.rn5. Provide Regular and Useful Sales MeetingsrnThe keyword here is USEFUL. Sales meetings intended to micromanage and justify your position are useless. Having meetings where people collaborate with enthusiasm, share progress and ideas are highly useful and can serve as a reminder and re-energizer to a tired sales team.rnUse the team meeting as an avenue to recognize and reward the high performers. This not only fuels up the reps who achieved the goals but also act as a vital motivation booster for other team members to perform and excel as well.rnSales meetings should serve as a platform where you and your sales team set concrete goals. These goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time bound). Instead of micromanaging your team and dictating your terms on how you want your team to achieve the set goals, let the goals be the destination and let your team decide how they want to achieve the goals.rn 6. Be a leader, a Coach, and a Cheerleader for Your Sales TeamrnSales teams want a positive leader, who will motivate and provide positive reinforcement. If the team leader does nothing but criticize, micromanage and belittle then the salesperson is sure to lose their motivation fairly quickly.rnRather than being a boss, try and be a leader to your sales team. Walk the talk and motivate your team through actions rather than words.rnBe a coach when your team needs you and help them navigate through the tricky spots. Celebrate their wins and be their biggest cheerleader. Blur the lines of hierarchy within the team and give them the autonomy they need. Sales reps that have a sense of ownership of the results are the most driven to succeed.rn 7. Provide Opportunities for Professional DevelopmentrnContinuous training gives 50 percent higher net sales per employee. Providing learning and development opportunities to your sales team allows them to learn about the latest techniques and network with other like-minded professionals. It can serve as a catalyst for real inspiration when you connect with people who inspire and energize you!rnBy understanding what the sales reps need and proactively working towards providing it to them, you can unlock the true potential of your sales team, keep them motivated to close more deals and bring greater revenue for your business.rnLooking to increase your sales force effectiveness? Expert sales consultants are just a click away.\",
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Multiply Your Sales Through Others: Build A Sales TeamBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Successful sales are the building blocks of your business’ success and drivers of the business growth. For first-time entrepreneurs whose businesses are in the startup stage, the task of building a sales team becomes even more daunting.rnThe entrepreneur’s guide to building a successful sales teamrnThey either do not know how to sell themselves or are unaware of how to manage salespeople and build a successful sales team. These scenarios can serve to be problematic for entrepreneurs as sales are essentially the lifeblood of all businesses irrespective of the industry verticals your business is operating in. .rnStep 1: Understand the sales cyclernWhen creating a successful sales team and process, you must first and foremost fully involve yourself by engaging in the sales cycle. See the ebbs and flows to fully understand what’s needed. Only by involving yourself in the sales cycle you train and develop a team that understands the challenges and requirements.rnStep 2: Hiring the right teamrnWhen building a successful sales team, identify your current clients and your prospective clients and assets – then comprehend what type of individual they would want to meet with. This will help narrow down your list on which individuals you are willing to hire. A non-tangible factor to look for in a prospective employee is empathy, along with someone who is teachable. If your employee lacks empathy, then they won’t care about your clients as it is something that cannot be taught. And if they are unteachable then they have no chance of taking your company to new heights.rnStep 3: Develop a repeatable hiring processrnEvery single addition to your sales team has long term ramifications to your sales effectiveness. Having a well thought out hiring strategy and formulating a repeatable hiring process ensures that the people you hire are the right fit for your team. Shortlist the roles that you need to hire first. An innate understanding of your business is crucial to attract the right talent for each role, shortlist and hire the right candidates and successfully onboard them within your organization.rnStep 4: Design an effective compensation plansrnWhen you are first starting out you want highly motivated sales reps on your team to take your business to the next level. Sales compensation plans can be a driving force in motivating your sales team to win more deals and drive more results. The performance of your sales team is tied directly to the compensation structure you draft so make sure that the pay and other benefits you offer is lucrative for the sales reps. Whether you are offering commissions, base salary, bonuses or a combination of these, the compensation plan and the benefits offered should be easily comprehensible by the new hires to keep them motivated.rnStep 5: Ensure access to the right tools to succeedrnHaving the best people in your team can only take you so far. If they don’t have the right tools to help them succeed, you likely won’t get the desired results. Whether it is an analytics software to keep track of the KPIs (key performance indicators) or CRM (customer relationship management) software to keep track of all the deals within the sales pipeline, you need to ensure your sales team has the access to the technology tools it needs to succeed and improve their sales performance.rnStep 6: Keep training and development integral to the sales teamrnAccess to growth opportunities is a great motivator to the sales team and in order to navigate the constantly evolving business scenarios, training and development opportunities are a lucrative affair. Ensuring that your sales reps get access to learning opportunities also has immense business benefits as well. It keeps the skills of your sales team sharpened and empowers them to excel at closing more deals effectively. Once you have selected the right individual it’s important to train them properly.rnHiring the right people for your businessrnBefore you successfully add the right people to your team, you need to come up with your list of requirements. Define the specific set of skills, level of experience that you require in your sales reps. Determine if you are looking for a generalist who can effortlessly don multiple hats or a specialist who is an expert in one particular field in sales.rnOnce you have a clearly defined picture of the role that requires filling, the next task on hand is shortlisting the candidates who you consider a right fit for the role. How do you ensure that the person you are considering is the right fit?rnAs an entrepreneur, you need to ask yourself these questions before you make the decision to hire.rnrnWould I buy from this person?rnWhat leads me to believe that this person will be as successful or more successful as me in selling my solution?rnHow can I nurture this person to achieve their full potential?rnrnThe individual you hire must have the necessary drive and passion for selling and or experience.rnEntrepreneur SuccessrnTo be successful in sales, you need to be somewhat of a self-starter as oftentimes salespeople get a lot of autonomy. Have the internal motivation needed to close deals and motivation can be for money or simply recognition. Some salespeople are notorious for running around in circles and never closing deals. Make sure your salespeople are also closing deals and collecting checks.rnWant to ensure that your business is set up for succeeding at sales? Our expert consultants are just a call away.\",
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A Strategic Sales Planning GuideBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Every business needs to have a strategic sales plan. Whether you’re a sales manager, sales executive, or business owner, your sales team will greatly benefit from an effective sales plan. But before we go deep into formulation of a sales plan, we need to cover the basics first. What exactly is a sales plan?rnrnA sales plan is akin to a business plan but rather than outlining the business generics, it focuses specifically on your sales strategy. It lays out your objectives, high-level tactics, target audience, and potential obstacles. A traditional business plan outlines the goals of your business, while a strategic sales plan details exactly how those goals will be executed.rnrnA sales plan will essentially outline the objectives and tactics that your company needs to use for selling. It will also focus on your target audience as well as any potential threats or barriers that you might encounter along the way. The sales strategy also aligns salespeople on shared goals and empowers them to do their best work.rnrnAn effective sales plan should fulfill the following objectives.rnrn tProvide strategic direction for your sales team.rn tCommunicate your company’s goals and objectives to your sales team.rn tLay down roles and responsibilities for individuals as well as sales leaders.rn tMonitor the progress of your sales reps and map it to the organizational goals.rn tGive measurable outcomes that can be quantifiedrnrnComponents of a Strategic Sales PlanrnNow that you know exactly what a sales plan is and understand its importance, it’s time to move forward and create one for your business.rnrnFor those of you who have never done this before, it may seem a bit intimidating. But as long as you have a guide or a template to follow, creating a strategic sales plan won’t be too challenging.rnrnThat’s what inspired me to create this guide. I’ve identified the components of a typical strategic sales plan. Follow this template and use it as a reference to create your own.rn1. Mission statementrnA mission statement will be the very first step of creating a sales plan.rnrnBy stating the vision of your company, it ensures that your entire sales department is on the same page. Ultimately, this will help improve the performance of your sales team.rnrnYes, the ultimate goal of your business is to sell and make money. That goes without saying.rnrnBut the mission statement will include essential information about the background and purpose of your business as well. It’s also helpful to include a brief history of how the business got started and mention the inspiration for its inception. At times, this story can be a powerful sales tool.rn2. Sales teamrnYour sales department needs to have clearly defined roles. Everyone should know their position and know who they should be reporting to.rnrnFor those of you with larger companies, you may have several sales managers overseeing different salespeople.rnrnIf you have a smaller company that’s planning to scale and add members to the sales team in the future, include this information in the sales plan as well.rnrnYou’ll want to explain those job titles and exactly when you plan to add new roles to the team. A dynamic sales process that lets your sales team scale as your business grows is an absolute necessity.rnrnrn3. Target audiencernAre you planning to sell B2C or is B2B more your niche? Properly identifying your target market is arguably the most crucial step of any strategic sales plan. Your company isn’t selling to everyone and anyone.rnrnDefine your niche. Know who your customers are and what industries they’re in.rnrnUnderstand their wants, needs, and position yourself to solve problems that these people might be facing on a daily basis.rnrnFormulate the ideal customer profile (ICP) that your sales team needs to focus their efforts on. By having a clear understanding of the target audience, your sales reps can work on closing deals with the leads that have