Sales Progress Blog

Throughout most of our blogs, we have discussed the importance of learning reinforcement. It important to know as much information about your product as you can, and it is equally as important to learn new techniques that are arising in the sales world. We have always stressed that you should constantly be learning, and it has become apparent that this old adage is necessary as more and more younger generations come into the workplace.

We all know by now that there are four generations working side by side in most businesses, but what does that mean from a learning standpoint?

Generational Learning Requirements

As a society, we have slowly progressed into an era where technology is starting to become the forefront of most industries, and as this transition is happening, generation X and generation Y are being taught how to successfully harness the tool. Veterans and baby boomers should be given online training because technology is second nature to the younger generations, as professional speaker Garrison Wynn puts it,

Read more and win Summerfest tickets…

admin Sales Management, Sales Training business coaching, business coaching tools, effective coaching, Employee Coaching, Enhance Performance, Facebook, generation gaps, Leadership, learning strategies, learning techniques, linkedin, online learning, Sales Manager, sales techniques, training and development, training reinforcement, training techniques

Dealing with criticism is rarely easy or pleasant.  Some people are good at giving criticism, while others can be quite abrasive; some offer it in order to make you better (like your coach or manager), others to put you down.  With this in mind it’s important to accept criticism, matter how it comes, gracefully in order for you to use it as an effective learning strategy.

Handling criticism gracefully requires an attitude shift.  No matter what the intent of the criticizer, take it as an opportunity to get better.  The important thing to remember is that they are seeing something you don’t.  No matter how often we look we will never to able to see all flaws or needed areas of improvement within ourselves, so take this feedback as a positive.  This is not to say that everyone offering feedback should be taken seriously, but always look for the glimmer of truth in what they have to say, you may be surprised what you find. Thank them for their observation and then take a minute or two to contemplate the message.

Should this feedback leave you feeling discouraged, brainstorm and write down 3 specific actions you can take immediately to improve upon the issue at hand.  Coming up with an actionable plan will allow you to feel empowered, and make seeing criticism as an opportunity to improve more realistic.  Take this process one step further by sharing your plan with your coach, a manager, or a trusted colleague.  Sharing your plan adds an extra level of accountability to ensure that you act upon your plan.

Handling criticism isn’t always easy, but it can always be helpful if taken with the right attitude and perspective. Next time you are in the hot seat, don’t get defensive, but rather remember that criticism is one of the most effective learning strategies out there, so take advantage of this free feedback.

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Training communication skills, Employee Coaching, professional coaching, Sales Manager, sales skills, self directed learning skills

Adding value cannot just be some directive we give people,  it takes time and practice to add value to customers.

Listen to this short audio file that reveals how to add value against the customer’s needs and not your own.

Listen Now: http://www.audioacrobat.com/sa/WVFQDCsT

Tim Hagen Sales Training Sales Coaching Methodology, Sales Manager, Sales Staff, training techniques

recently read a great and very short post from the blog of Seth Godin, titled
The relentless search for "tell me what to do". The post read:

If you’ve ever hired or managed or taught, you know the feeling.
People are just begging to be told what to do. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I think the biggest one is: "If you tell me what to do, the responsibility for the outcome is yours, not mine. I’m safe."
When asked, resist.

We typically think of people NOT liking being told what to do, but think about your staff and fellow employees, and even yourself, how many times a week do we indirectly ask, “What should I be doing.”  We may say, “what tasks should I be completing today,” or “I have the following problem, how should I fix it?” but all in all we are saying, “tell me what to do.”

This frame of thinking not only becomes a way to push off responsibility as Seth suggested above, but it can also breed laziness and a lack of accountability.

Managers can use coaching techniques to get employees to come up with their own solutions to problems.  Use questions like, “What do you THINK you should do,” or “If you were me, what would you tell yourself to do.”  These questions allow for a dialog to open, and you can now lead your employee to a suitable solution they essentially came up with on their own.  When your employee owns the solutions they will work harder to make it work because it is their own butt on the line.  If you simply give them a solution, they can half-heartedly attempt it, and if it fails they can blame you.  Don’t play the blame game; make your staff responsible for their actions.

