A Sales Compass – A Blog by B2B Sales Connections

Is sales training really necessary?  To answer that question, you need to look at the facts.  (more…)

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Do you need ideas for discussion topics for your sales meetings?  Create a file folder labeled “Sales Meeting Ideas” and keep it handy.  As discussion topics pop up during the week, just place a reminder note into the file.  On the day before the meeting when you are preparing your agenda, review your file and choose a theme for your next meeting. 

For example, if a new order process procedure is resulting in a number of questions from the sales people, you could write a note for your file to remind you to arrange for someone from the Order Processing Department to speak at your meeting.  Or if you read a newsletter with a great sales tip, put it in your folder so that you share it with your team.

As a general rule of thumb, if you receive the same question from two different sales people in a short period of time, it is an excellent topic for a sales meeting.  It’s not that the others on your team don’t want to ask the same question, they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.  Answer a question individually, and you will have to answer it several times, but answer it in a sales meeting, and you answer it only once.

For some sales tips that you can use in your sales meetings, check us out at www.b2bsalesconnections.com/sales_resource.php.

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns

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Before you place a job ad and start to interview candidates, ask yourself if you know exactly what you are looking for.  What are the sales skills required to be successful at selling your product?  What are the personality traits of your top performers?    Take the time to clearly define your perfect sales professionals so that you will recognize it when you see them.  There is not one definition of the ideal sales candidate that fits everyone, but there is one definition that fits you! 

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com,  www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns

For automated tools to help you with your sales recruiting, check out our Recruiting, Hiring & Human Resources Tool Kit at http://www.b2bsalesconnections.com/automated_tools.php

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Have a mindset that you report to your sales team, as opposed to them reporting to you as the sales manager.  Ask them what three things you can do to help them service their customers better.  If you make their lives easier and make it easier for them to sell, they will do a better job.  Customers will buy more, making your whole team more successful.  After all, this is what your boss wants anyway, right?

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns

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By most predictions 2010 is looking like a better year for business and the economy. Your company has probably cut expenses to the bone and there is no budget for sales training programs that don’t produce results. 

So why not start your New Year off on the right foot by setting goals and getting back to basics? 

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Once again this week a learning opportunity knocked on my door. As background information, I should explain that the City of Ottawa is launching a new green bin recycling program early in the New Year.  This week they first went door to door to drop off our new recycling bins, and then yesterday they had crews going door to door answering residents’ questions. 

The program has raised a number of concerns with the public, and some would argue is quite controversial.  Since I don’t fully understand the program myself, I welcomed the opportunity to receive the answers to my questions.  I was soon frustrated and disappointed by what I was hearing, however the reason why had nothing to do with the recycling program.  It was because I wasn’t getting any answers!  Finally, after the fourth “I don’t know” I gave up.  (more…)

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When you point your finger at a sales rep telling them they are doing a bad job, there are three fingers pointing back at you.  A mistake or customer complaint is just as much our fault as managers as it is the sales representatives. If we are not giving the tools to do the job right and not training the employees how to use them, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We always have to remember to teach, not preach!

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com or www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns

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Many companies continue to make a critical error when they are looking internally to promote someone to the role of sales manager.  All too often they take their best sales person and try and make them the sales manager with disastrous results.  Your best person is no longer selling, profits drop, the territory looses coverage, good customers may become disillusioned and defect and ultimately the sales person becomes frustrated with their failure.

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The National Post, Profit Magazine and Canadian Business Magazine have all reported that companies who continued to invest in sales and marketing during a recession acquired more customers and emerged in a stronger position than companies who decreased their marketing efforts.  Let’s face it you can’t cost cut your way to prosperity.

We all know there is a need to cut expenses in order to weather this economic storm.  Sure you can stop the business lunches with little impact or try using recycled ink and toner as another method.  However, there are areas where you need to show momentum and leadership if you want your company to survive and prosper. (more…)

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Over the years, CRM programs have advanced from simple, easy to use systems to complex behemoths that no one uses or understands.  To prevent this, your CRM program should avoid the three basic mistakes in CRM design: (more…)

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