the maximum conversion potential and excel at sales.rnrnDepending on what you’re selling, your target market might be segmented into different categories. For example, let’s say your business sells enterprise software. The buyer personas for accounting software will be different from the buyer personas for marketing software.rnrnEven though you might be selling both to the same business, you’ll be targeting different people within that organization.rn4. Sales resourcesrnWhat will your sales team use to drive conversions?rnrnYour sales plan needs to include any software and tools that you’ll be providing to your staff.rnrnGiving your team the proper resources to set them up for success will ultimately increase your sales productivity.rnrnYour strategic sales plan should also outline the sales training process as well as any other documents or guides that your staff will be using as a resource.rn5. Market position and strategyrnYour business doesn’t operate in a vacuum. There are outside factors that will have a major impact on your sales.rnrnUnderstand the competitive market scenario. Conduct a SWOT analysis for identifying where your organization stands in the market.rnrnIdentify the biggest competitors. Know their products and how they compare to what you’re selling. Compare their pricing strategy to yours. Use this information to figure out how you’re going to market yourself to your previously defined target audience.rnrnHave a strategy for all of your products. Monitor how the strategy impacts your sales.rnrnFor example, you may realize that a 10% price reduction for a specific product yields a 20% increase in monthly sales. Whereas a 5% price increase could cause an 8% drop in sales for another product.rnrnDefine your lead generation strategy. Then explain how your sales team will qualify those leads.rnrnMake sure that your team isn’t wasting time with consumers who don’t meet all of the criteria for your prospecting strategy.rn6. Actionable goals and objectivesrnMost sales goals are based on revenue. But with that said, you need to make sure that you have an actionable plan and objectives to meet those goals.rnrnLet’s say your overall goal is $15 million in annual revenue. That’s a big number to reach without breaking it down into specific objectives that will bring you to that total.rnrnFor example, you could have specific objectives based on increasing referral rates by a certain percentage each quarter. Then, explain the actionable steps that your team will need to take in order to reach those percentages.rnrnIn addition to revenue, you can set goals based on sales volume as well.rnrnWhatever approach you decide to take will need to include steps and milestones in order to achieve those objectives.rnrnDon’t just pull numbers out of thin air. Look at your past. Using figures from last year or last quarter to help you create benchmarks will improve the accuracy of sales forecasting and ensure that your goals are realistic. rnrnIt’s also worth noting that your sales department will likely have several goals.rnrnInclude all of them in your strategic sales plan. But rank them in order of importance. This way everyone will be on the same page and they’ll know what to prioritize.rn7. BudgetrnOutline all of the costs associated with your sales plan. Your budget will likely include things such as:rnrn tEmployee salariesrn tCommissionrn tTraining costsrn tSales resources and softwarern tPrizes and incentives for your sales team (other than commission)rn tTeam building eventsrn tTravel costsrn tFood and drinkrnrnThen compare your budget to your sales forecast to make sure that the budget is reasonable. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure that you’re not overspending.rnFinal ThoughtsrnYour company needs a strategic sales plan.rnrnThis will benefit everyone from the sales team to mid-level managers, all the way up to the owner and executive level of your organization.rnrnYou should be creating sales plans on a regular basis. For example, you can have an overall plan for the year. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make changes as time passes.rnrnCreate a 30-day sales plan, 60-day sales plan, or 90-day sales plan to meet your short term goals. rnrnFor those of you who need additional assistance with this, request a consultation with us here at Rose Garden and we’ll help you create a customized strategic sales plan.rn\",
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Crucial Tips for Improving Your Sales Team’s Performance: 2020 VersionBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Back in 2017 when we originally wrote this, these were meant to address and help clients tackle the biggest challenges and areas of opportunity. Since then many of these have been addressed as a collective sales culture, but some still persist. We believe that now is the right time to revisit this topic and update for 2020. rnI should note that if you read the first version you might notice that it has been edited. This was to emphasize and clarify the original points, but also provide a 2020 point of view and add any additional points that we tend to see in sales teams. rnAs a business owner or sales manager, I’m sure you’ve picked up your fair share of sales tricks throughout your career. Along the way, you’ve probably passed those strategies along to your team.rnBut with that said, the landscape of the sales industry is constantly evolving. Tactics that you used to reach customers five or ten years ago may not work today.rnIt doesn’t matter how big your company is or what you’re selling—sales performance starts at the top.rnThis means that it’s up to you to give your sales team the tools they need to succeed.rnAs an expert in this in space, I’ve narrowed down the seven most important tips that every sales manager needs to know. Implementing these tactics will increase the performance of your sales team.rn1. Develop A Sales PlanrnIt may sound so obvious, but you’d be surprised how many often I consult with companies that haven’t created a sales plan.rnYour sales plan will act as a roadmap for your sales team. This plan should outline all of the team’s roles, responsibilities, KPIs, process, and go to market strategy.rnThis same concept can be applied to your sales strategy. But if you define everyone’s role in the team and explain which tasks need to be prioritized the most, you’re setting them up for success.rnNot only is it your job to create the sales plan, but it’s also your responsibility to make sure everyone follows it accordingly.rn2020 Update: rnWe’ve learned over the last 5-6 years that most of the time leaders who are in high growth companies rarely have the time for something like this and that’s alright...until (dramatic pause). Until they’re ready to scale and then it makes scaling (an already difficult task, into a damn near herculean task). In our experience its a luxury to build this all at once with all of the resources at your fingertips. Most high performing companies tend to assemble these as they grow, instead of trying to do it all at once. Most of the clients we work with, hire us because they need help with the heavy lift of doing it all at once and it’s not a small or easy task. rnIt’s best to help yourself out and bite off chunks as you grow. rnOne tip would be to have one additional piece added with each additional rep you hire. That way they can act as a ‘trigger’ to remind you but also as a guinea pig to test it with and by a few reps in, you’ll have a team and a complete plan. rn2. Monitor, Benchmark, & Optimize Sales MetricsrnWhat gets measured, gets managed.rnWithout using specific metrics or analytics, you have no way to know if things are going well or if they need improvement.rnIf you monitor your sales metrics on a regular basis, you’ll also be able to identify your team’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to double-down on the strategies that work, and make adjustments in areas where your team needs improvement.rn2020 Update: rnMetrics driven sales was ‘all the rage’ from 2015 to 2018. The market was flooded with tools that could track almost every click or step your rep makes. The reason this data and analytics rose to such important stature was that there were nuggets of real gold in the data about how to be more effective when talking to reps and identifying the right times to have those conversations. rnThen we hit a bit of a turning point when metrics started to overrule and became too powerful of a measure. Sales processes became too rigid and there was undue burden put on reps to constantly learn new software and comply with new procedures. It began to feel like we were trying to take humans out of sales and automate it. rn Metrics in the wrong hands can be over analyzed and be too rigid, but on the other hand no metric insights is missing a ton of opportunity. rnSo in 2020, there is a balance to be struck. This is why a sales operations function in conjunction with an experienced sales leader tends to be the best combination of sales metrics managing for success. They will know the baseline or benchmarks are and when to correct or follow a trend. rn3. Schedule Team Meetings on a Regular BasisrnMost businesses have a weekly sales meeting, but how productive are those meetings?rnAll too often I consult with business owners and sales managers that hold these meetings without a real structure or takeaway value behind them. Most of the time, they just have all their sales reps sit around a table and read out their numbers and talk about why they did or didn’t hit their number.rnYour sales meetings need to be laser focused around topics that motivate meaningful actions. These meetings should reinforce the focus, goals, and KPIs that have been outlined in your sales plan, broken down into weekly or daily achievements.rnIn addition to team meetings that focus progress towards the strategic achievements, it is also important to have meetings with each individual sales rep on a weekly basis.rnThese one-on-one meetings should be short 30min or less. But it’s a great way to evaluate and offer tailored advice and coaching to your team members.rnBut understand that there is a difference between pipeline meetings and coaching meetings.rn2020 Update: rnWe’ve seen great effectiveness with meetings, but only ones that have a clear purpose. If you’re failing to have a clear purpose, you’ll have reps schedule over meeting times, be disengaged, and it’s ultimately a waste of time then. Its best to have a clear purpose, agenda, and outcome that everyone will have. Teams of sales reps are incredibly diverse and cannot be treated all the same. That is why you need meeting to address the main needs: team morale, motivation, culture, individual coaching/feedback, and qualitative revenue pipeline. rnWe have seen great success with clients who utilize 5 types of sales meetings to address those respective areas; Monday Morning Meetings, Friday Weekly Wrap Up Meetings,Coaching or 1-on-1, Pipeline, and Daily Stand up. rnThese total only 3.5hrs per week on average, so it\'s not a large time commitment when they are organized and prepared for properly. When executed properly, it covers all the necessary needs to feed and maintain a highly productive sales organization. rnMonday Morning Meetings (aka Weekly Sales Team Meetings) are the typical weekly sales meetings that set the tone and direction for the week. They are typically an hour long and focus on what needs to be accomplished that week and raising the emotional motivation of the reps for the week ahead. rnFriday Weekly Wrap Up Meetings, are a weekly wrap up meeting that is a short 30min recap of the week and is mostly meant to highlight the achievements of the team. rnCoaching or 1-on-1 meetings typically focused around calls that have occurred and are a blow-by-blow of prepared analysis and tailored advice for each rep. These are an hour long and occur every other week typically because they take a lot of time to prep for. rnPipeline Meetings are a 30min meeting that happen every other week. They focus not just on what