If you are an employee, and you have finished your work for the day, proactively seek additional projects you can work on.  Go above and beyond, but keep your manager in the loop to ensure you are not wasting time.

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Training business coaching, coaching, effective coaching, Leadership, Manager, sales coaching, Sales Coaching Methodology, Sales Manager

• Be Predictable:
  • Your team member will certainly have some reoccurring issues through out your coaching process, but if you run every meeting the same way, it will get stale, and the interest of you and the team member will take a dive.  Try to mix up where you meet, what time of day you meet, the order of things you discuss etc.

• Talk too much.
  • Effective coaching sessions are not training sessions.  You’re a manager, not a trainer or consultant so don’t run your meetings as such. (Typically workshop style training doesn’t work well anyways).  Sessions should be about getting the team member to open up about their top issues, and you guiding them to a suitable solution.  If you are talking the whole time how will you know what their issues are?  To get to the root of issues requires LISTENING not TALKING!
• Not have a plan
  • While we do recommend mixing things up to keep interest and participation up, you must have a plan about what needs to be accomplished during that meeting.  If you aren’t sure what you’re trying to accomplish, how will your team member?  Do you want to discuss issues covered last week?  Is there a particular skill you see them struggling with that you would like to bring to their attention?  Is there something they did you want to congratulate them on?  What’s covered is really up to you, but whatever it is make sure you have a plan written down so you make sure you hit all your topics.

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Training coaching, effective coaching, Enhance Performance, management leadership training, Manager, Sales Coaching Methodology, Sales Manager, Sales Staff

Nurturing leads has become more important and more difficult than ever for creating business opportunities:

• Research firm Sirius Decisions says that during the last five years, the average sales cycle has become 22% longer, typically with three more decision makers participating in the buying process.
• According to Forrester Research, companies that excel at lead nurturing are able to generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead.
• According to CSO Insights, companies that excel at lead nurturing have 9% more sales reps make quota, and enjoy a 10% shorter ramp up time for new reps.

Follow up opportunities are a great way to nurture your leads, and they don’t always have to include a closing sales pitch.  Keep reading to check out some innovative follow up ideas to nurture your leads and keep you in front of your prospects with out looking desperate.

1. Send a referral:  This is a GREAT one.  Call up your prospect and tell them you have the name of a potential new prospect FOR THEM!  You establish yourself as a trusted resource, and should that prospect turn into a client for them, you can bet they will remember you when it comes time to make a purchase decision.
2. Send an article:  We pass this tip on to all of our clients, but still many won’t take the time so it’s a great way to set you apart.  Set up a Google news alert for articles, news, or how-tos written about your prospects industry.  Check the news alert once a week, and if there is information that may be relevant to your prospect forward it on.  Again, you position yourself as a resource, and are keeping your name top of mind with out becoming obnoxious.
3. Send them a relevant success story or testimonial.  Keep an up to date list of references, success stories, and testimonials on file. Then when a similar prospect pops up send them a quick email with the attached reference piece along with contact information of the source.  Encourage your prospects to contact your reference.  The easiest way to convince a lead to buy is to give them a trusted testimonial from one of their peers.
4. Communicate new products or features.  Every time your company comes out with something new, or updates something old use it as a way to get back in front of prospects.  A personal phone call is best, but if you have a large list, target the most promising prospects to call while sending an email to the rest.  This new product development may just be the the feature that resolves their hesitation to buy.
5. Give a response to questions.  Of course the best sales people try to be prepared for everything, but sometimes this is just unrealistic.  When a prospect asks a question you can’t answer use it as an opportunity to follow up with them later with a clear and specific response. You will get through again easier if you can say, "I have an answer to your question," as opposed to "I’m just following up."

Have your own creative way to follow up?  Share it with us in the comment section below!

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Training Enhance Performance, lead nurturing, prospecting, sales, sales effectiveness, Sales Manager, sales skills, Sales Staff, sales techniques, self directed learning skills

1. An inability to teach.

Being able to sell ice to an Eskimo is great, but once your in that management role those skills can render useless unless you are able to pass them on to your team.  Managers are often promoted because of their superior skill, but are rarely trained how to effectively train their staff and pass on their skills.