deals the reps have in the pipeline but it is a critical examination of each deal and what could go wrong. It should result in a path to close plan for each deal after the meeting that should be updated in the next meeting. rnDaily Stand-ups occur daily first thing in the morning and set the tone for the day. Its a way for reps to get in the right headspace, to warm up, and to hit the floor laser focused on what they need to accomplish. These typically do take place standing and move very quickly around the room. Less than 15min typically. Each rep takes turns talking about what went well the previous day, what they are committing to for today, and identifying any challenges/blockers that would prevent that from happening. Many times the sales leader will present a warm up exercise for the team as well to get their brains and voices warmed up. rn4. Take Advantage of Sales CRMrnThe best way to manage your leads is with Customer Relationship Management software, better known as “CRM” for short.rnManually tracking your leads with spreadsheets, whiteboards, or pen and paper are all outdated strategies. But CRM software makes it easy for you to track your current and prospective customers as they move throughout the sales cycle.rnTools like this ensure that all of your leads get followed up within a timely manner and that nobody gets lost in the shuffle.rnCRM software can also help you monitor your sales metrics, which we talked about earlier. These platforms can generate reports with analytics that show you how well your team is performing.rnYou can also use CRM software to help you create forecasts for sales and revenue.rn2020 Update: rnBack in 2017 when we wrote this, CRMs were the ‘hot ticket’ and were in the mass market adoption phase. Everyone was scrambling to get one. Now in 2020, they are the foregone conclusion and expectation for all organizations. Reps have experience with 2 or 3 nowadays. There are even more choices than ever before. rnAn emerging trend that will become much more important in the next 2-3 years is that niche industry specific ones have emerged and there are ones that fit the need and growth trajectory for new companies as well. rnIt’s a widely known secret inside Sales Operations communities that 1% of Salesforce’s install base, is $1B market. That is leaving a large room for niche players to pick off very specific markets. rnThat is why in 2020, the most important thing is adoption/usability and accuracy at this point rather than just having ‘any old CRM’. The best CRM is the one that your team uses. rnAt this point there are two major approaches to CRMs, and that is investing in an ecosystem like Salesforce from the beginning and growing into it or scaling your CRM with your business. This can be expensive and complicated, to start, but easier and less painful to scale. The other is to pick the right solution for your current size and needs. For that strategy you’ll end up moving through 2 or 3 different systems throughout the growth of your business. This will be easy to start, because you dont have too much data or customizations to migrate to a new system. As you grow, you’ll likely have to make a hard choice between investing in a new system that is a complicated and extended migration or sticking to a limiting and expensive current system that isnt serving your business very well anymore. rnAt this point, in 2020, most CRM work and are effective. So just pick the right ones for you and your business, the one that people will undoubtedly use correctly. rn5. Leverage Email Marketing SoftwarernAs long as we’re on the topic of using technology to improve sales productivity, I figured it would be a good time to talk about email marketing software.rnUse automation to your advantage.rnYour sales reps can only make one phone call at a time. But email software makes it possible for them to contact hundreds or even thousands of leads simultaneously.rnPlus, these tools will give your team added insight and information about your leads and customers. You’ll know specifically which recipients opened the message, and if they clicked on any links inside. You can this data segment your subscribers based on their position in the sales funnel.rnSet up automated drip campaigns. These are a series of messages that automatically get sent to new subscribers or customers before, during, and after they make a purchase.rn2020 Update: rnThis is more true than ever, but not from a marketing standpoint, but from a sales efficiency standpoint. Investing in a sales automation/communication software like a Salesloft, Outreach.io, Yesware, Klenty, and many others, you’re able to automate follow up accountability at scale. This not only maximises your rep’s time and efforts, but also gives clients a consistent experience. rnFor those who aren’t up on these trends yet, these solutions can automate email follow up, calls, voicemails, and even can remind reps when to follow up on deals already in the pipeline, not just prospecting. They can connect and send messages through Linkedin and send text messages as well. They’re incredible powerful software solutions to engage potential clients. rnAs they say with great power comes great responsibility and these tools have the ability to be incredibly annoying for potential clients when abused. At its’ worst, reps can use them to spam and harass prospects with untargeted and generally poor outreach. At its best, these act as built in playbooks or outreach cadences that demand reps take action instead of managers and leaders needing to make sure they’re doing it, they can know when they do not, which is much more valuable. Think of it as less prodding and more coaching. rnIf you have yet to invest in a sales automation platform/solution, it’s about time. You’d likely see a 5-10x return on your sales efforts. rn6. Prioritize the CustomerrnIt’s not about the product. It’s not about the sales pitch. It’s not about the brand name.rnEverything is about the customer.rnYou need to make your sales team understand this. Have them focus more on who the customer is, what they need, and what they want. Then you can position yourself in a way that solves their problems.rnIf you’re taking the exact same approach when you’re selling to three different customers then you’re doing it wrong. The “stick to the script” approach is outdated.rnToday, customers want a personalized touch, and it’s your responsibility to give that to them.rn2020 Update: rnBy and large this advice still stands, “customers want a personalized touch, and it’s your responsibility to give that to them.”rnThat is true. Unless you’re in a truly remarkable position and are pioneering a new product category or niche, and even then you have a whole other host of challenges to get your message through. Otherwise in most cases your potential clients are overwhelmed with solutions, choices, and challenges. rnThey don\'t know which is the best solution for them. They are bombarded with information, content, and PTSD from bad salespeople. They are skeptical and distrustful because it’s so easy for new software or service to pop-up and be almost indistinguishable from established ones. That is why now more than ever, clients are learning towards social proof, peer reviews, and referrals. rnIn 2020, if you want to set yourself apart and connect with people, you want to provide a client centric and personalized approach, make sure to connect them to these sources of information. rn7. Motivate Your Sales TeamrnDriving your sales team goes far and beyond monetary bonuses, prizes, and a fully stocked refrigerator in the break room.rnAs a business owner, company leader, or sales manager, you need to inspire your staff. Get them excited about making sales.rnIf you show up to the office looking like you just rolled out of bed and don’t say “good morning” to anyone, that is the tone and expectation you’re setting for the day.rnYou’ve got to learn how to create a company sales culture that brings your team together and ultimately motives them to perform better.rn2020 Update: rnThis is just as true as ever and will never change. Culture trumps talent. rnThere is no way that a few good/talented reps can outperform a high performing culture in the long run. You may think of a few times that strong reps have carried a team or company, but you’re probably only selectively remembering the time they did and forgetting about the times they didn\'t. Or even if they did it all the time, it didn\'t last forever, because it’s unsustainable for one reason or another (ie bankrupting the company or the rep goes somewhere else to make more money).rnThe point is that, strong cultures raise the bar for the entire team and everyone gives their all. Its been proven over and over again that it’s better to have a team of reps hitting 80% of their quota than just a few reps at 120%. rn If you’re a sales leader and you know people could be trying harder and are not the first place you better look, is at your culture. rnIt starts from the top down.rnSales Leaders set the tone for their team, consciously and subconsciously. Reps are picking up on the small things whether you like it or not, so if you’re a sales leader and unable to handle that level of scrutiny being the leader of a sales team might not be for use. They see when you make excuses, give others a pass, and favoritism. They see if you let failing reps or underperforming reps get second and third chances.rnThe point is, culture is the rising tide that floats all boats, but it\'s easier said than done. rnFinal ThoughtsrnThese tips are not difficult to implement. Although some of them may sound simple, you’d be surprised by how effective the results can be.rnSo keep this list handy and use it to boost the performance of your sales team.rnWhat’s different in 2020.. (besides everything). rnSales agility is the key to winningrnIn 2020 it’s more important than ever to stay flexible and agile. These are changing times and the sales environment is different now that it was 2 months ago and will be different in 3 months from now. Some of these tips are evergreen and some are timely, but these are where we see most teams have opportunity to grow. rnIt’s important to have a review process that looks at what is working and why, that is both qualitative and quantitative is fundamental to being a market leader in this new sales environment. Marry the data and analytics to the feedback from reps and clients with and observations of experienced leaders for the best insights and strategies. rnData + Tech are a double edged sword. rnIn the current environment data and technology is a great advantage but in the wrong hands data can be used as a crutch and it’s too easy to over analyze sales and funnel data, creating a rigid awkward process. There are software solutions for every thing you can imagine and that tech stack can easily become a very expensive burden to a rep. rnSales must be allowed to flow, it cannot be entirely regimented. Structure is important and creates consistency, but as long as humans are involved in buying there must be flexibility in selling. rnIt’s best to create loose frameworks for reps to work in, templates and guidelines are best. This allows reps to operate at maximum efficiency and efficacy, not just checking boxes to checkboxes. rnHumanity is a winning strategyrnWhether you want to call it ABM, ABS, or personalization, hyper targeted and personally relevant information is what is going to create successful sales interactions. We already touched on this in the topic about customer centric experience above, but this is important to take it a step further. Mostly because the topic of Account Based Selling, ABM or Account Based Marketing has been such a buzzword for the last 4-5 years. rnWe are seeing a rise in things like physical mailings, gifts, and 1-to-1 messages resonate deeply with the market these days. People need to be reminded that there is another human on the other end of this computer and that they genuinely care about helping them solve their problems. Taking the time to do that, makes a difference. rnSo take the time and personalize and be thoughtful. You might be surprised at how when you’re honest and human, how well that resonates with another human being and you might just end up winning a deal from it.rnIf you’re curious about how to approach or execute on any of these topics the Rose Garden team is here to help. We’ve helped dozens of companies over the past 2 years make meaningful changes to their sales process to achieve new revenue heights. Little changes can go a long way. rnLet us show you how. Book time to talk with us here. \",
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The Benefits of Having a Sales Management ConsultantBlog
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"blog_copy_content": "Sales Management Consultant BenefitsrnFresh PerspectivernA sales management consultant brings a new set of eyes to your sales department and organization.rnrnrnrnI have seen CEOs and founders unable to identify any inefficiencies in their process because they are too close to the situation. This is especially true when founding sales teams or CEOs initially set up the operations of your current sales team.rnrnHowever, outside sales management consultants bring an unbiased perspective to the table.rnrnAfter analyzing your company, operation, and industry, they can quickly determine the areas that need the most improvement. A consultant will also help you identify the sales team\'s strengths, leveraged to increase sales productivity.rnIndustry KnowledgernA great sales management consultant doesn’t just take a generic sales template and apply it to every company that they work with. There isn’t a one size fits all selling strategy that works for everyone.rnrnYour sales consultant will take the time to learn about your industry. It’s likely that they’ve already worked with other companies in your niche or category in the past.rnrnOnce they have a firm grasp of your industry and market needs, they’ll help you create a customized sales playbook.rnrnThis resource will ultimately become the blueprint that your sales representatives will use to successfully close deals and make sales.rnSales ExpertisernA sales consultant brings a level of expertise to your company that you can\'t find from a salesperson or sales manager.rnrnrnrnEven an executive won\'t have as much selling experience as a sales management consultant.rnrnThink about it like this. What is the average number of sales jobs undertaken by your current sales reps or sales manager? Maybe two or three?rnrnYou may be lucky and have a handful of individuals on your sales team with experience in four or five different companies. Your other sales reps may have been with you their entire sales career.rnrnA sales management consultant works with multiple businesses daily. I work with dozens of companies every year.rnrnTrust me; I have seen it all. And any quality sales management consultant has seen it all too.rnrnThey know how to respond to nearly any situation because they have the experience and track record to prove it.rnrnAsk any prospective sales management consulting firm for success stories or case studies. This information will give you a deeper understanding of their sales expertise.rnrn \",
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"blog_copy_content": "Lead GenerationrnEven if you have an outstanding sales team, your staff is only as good as the leads that they’re given.rnrnrnrnYour sales department and marketing department can’t operate independently from each other. If there is a disconnection between these two components of your business, the quality of your leads will suffer.rnrnA sales management consultant will assess your lead generation process. In doing so, the consultant will find ways to get a higher quantity of more qualified leads.rnrnAll of this will be outlined in your customized sales playbook, which we discussed earlier. Each lead will need to meet certain criteria before a salesperson pitches your products or services.rnrnUltimately, this will improve the performance of your sales team.rnIncrease ConversionsrnOnce you get more qualified leads, your conversion rates will automatically increase. But better leads aren\'t the only way to drive higher conversions.rnrnrnrnEvery salesperson has specific tips and tricks to close a sale. Some of these are more successful than others.rnrnAs I said before, sales management consultant has worked with many different companies throughout their careers. This means that they\'ve worked side by side with hundreds or even thousands of salespeople.rnrnSo, a consultant will know which sales methods work. They can pass this insightful information to your staff to set them up for success.rnCost-EffectivernI\'ll often get asked why a company shouldn\'t just hire a new employee instead of working with an outside sales management consultant.rnrnrnrnIn addition to all of the benefits we already covered, a sales consultant is more cost-effective than a full-time in-house employee.rnrnFor a new hire, you\'ll pay for training in addition to the payroll expenses and taxes associated with having an employee. You\'ll also have to pay for benefits and vacation time.rnrnYou won\'t have any of these costs associated with a sales management consultant.rnrnPlus, work is scalable based on your needs. Depending on your current situation, you may not need 40+ hours per week of sales consulting services. Other times, you might need 60+ hours per week of consulting.rnrnYou may want to work with a consultant for specific project management requirements. With a consultant, the flexibility you get can\'t be replicated with an in-house employee.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "rnRose Garden Consulting is a world-class sales management consulting firm specializing in redefining your process into a quality sales experience. We ignite revenue growth with transformative solutions based on behavioral economics.rnrnWe help close deals faster and at a higher rate. Rose Garden uses a combination of assessments to identify sales team members\' strengths and motivators, also providing you with lousy culture fits and recommendations. We present our Team Member Assessment findings in a one-day workshop.rnrnWe also recommend our sales accelerator assessment that provides you with an in-hand diagnostic and sales experience road map for quick results.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Final ThoughtsrnIn today\'s ever-evolving sales landscape, new businesses need to stay up-to-date and ahead of the competition at all times. We provide Founders and CEOs with hands-on coaching to create systems & strategies to scale their sales team. You can\'t afford to leave anything up to chance.rnrnGet started with a Team Assessment or dive right in with our Sales Accelerator.rnrnHere at Rose Garden, we offer a wide range of consulting services. So let us know more about your company and we’ll discuss your needs during a free consultation.\",
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Steps For Building a Sales StrategyBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Your business needs to have a sales strategy.rnrnThis statement holds true whether you’re selling SaaS or tangible products. It doesn’t matter if you operate as a B2B, D2C, or a combination of the two. Regardless of your industry, the size of your business, or the age of your company, coming up with an effective sales strategy needs to be a priority.rnrnFor those of you who have never done this before, you might not know where to start. The rest of you might have an existing sales strategy in place that needs improvement.rnrnIn either scenario, it’s best for you to start from the beginning and re-write your sales strategy from scratch.rnrnAs a sales expert who has created countless sales strategies for more than 100 businesses, I’ve come up with a process for building an effective sales strategy in just 8 simple steps.rn1. Assess Your Current BenchmarksrnThe first thing you need to do is figure out where your company stands right now. You can’t plan for your future without evaluating your past.rnrnCreating benchmarks using the previous calendar year of sales is the easiest way to do this.rnrnLook at your total sales and determine the percentage of that number that will be repeat business for the upcoming year.rnrnIdentify your most profitable clients. Measure the performance of each member of the sales team. Look at your customer support metrics.rnrnThe list of things you can assess goes on and on.rnrnOnce you’re able to identify these benchmarks, you can use them to plan for your strategy moving forward. Figure out what has changed (if anything), and find areas where you can grow.rn2. Identify Your Target MarketrnWho are you selling to?rnrnEvery other component of your sales strategy needs to revolve around this concept. If your target audience isn’t clearly defined, then your sales strategy is going to have problems.rnrnFirst, start with a broad customer profile. For example, your SaaS company could be targeting technology startups in the United States.rnrnFrom here, create a customer persona. This will be much more detailed.rnrnMaybe you’re targeting CMOs or CFOs within those companies. The customer persona will include detailed information about their demographics and behavior.rnrnOver time, your personas will be redefined as you learn more about your customers and target market. So while it’s a crucial step in building a sales strategy, understand that the personas can change, as they should.rn3. Run a SWOT AnalysisrnI’m sure most of you are familiar with the concept of SWOT. The acronym stands for:rnrn tStrengthsrn tWeaknessesrn tOpportunitiesrn tThreatsrnrnIt’s something that you probably did back when you first launched your company. But you should continue using this method for building an effective sales strategy.rnrnYour marketing department, sales department, product development team, and customer support representatives should all be part of this process.rnrnTake the time to identify where your company excels. Then figure out the areas where you need improvement. Discover new opportunities in your market.rnrnAlways try to recognize any potential threats. These could be internal threats or threats related to your competition.rnrnYou need the information in all four of these categories to build a sales strategy. If you’re just ignoring SWOT, then you could miss out on new opportunities or potentially be put out of business by one of your threats.rn4. Define Your Marketing StrategyrnSales won’t happen without effective marketing.rnrnEven if your sales staff is exceptional, they won’t have anyone to sell to if your company doesn’t have any leads.rnrnYou’ll use the information from your SWOT analysis and customer personas to create a marketing strategy. Figure out how you can reach your target audience. Find ways to qualify those leads before they land on the desks of your salespeople.rnrnIt’s important for your sales team and marketing team to work together.rnrnThe two departments won’t reach their full potential if they operate completely independent from each other. Of course, the responsibilities of each team will be very different.rnrnBut holding weekly or bi-weekly meetings with your sales team and marketing team at the same time will help get everyone on the same page. This will make it easier for you to define your marketing plan while you’re creating a sales strategy.rn5. Clearly Establish Sales RolesrnEveryone on your sales team should not have the same responsibilities. Play to the strengths of your staff.rnrnFor example, your inbound sales team and outbound sales team should be segmented.rnrnAn inbound sales manager needs to be an expert in top of the funnel trends. They need to figure out how to increase conversions from different marketing channels. Getting highly qualified leads also needs to be a priority for this department.rnrnWhereas sales managers who oversee outbound sales need to focus more on training the sales staff on the value and benefits of the product or software being sold.rnrnThe two departments are very