How can I combat this? If your company doesn’t offer training for mangers, you should take it upon yourself to find some. Read books on coaching or managing effectively, take a vacation day and attend a workshop (even if it’s at your own expense),  or take online courses over your lunch break.  Your investment will be worth it when your team excels, as this will reflect positively on you and your ability to lead and develop your team.

2. They lose touch with reality

Becoming a manager doesn’t mean your done spending time in the field.  It’s true that with management status comes more responsibilities that have less to do with everyday selling, but you can’t lose touch of your selling reality.  As a manager your biggest asset to your team is to know what’s going on in the field, on a day to day basis.

How can I combat this? Ride along with your staff as often as is possible, continue to call on customers even if it is just to check in, and spend time with your staff discussing obstacles or difficult customers and coaching reps to overcome them.

3. They want to be everyone’s friend.

We all want to be liked, it’s human nature. HOWEVER along with your increase in pay and responsibility came the expectation that you are no longer just one of the group.  It is often difficult to step into that leadership role, especially when a manager is promoted from with-in.

How can I combat this? It is still important to build rapport with your team, but relationships should shift into one of coach and team member.  Set clear expectations and roles for your team, and stick to them.  When responsibilities and roles are clearly defined there is no room for confusion; this will make portraying your role as leader easy. By sticking to these expectations,there will be no blurring the lines of your authority.

Did we miss anything?  Tell us what you think the top reasons sales managers fail are.

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Training business coaching, coaching, effective coaching, employee training, Enhance Performance, goals, management leadership training, Manager, Results, sales, Sales Coaching Methodology, Sales Manager, Sales Staff, Skills, training and development, training reinforcement

We constantly talk about the importance of coaching, and tips or strategies to do it better, but why should we incorporate coaching into our organization anyways?

Here are the top 7 reasons why your organization needs to coach it’s employees.

1. Employee Retention, research proves coaching increases employee retention, which therefore decreases hiring costs.
2. Managers who get close to employees work can solve real world challenges.  A manager’s knowledge is one of the best resources an organization can have, coaching allows managers to have insight into their employees work allowing them to apply their knowledge specifically to real world issues.
3. Coaching creates better succession planning due to internal talent growth.
4. Coaching creates an organizational energy of growth and learning.
5. Programs build coaches within all leadership circles.  The more coaches an organization has, the more “performance-improving” employees it will have.
6. Business requires employees to constantly grow and develop new skill sets.  Organizations with managers who are coaching create a competitive edge because they become more adaptable to needed change and growth.
7. Employees who experience a continuous increase in skills and work performance actually become more open to change and challenges.  This, in itself, is enough to start an organization wide coaching initiative.

If you would like more information on coaching your employees, attend our Free Breakfast Presentation: Why Coaching Builds Business Success , or email Tim Hagen at Tim@salesprogress .com for more information.

Tim Hagen Sales Training business coaching, coaching, effective coaching, Leadership, management leadership training, Manager, sales coaching, Sales Coaching Methodology, Sales Manager, workplace training

In a survey from Harris Interactive this year, it was reported that 51% of employees DON’T want to become mangers, and that 69% of older workers over the age of 64 are not interested in a promotion either.

One hypothesized reason for this unwillingness to move up is the lack of quality developmental programs for managers.  Employees are literally afraid of getting more responsibility with out being trained properly to handle it.

What kinds of management programs are in place at your company? Are they adequate?  You could be missing out on the most qualified candidate for the job because of a lack of education, and with the abundance of programs and even free information out there, there really is no excuse for a lack of training available to staff.

There are certainly two sides to this point that can be argued.  On one hand, you may only want to promote those with the confidence and ability to  “just figure it out”, without training programs and ramp up time.  On the other hand those nervous about promotion with out the proper tools to help them succeed may be the careful and thoughtful talent your company needs, but you can’t get it.

What do you think? Please leave your comments and thoughts below.

Shannon Gburzynski Sales Management, Sales Training management training, Sales Manager, Sales Training

The article that follows will give you a nice overview of what sales’ coaching is and why it is so important for companies (especially sales mangers) to coach their employees to success!

http://salesandmanagementblog.com/2009/08/17/boost-your-sales-coaching-sales-people-to-success-by-steven-rosen/

vfarnia Sales Training coaching, sales, Sales Manager, Sales Representative, Success