different. So each should have different teams with different managers and assigned roles.rn6. Define Your GoalsrnYou want to close more sales. You want to make more money. However, these are not goals for a sales strategy.rnrnBe more specific by clearly establishing your goals.rnrnRevenue is important and should obviously be a priority. But you need to add other key metrics into your sales strategy as well. Otherwise, you’ll never reach those revenue targets.rnrnHere’s an example. In order to close one retainer deal, you might need to have 50 leads, 10 exploratory calls, 5 goal setting calls, and 2 presentations.rnrnIn order to define these KPIs, start with your sales goals and work backward.rnrnYou can also create short term milestones to ensure that you’re on track to reach those goals. Have milestones for 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days to increase your sales productivity.rn7. Create an Actionable PlanrnSo far everything we’ve talked about for your sales strategy involved recognizing and defining different areas of your business, team, market, and customers.rnrnBut now it’s time to put that information into action.rnrnWhat steps will you actually take to in order to drive sales? Be specific.rnrnCome up with a list of tasks that needs to be completed for you to reach your benchmarks and goals.rnrnThen assign those tasks, with due dates, to the appropriate members of your staff.rnrnThe actionable plan shouldn’t just involve your salespeople. Include tasks and work for sales managers and your marketing department as well.rnrnrn8. Review and RevisernA common mistake that I see businesses make all of the time is that they fail to refine or pivot from their existing sales strategy.rnrnThings change.rnrnA new company could enter the market posing an added threat to your business. Or maybe your supplier changed and your production costs increased.rnrnBlindly following your sales strategy without making any adjustments is not an efficient way to operate.rnrnIn a perfect world, you’ll create a plan and everything will go accordingly. But the world we live in is far from perfect. As a business owner, I’m sure you know by now that things rarely go according to plan all of the time. Always prepare to make adjustments.rnFinal ThoughtsrnWhen you break it down one step at a time, building a sales strategy is not that complicated.rnrnBut like anything else, the more often you do something, the easier it becomes. That’s why you should consider working with a sales consultant to help you plan and execute your sales strategy.rnrnConsultants have experience creating strategies for businesses of all shapes and sizes, so they know what works and what doesn’t.rnrnFor those of you who need some extra assistance with building an effective sales strategy, request a consultation with the sales experts here at Rose Garden Consulting.rnrn\",
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7 Crucial Tips for Improving Your Sales Team’s PerformanceBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "As a business owner or sales manager, I’m sure you’ve picked up your fair share of sales tricks throughout your career. Along the way, you’ve probably passed those strategies along to your team.rnrnBut with that said, the landscape of the sales industry is constantly evolving. Tactics that you used to reach customers five or ten years ago may not work today.rnrnIt doesn’t matter how big your company is or what you’re selling—sales performance starts at the top.rnrnThis means that it’s up to you to give your sales team the tools they need to succeed.rnrnAs an expert in this in space, I’ve narrowed down the seven most important tips that every sales manager needs to know. Implementing these tactics will increase the performance of your sales team.rn1. Develop a Sales PlanrnIt may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many often I consult with companies that haven’t created a sales plan.rnrnHere’s the problem. Business owners and sales managers tend to be so focused on driving sales, that they skip over steps that don’t directly contribute to dollars. But contrary to popular belief, taking the time to develop a sales plan is not a waste of your time and resources.rnrnYour sales plan will act as a roadmap for your sales team.rnrnThis plan will outline all of the team’s objectives, goals, process, and strategy. Ultimately, a sales plan will define how your team measures success. rnrnLet me get back to the roadmap analogy. Would you expect your team to find their way to a new destination without a map or directions? Probably not.rnrnThis same concept can be applied to your sales strategy. But if you define everyone’s role in the team and explain which tasks need to be prioritized the most, you’re setting them up for success.rnrnNot only is it your job to create the sales plan, but it’s also your responsibility to make sure everyone follows it accordingly.rnrnrn2. Monitor Sales MetricsrnHow do you measure performance?rnrnWithout using specific metrics or analytics, you have no way to know if things are going well or if they need improvement.rnrnSales metrics can be misleading if you’re not monitoring them on a regular basis. If you just look at the figures for one day, month, or year, the numbers won’t tell you the full story.rnrnFor example, let’s say it takes one of your sales reps 20 cold calls before they’re able to schedule an appointment. Is that number too high? Does it need improvement? Is it good?rnrnThere’s no way to answer that question unless you’re able to establish patterns over time using KPIs (key performance indicators).rnrnIf you monitor your sales metrics on a regular basis, you’ll also be able to identify your team’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to double-down on the strategies that work, and make adjustments in areas where your team needs improvement.rn3. Schedule Team Meetings on a Regular BasisrnIf you’re like most businesses, you probably have a weekly sales meeting with your team. But how productive are those meetings?rnrnAll too often I consult with business owners and sales managers that hold these meetings just for the sake of having one. There’s really no rhyme or reason behind them. Most of the time, they just have all their sales reps sit around a table and read out their numbers and talk about why they did or didn’t hit their number. Two problems with that:rnrn1 - It does nothing to motivate anyone, improve behavior or help results to just talk about past activities.rnrn2 - It bores everyone else at the table by wasting their time and dropping the energy level. That low energy is what they will take back for the week to their prospects.rnrnYour sales meetings need to be focused around topics that motivate your actions which will ultimately elevate your metrics related to your sales goals. These meetings will reinforce everything that has been outlined in your sales plan, and ensure that your team stays on course to complete their tasks.rnrnIn addition to team meetings that focus on big-picture strategies, I’d also recommend having meetings with each individual sales rep on a weekly basis. rnrnThese one-on-one meetings don’t need to be too long or take up too much of their time. But it’s a great way to evaluate and offer specific direction to your team members.rnrnBut understand that there is a difference between pipeline meetings and coaching meetings.rn4. Take Advantage Sales CRMrnThe best way to manage your leads is with content relationship management software, better known as “CRM” for short.rnrnManually tracking your leads with spreadsheets, whiteboards, or pen and paper are all outdated strategies. But CRM software makes it easy for you to track your current and prospective customers as they move throughout the sales cycle.rnrnTools like this ensure that all of your leads get followed up within a timely manner and that nobody gets lost in the shuffle.rnrnCRM software can also help you monitor your sales metrics, which we talked about earlier. These platforms can generate reports with analytics that show you how well your team is performing.rnrnYou can also use CRM software to help you create forecasts for sales and revenue.rn5. Leverage Email Marketing SoftwarernAs long as we’re on the topic of using technology to improve sales productivity, I figured it would be a good time to talk about email marketing software.rnrnUse automation to your advantage. rnrnYour sales reps can only make one phone call at a time. But email software makes it possible for them to contact hundreds or even thousands of leads simultaneously.rnrnPlus, these tools will give your team added insight and information about your leads and customers. You’ll know specifically which recipients opened the message, and if they clicked on any links inside. You can this data segment your subscribers based on their position in the sales funnel.rnrnSet up automated drip campaigns. These are a series of messages that automatically get sent to new subscribers or customers before, during, and after they make a purchase.rn6. Prioritize the CustomerrnIt’s not about the product. It’s not about the sales pitch. It’s not about the brand name.rnrnEverything is about the customer.rnrnYou need to make your sales team understand this. Have them focus more on who the customer is, what they need, and what they want. Then you can position yourself in a way that solves their problems.rnrnIf you’re taking the exact same approach when you’re selling to three different customers then you’re doing it wrong. The “stick to the script” approach is outdated.rnrnToday, customers want a personalized touch, and it’s your responsibility to give that to them.rn7. Motivate Your Sales TeamrnDriving your sales team goes far and beyond monetary bonuses, prizes, and a fully stocked refrigerator in the break room.rnrnAs a business owner or sales manager, you need to inspire your staff. Get them exciting about making sales.rnrnIf you show up to the office looking like you just rolled out of bed and don’t say “good morning” to anyone, you’re not doing a very good job of setting the tone for the day.rnrnYou’ve got to learn how to create a company sales culture that brings your team together and ultimately motives them to perform better.rnFinal ThoughtsrnThese tips are not difficult to implement. Although some of them may sound simple, you’d be surprised by how effective the results can be.rnrnSo keep this list handy and use it boost the performance of your sales team.rnrnFor those of you who still need some extra help with this, just request a consultation with us and we’d be happy to give you more information.rnrn\",
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Sales Consultation Services for Service-Based CompaniesBlog
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"body_copy_content": "rnrnMany CEOs and company managers in service-based businesses know that strategic management and sales operation differ from the product-based sales organization.rnrnHowever, I have met with others who fail to see the distinction. Let me quickly summarize.rnrnThe primary entity sold in a service provider is its professional services, and that distinction is essential. Any product element (physical or concrete) is incidental to that service.rnrnFor example, an accountant consulting business\'s written report is incidental to the consulting services performed. Other service-based companies include airlines, construction repair services, banking, SaaS solutions and services, law firms, accounting firms, and management consulting firms that span across industries like marketing and sales and many more.rnrnThe challenge for service-based companies is that customer success looks different to each business. Therefore, replicating a sales process and scaling a sales team to increase sales performance and revenue growth is custom-tailored. Sales consulting firms can bring your team out of a plateau or decline.rnrnThis guide will explain some tips you need to know about selling services.rnrnBut if any of these points you recognize as challenges in your own service-based business, then hiring a sales management consultant may be precisely the right course for you.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Service Business and Sales ConsultingrnrnrnSo, what does a service-based sales consultant do? The sales consultant will analyze a service-based sales organization\'s performance and position and implement transformative solutions by taking advantage of opportunities within the market. Sales management consultants evaluate the sales organization specifics and provide turn-key custom-tailor solutions to the sales process, operations, and team management.rnrnBefore you enter into a relationship with a sales consulting firm or individual sales consultant, you need to consider your exact business needs. And, this predominantly comes down to one question:rnrnWhat are you selling?rnrnThere is a big difference between selling products and selling services. So don\'t assume that a consultant who specializes in product sales will also be able to help your service-based company.rnrnYou will also likely need to hire a specialist within your service industry. Many people categorize service-based companies together under one umbrella, but critical differences distinguish each and the exact sales operations and strategy you should employ.rnrnGet sales consultants that specialize in your niche wherever possible.rnrnFor example, suppose you\'re selling SaaS or other services, you need to work with sales consulting services specializing in that niche.rnrnHere\'s an analogy.rnrnWould you hire a manager to oversee 200 employees in a Fortune 500 company if they currently manage a local restaurant with ten employees?rnrnJust because they are a manager doesn\'t qualify them for any management position. The roles are very different in these two scenarios.rnrnThe same concept can be applied to sales consulting. You need to find a consultant who knows how to sell services, specifically your type of services, instead of just products.rnrnSales consultants specializing in service-based sales organizations will ask fairly common questions around strategic sales management. However, the answers will vary widely for service businesses. The questions are listed below:rnrn tHave you fully defined the specific type of service business?rn tHow does your customer understand the value of your service?rn tHow can you defend your company from competitors?rn tHow do you set up a sales compensation strategy?rn tWhat is your pricing strategy?rn\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Describing ServicesrnThe key to selling a service is communicating precisely what you do to a prospect.rnrnIn a product-oriented business, the physical or concrete product is the base you build around a companies’ description. A product is physical and tangible to a prospect, so the work is half done in these cases.rnrnIn service-based businesses, you sell an abstract service that the prospect can\'t touch, kick or feel, so your sale technique requires more finesse.rnrnHere\'s a very straightforward example that\'s easy to follow. Selling a basketball is different than selling a basketball coaching service. Basketball is a tangible product described based on its size, surface, and use.rnrnDescribing a coaching service is different. You\'re not selling a physical coach, so the service shouldn\'t be described that way. Instead, you need to explain how the service works - though this is often more challenging.rnrnAnother challenge for service companies is they generally get lumped together, leading to the misunderstanding of service businesses. Though, they differ significantly. There is firstly a distinction between equipment-based and people-based service businesses.rnrn rnrnrnrnThe conventional interpretation of the service business is erroneous: \"as something performed by individuals for other individuals.\" Automated banking, online accounting services, and SaaS solutions are three examples of service providers automated by equipment. The sales organization and data analytics for these companies are entirely different from those where individuals perform services for other individuals.rnrnA working understanding of their differences allows a sales consultant to identify strategic opportunities in each.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Defend your business from competitorsrn rnrnAll businesses must build and protect a solid competitive position. Sales departments achieve this through carefully analyzing the economics of the company.rnrnThe competitive strategies that you use as a service business will differ from product-oriented markets.rnrnYour goal as a service provider should be to create an enduring institution. You create an enduring institution through the management of economies of scale, proprietary technology, and the company\'s reputation.rnrn rnLeverage social proof for company reputationrnrnrnServices are intangible. Since your service can\'t be seen or touched, your company needs to develop other ways to explain the value of your offer.rnrnJust telling a prospect that your service can help them or make their life more accessible doesn\'t mean anything to them. You need to prove it.rnrnStorytelling, customer testimonials, and case studies are great ways to accomplish this in the digital age.rnrnIf you can explain how your service helped other people, your prospects will be more inclined to buy.rnrnThe important rule for case studies is to be specific. If you\'re vague and say something like \"we help companies make more money,\" it doesn\'t prove anything. What does \"more money\" really mean?rnrnBut if you can say something like, we brought HH Land Development from $4.3 million in annual revenue to $14.9 million yearly income less than three years; then it speaks volumes to your prospects.rnrnNot every customer will be comfortable letting you use personal information like annual revenue in a case study. That\'s OK.rnrnGet them to provide customer testimonials.rnrnDon\'t be afraid to ask your customers to be specific in their testimonials. Get them to articulate how the service increased productivity or made a positive impact on their lives.rnrnLet your social proof do the talking for you, and you will see an increase in sales performance.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Sales Compensation Structures in Service-Based CompaniesrnrnrnI\'ve set up hundreds of commission structures for service-based sales organizations, including comp structures. They all, more or less, come down to this simple fact.rnrnYou must incentivize more of the behaviors and results you want and de-incentivize what you don\'t want. It is just that simple.rnrnIf your goal is to create an enduring business, you need in-house sales reps on the payroll, not contractors.rnrnNow, this might not be possible if you are an person-based service, or perhaps you are at an early stage as a founder. This is different.rnrnHowever, when you are ready to build out a sales team, avoid anyone asking for a 100% commission role.rnrnIn-house sales representatives will commit to certain behaviors and activities that will lead to your company\'s success.rnrnThere is a level of commitment you get from a salaried employee. There is accountability.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Pricing StrategyrnrnrnPricing units is based on the customer perceived value in service-oriented businesses, much less its cost. For certain service-based businesses, the cost is more straightforward to determine, such as SaaS and equipment-based services compared to people-based companies.rnrnAn equipment-based service usually has some common quantifier that can be analyzed.rnrnHowever, people-based service businesses are much more complex as accurate pricing is on an aggregate basis.rnrnProfessional services pricing is often based on value rather than cost, which the customer and competition generally determine.rnrnCustomers will pay whatever they think the service is worth, directly impacting revenue goals.rnrnThis is challenging to people-based service businesses that rely on professionals to provide the service. Suppose you price the service too low, then that is necessary for a professional operation that expects to remain competitive.rnrnYou are also at risk of pricing too low in equipment-based service businesses. Many SaaS operations require a fixed-based operator (FBO) performing one or several functions necessary to the operation.rnrnPrice as a strategic weapon in service-based companies compared to all other strategic variables.rnrnTherefore, one thing is crucial. Sales leaders in service businesses must leverage marketing methods to enhance the perceived value of the service to ignite revenue growth. Sales consulting services provide assessments and tangible implementation measures to achieve that.\",
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"blog_copy_content": "Concluding CommentrnRose Garden Consulting is a world-class sales management consulting firm specializing in redefining your process into a quality sales experience. We ignite revenue growth with transformative solutions based on behavioral economics.rnrnWe help close deals faster and at a higher rate. Rose Garden uses a combination of assessments to identify sales team members\' strengths and motivators, also providing you with lousy culture fits and recommendations. We present our Team Member Assessment finings in a one-day workshop.rnrnWe also recommend our sales accelerator assessment that provides you with an in-hand diagnostic and sales experience road map for quick results.rnrnIn today\'s ever-evolving sales landscape, new businesses need to stay up-to-date and ahead of the competition at all times. We provide Founders and CEOs with hands-on coaching to create systems & strategies to scale their sales team. You can\'t afford to leave anything up to chance.rnrnGet started with a Team Assessment or dive right in with our Sales Accelerator.\",
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Why Millennials Make Amazing SalespeopleBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Firstly, who are the Millennials? Millennials are the generation born between 1980-2000. They are vastly different from the generations before them, and these differences are what make them great salespeople. Let’s explore this further.rnMillennials adopt new technology 2x fasterrnMillennials grew up with technology at their fingertips. They understand the power of the Internet and how it can be used to sell. They utilized social media much more effectively and efficiently than other generations because they understand it. Due to the excess sharing of information in a social media dominated world, millennials are used to working with large amounts of information which means that they can be much more efficient at digesting and understanding information. Millennials will use whatever it takes to get a competitive edge. Because of this, they\'re typically early adopters of new methods of doing things without taking time to wait and see if it works for others.rnThey Have an Entrepreneurial SpiritrnMillennials have had to overcome the recession and make things work for themselves. They also find the typical 9-5 jobs oppressive, and they\'re changing the workplace for generations to come. Over half of millennials surveyed hope to start their own business one day or already have. Their entrepreneurial spirit makes them hungry, creative and have a passionate desire to succeed. One report shows that Millennials have created double the amount of businesses as Baby Boomers. Millennials always want the “next best thing” which might not sound like a good thing, but this means that they will always have the drive do what it takes to get what they want.rnThey Love ResultrnWith millennials being born into the age of technology, they\'re very used to getting things that they want instantly. This can translate into making a results-driven entrepreneur with their desire to get what they want. They demand results and answers, and won’t settle for “because that’s the way it’s always been”. This makes them effective salespeople and if something doesn’t work; they find something better, anything to get results!rnThey are Free of Bad HabitsrnSince many millennials are still at a young age they haven’t been in the workplace for very long which can actually be a good thing. Due to the lack of experience that many of them have, they\'re easy to be properly trained without having to break bad habits that have already been formed. They come with a fresh perspective, and they don’t allow themselves to become complacent and burnt out. This gives them the competitive edge on Gen X and Baby BoomersrnThey are PassionaternPassion is something that\'s very overlooked in the business world but luckily millennials have plenty of it. They are passionate about a lot of things and your brand may be included. Their passion helps them become invested in the product and the client, helping them become stellar salespeople. When millennials have passion about the product they\'re selling they don’t just sell the product but also sell the idea and dream that comes with the product that they’re presenting to you.rnrnMany businesses are realizing this, and while many of this generation are considered lazy and spoiled, the few that excel will far supersede any expectations.\",
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Creating an Outstanding Sales ProcessBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "A Sales Process can be as complex as you need it to be, however, the proper way to develop a sales process is to make it as detailed as needed, and no more.rnrnCreating a sales process is like making cookies from scratch. It requires a recipe (or process), which includes steps and ingredients. Deviating from the process is like adding the butter before creaming it, which would result in inconsistent results. Either way, the result will be a cookie, but one will be superior to the other. Processes are important to every aspect of making a sale.rnrnJust like with a recipe there are a series of steps to follow for optimal results.rnrnA process is a methodical approach involving a series of steps to reach a desired outcome. A sales process is the approach enabling your team to increase revenue.rnrnIt’s important to note HOW the end results are achieved, especially when it comes to making money. Once your process is defined, you\'ll have a benchmark that you can tweak and improve.rnrnA solid sales process is important to maintain an adequate pipeline and the following are key principles of the sales process:rnFocus & Prep rnWhile you do want to sell as much of your product as you can, it’s important to narrow down your target market in order to effectively sell your product.rnrnYou need to define exactly who you sell to because if you chase 2 squirrels, you end up with no squirrels. You need to define your ideal client and know everything about them. You must know everything about their challenges, pain points, desires & goals, and their hot button.rnrnThe best way to determine this is by looking at your previous BEST clients. I don’t care what 90% of your client’s say, I want to deeply understand the 10% that pay me the most money and I have the most fun working with.rnrnOnce you have this, go look for more people that fit this avatar. They are called your prospects.rnProspectrnHaving potential clients is the first ingredient to closing a deal. The person you reach out to will vary on the target market, however, you need to have a strategy in your outreach. Are you going to meet them at a networking event? Are you going to send them a cold email or cold call them? Will you ask a mutual contact for an introduction? Will you use some form or marketing to attract them?rnrnThere are a million ways to do the job but all you need is one good way. That one way will likely depend heavily on who it\'s that you\'re targeting and what you\'re trying to sell them. Don’t just go for the latest craze in sales, it\'s important to sell to your prospect in the manner they buy.rnrnYou can include using different platforms and tools to identify potential clients and/or use an existing database. An old prospect who didn’t become a client in the past may suddenly need a second look.rnResearch/EvaluaternA crucial step is getting to know your potential clients. Researching the company and understanding their situation will allow you to tailor the sales pitch.rnrnOnce you have identified who you\'re going after, you\'ll need to know something about them in order to reach out to them. Without that, you come off like a bull in a china shop, trying to sell them. You must create some level of common ground and look to finesse your way into a conversation. Also, in researching your prospect, you\'ll also learn what the best approach is to connect with them.rnrnIf this sounds tedious, it is, but don’t be lazy. In the early days, you\'ll have to do these steps manually and it will take time. But after a while, you\'ll see patterns emerge and then you can create a ‘template’ that you can scale with automation. Do things that don’t scale, until they do!rnrnThe biggest mistake people make is trying to automate too quickly, they don’t have their message honed in yet, but they blast off 1000 emails. This is how you can hurt your chances of ever making a sale because you sound like a greasy salesperson.rnConnect rnYou can’t sell what you don’t touch. Reach out to them and get the conversation started. Don’t come in too hot, finesse the outreach and make it about them; get them engaged and allow for the conversation to naturally lead to the pitch.rnrnNow, in this situation, everyone will tell you to give value. But it’s important to realize what’s valuable to you may be meaningless to the other person.rnrnNow, when you were doing your research, you should\'ve learned enough about your prospect to know what you don’t know. This will allow you to have genuine curiosity and start with a relevant and personalized question or talking point.rnrnStart with that!rnDiscover & Solve rnOnce a prospect has made it through the initial stages and is deemed a fit, is when you start talking solution.rnrnListen… the old saying goes, “you should listen 2x as much as you speak” – that’s great and all, but I know many bad salespeople who do a fair amount of listening.rnrnYou have to know what you\'re listening for, not only that, but if the conversation never goes there, you won’t have the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation. If you spend your entire time listening they may tell you all about their pregnant dog and you get nowhere.rnrnNow, this step is the most important because this is where the sale happens, so listen up!rnrnFirst thing’s first, know what you\'re looking for. You need to know what problems you may be able to solve and how you can help. If you don’t know that, you have no business in talking to the prospect, this is why the research and prep section is very important.rnrnOnce you know what problem you solve, you need to have a series of conversation starters and tailored questions that you ask, with an intimate understanding of knowing what answers you\'re looking for. If you don’t get the answers you need, the prospect isn’t a fit, if you hear the magic words, then you can move to the ‘solve’ part.rnrnNow, this is another spot where I see many salespeople mess up.rnrnIt isn’t enough to uncover the problem, you need to solve it or at least show that you can.rnrnIf you\'re selling a product, don’t just tell them, show them.rnrnIf you\'re selling a service, give them exact steps of action on how you\'ll solve their problem.rnrnI see too many salespeople hold their cards too close to their chest here in hopes the client will sign up before they demonstrate effectively.rnrnYes, you have qualified them as a fit, but it works both ways and they have to sign off on you too. Give them a reason to; make them believe that they can’t live without moving forward with your solution. This will happen only if you tie it back to their situation and show how you and only you can solve their problems and pains.rnClose rnThis stage can vary depending on the solution offered but this is where the prospect becomes a client and gives you the money.rnObjection Handling rnNow in a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to deal with this step, but not everything in this world is perfect.rnrnThe salesperson’s job starts when the prospect says “NO”. Anyone can sell to the guy that walks off the street and says “I want that one”.rnrnIf you don’t know what to say when your client says “Let me think about it”, let me know, I will help you through it.rnFollow-up/Referrals rnIt is very important to ensure clients are happy with the outcome of the sale, as happy clients will be able to provide referrals to add to the pipeline.rnrnIt’s important to note that although these are the basic steps in a sales process, the process should be tailored to best suit the needs of your business and clientele.rnrnA solid process will result in outcomes that can be predicted, steps that can be repeated, and tangible results can be realized.\",
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5 Harsh Truths for EntrepreneursBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Are you stuck in an entrepreneurial rut? Lacking revenue and motivation to carry on? Maybe a reality check is just what you need. Here are 5 tips for entrepreneurs.rnHarsh Truth Number One – People Are LazyrnPeople are inherently lazy and comfortable with their average life. Despite being cognizant of the steps necessary to make progress, people tend to continue living their average life because it\'s easier. You’re going to have to change if you want greatness. Doing the same thing every day isn’t going to culminate in success. You must always strive to find areas to improve upon and act on them. Becoming successful means constantly pushing your limits. Don’t talk yourself out of something because you aren’t quite sure if it will work. Being successful requires effort that goes above and beyond your comfort level.rnHarsh Truth Number Two – Other People Don’t Care About YournIt’s the harsh truth, others are way more concerned with themselves than anything you do. People naturally are more interested in their own affairs. You’re not the center of anyone’s world but your own. Don’t expect anyone to contradict this fact. It is your job to give people a reason to notice you and your business. Because people are inherently selfish, you must go the extra mile and push the limits in order to be recognized.rnHarsh Truth Number Three – Everyone Is Self CenteredrnPeople are self-centered and you can use this to your advantage. Use this fact to influence people by asking them about themselves and their life, they will be more apt to do business with you if you’ve let them talk about themselves. Show people how your business benefits them. Also, stop worrying about what other people think of you - they\'re likely busy thinking about themselves, not you.rnHarsh Truth Number Four – The World Only Cares About What They Can Get From YournPeople don’t really care about you aside from for what you can offer them. Once again, recognizing this fact can work in your advantage. Show people the positive things that your business will provide them. Have something to offer that can provide them with value. People won’t be interested if it doesn’t positively impact them.rnHarsh Truth Number Five – Nobody Will Hand You Anything rnrnYou have to work for everything you getrnDon’t expect any handoutsrnCarve your own way and make your own successrnrnI know this sounds a bit pessimistic, but it’s a reality check for a lot of people. Once you can accept these truths a paradigm shift happens that has the ability to make things happen for you and your business.rn\",
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"body_copy_content": "Cold calling is the most feared and dreaded activity of new and old salespeople alike, however, it\'s also one of the best ways to fill your pipeline.rnBecause there hasn’t been a relationship established, most cold calls don’t result in success. The value of cold calling is the upside of potentially landing a client just from a phone call. The risk is low because any mistakes you make only cost you a few minutes of your time. Plus- the payout will be worth it if you can even ink one great deal from 100 cold calls.rnThe major key is to not get discouraged, and don’t give up.rnOvercoming the Difficulties of Cold CallsrnCold calling often ends with the person on the receiving end hanging up on you. Many people even react with verbal abuse. Multiple calls with this result can be emotionally taxing, but just keep in mind that they\'re reacting to the situation, not attacking you personally. Also, remember that each cold call is a fresh start. Don’t allow the negative result of previous calls affect your future calls - the next call could end with a deal. Brush off the negative emotion associated with rejection or hostility, and move on to the next number.rnThe Steps to Perform the Perfect Cold Call rnLet’s discuss some steps to the PERFECT cold call.rnStep One: There are many ways to get ahold of the decision maker to give your pitch, however for the purpose of this blog I will only share one. You’ll have to attend one of my sales seminars to learn the other ways (haha). In some situations, honesty is the best policy. It is best to keep a few things in mind prior to making the call so to increase your chances of getting through to the right person.rnrnCall and be Polite rnLet them know who you\'re (humanize yourself)rnAddress what you\'re calling themrnPay them a compliment (must be genuine)rnLet them know you\'re going to ask for a favorrnThen ask to speak to the decision makerrnrnIt’s quite surprising how well this works. Just simply being polite and asking for a favor can go a long way in this process of getting you past the gatekeeper.rnStep Two: According to my research, there are specific times which are best to cold call, it’s early in the morning and late in the day. I also have come up with Tuesday and Thursday being the best days. This is based on times when people will be most receptive to your call. So Follow this advice and make your call on a Tuesday or Thursday morning or late in the afternoon. This advice is simple yet effective. People are more likely to have time and patience to hear you out at these times and this will greatly increase your chance of success.rnStep Three: Check out the company website and reviews beforehand. Get to know them and have this ready to use when you speak to them. Compliment them on their branding and or product/service. Make them feel good about themselves, they will be much more apt to hear you out.rnStep Four: Make sure you have a plan in place of what you\'re going to say before you get to speak to the decision maker. Some salespeople focus so much on just getting past the gatekeeper that they forget about what they’re supposed to say once they get in the door. You want to be fully prepared so you don’t come off like a complete newbie. The first few seconds of the conversation are the most important, so make sure you\'re prepared. Have a script of your pitch but don’t sound too scripted, it’s a very delicate balance.rnStep Five: Provide goals and rewards for yourself to keep your motivation high and your pipeline full. Make a plan to call at least 10 people then take a short break. The key is persistence and perseverance. Not everyone is going to take your call, not everyone is the right fit for your company. However, you\'ll never know until you make the calls. In some situations, it only takes ONE great client.\",
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Tips for Strategic Sales ManagementBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "Entrepreneurs Are Not Always Great SellersrnEntrepreneurs, while they might be great business strategists, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re great sellers. They either don’t know how to sell themselves or are unaware of how to manage salespeople and build a successful sales team. These scenarios can serve to be problematic for entrepreneurs as sales are essentially the lifeblood of businesses.rnWhen creating a successful sales team and process, you must first and foremost fully involve yourself by engaging in the sales cycle. Even if you aren’t selling directly, you still need to be fully involved in the sales cycle in order to keep your team on track and maintain the integrity of your solution. Once involving yourself in the sales cycle, you can properly train and develop a team that understands the challenges and requirements.rnWhat to Look for When Constructing a Sales TeamrnWhen building a successful sales team, it’s important to identify your current clients and the needs that they have. You can then use your judgment as to what type of individual would best help your clients solve their problems. This will help narrow down your list of which individuals you\'re willing to hire to best represent your business.rnA few non-tangible factors to look for in a prospective employee is empathy, along with someone who is teachable. If your employee lacks empathy, then they won’t care about your clients as empathy isn’t something that can be taught. Also, if they\'re unteachable, then they have no chance of taking your company to new heights.rnWhenever you\'re looking to hire someone you should ask yourself a few questions before doing so such as:rnrnWould I buy from this person?rnWhat leads me to believe that this person will be as successful or more successful than me in selling my solution?rnHow can I nurture this person to achieve their full potential?rnrnThe individual you hire must have the necessary drive and passion for selling and or experience.rnActing Like a Seller is Different Than Being a SellerrnTo be successful in sales, you need to be somewhat of a self-starter as oftentimes salespeople get a lot of autonomy. Sellers need to have the drive and internal motivation needed to close deals, whether that drive is for money or just for recognition. It is important to realize that someone who may seem like a charming salesperson still might not be fit for the job. Ultimately, the best salesperson for you is someone who truly believes in your product or service and wants to tell the rest of the world about it!rnNow That You’ve Hired a Team, Make Sure You’re Seeing ResultsrnSome salespeople are notorious for running around in circles and never closing deals. Make sure your salespeople are also closing deals and collecting checks.rnOnce you have selected the right individual it’s important to train them properly. Many people in sales never received any formal training and therefore lack several important tools necessary for being a great seller, however, they can still succeed with sheer determination. Once they have the determination coupled with the training, they can become an excellent salesperson. Sales training will incorporate a variety of sales techniques and methods that can be used in everyday sales situations.\",
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The Lies of a Poor SalespersonBlog<!-- wp:acf/body-copy {
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"body_copy_content": "We’ve all come across a bad salesperson at some point in our lives. What are the Qualities of a bad salesperson? Maybe they talk too much, maybe they care more about their product than the people they\'re attempting to sell it to, or maybe they just aren’t that interested in sales in general. Many times, a poor salesperson tells himself a lie to feel more comfortable. Curious about the lies poor salespeople tell themselves that sabotage their sales success? Have you ever wondered if you were sabotaging your own success? Well, we’re here to expose these lies we tell ourselves once and for all!rnLie 1: I’m not a Born Salesman rnThere is no such thing as a born salesperson. The only thing born is baby boys and baby girls. Salespeople are trained. It is a skill that requires development. To become a truly great salesperson, you must learn your craft, practice your craft, and apply it. When I first started selling, I was so bad that I couldn’t even close the grandma who bought from the Nigerian prince. After many years of learning, understanding, and practicing, I have an actual close ratio of 78%. Sales, just like any profession, requires training and development for success.rnLie 2: I Couldn’t Close Because I Didn’t Want to be Pushy rnThe salesperson’s job starts when the client says No. My grandmother could sell a car to a guy that walks on the lot and says, “I’ll take the yellow one”. Selling means explaining the value your product or service will provide for the prospective customer.rnIf you have done your job correctly, you should be promoting the product that\'s right for your client, and if your client is saying no, you haven’t explained the product’s benefits and features correctly. Rebutting your client’s objection is simply you explaining to the client their best interest.rnLie 3: It’s a Done Deal rnIt is only a done deal when you have a check in hand.rnLie 4: His Budget was Too Low rnPrice is a poor salesperson negotiation factor. Anyone can sell a gold brick for 80% under market value, but a true salesperson sells it for at, or over market value. Price becomes a problem when the client didn’t understand the benefits because all you did was rifle off the features.\",
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"body_copy_content": "Often times as a salesperson, particularly as a beginner, you never really put much thought into whether or not your words match your bodily actions. Communication is more than just words. Communication in its simplest form consists of a source transmitting a message to a receiver. In every conversation, the person selling needs to win the trust of the buyer or the listener. Studies show that only 7% of communication is verbal, the other 93% is nonverbal. This is why it\'s imperative to consider your nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is comprised of tone of voice and body language.rnTone of Voice rnThe words you say only go so far. That is why it\'s important to consider how you\'re saying them. In the realm of sales, having a happy and energetic tone is much more effective than sounding bored. Even when you\'re not feeling happy at the moment, speaking with a happy and energetic tone will result in more success. There is a phrase called “pack mentality”, simply meaning that the audience mirrors vibes and nonverbal messages being given off by the presenter.rnCater your speech, presentation or demonstration to the type of audience you have. Gesturing from the chest raises oxygen levels, energy levels and gets the blood pumping. Higher raised hands equal a higher inflection in your voice. Simply smiling when speaking adds a bit of friendliness to your presence and makes a buyer just a little more willing to listen and not feel as if they\'re being forced into buying.rnBody Language rnYour tone of voice is only one piece of your nonverbal communication. Body language says a lot to the person you\'re communicating with despite the absence of words. If your body language doesn\'t match your tone of voice, you won’t be convincing to the prospective customer. It is important to maintain good posture, which expresses confidence. Also, remember to maintain eye contact and smile often. Don’t drop your hands below your waist region. It naturally slows the body, drops your oxygen levels and overall enthusiasm. In addition, your amount of energy decreases. Never hide the “Horizontal Plane of Disclosure” (specifically the jawline and mouth area or any part of the facial region). Inject excitement into gestures. Speak from the “Truth Plane at all Times.” The truth plane is the area just below the chest to navel area. It is a sign of honesty. Stand upright; bring your hands just above your navel, fingers gently interlaced and barely touching your stomach. Implement these tips and see how they work for you!\",
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