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Turning the Corner?
We see signs of boom and bust. Can't beat
the
combination of selling excellence with a product or
service that has retained high market value and
necessity. Deals are getting done but they're taking
longer, requiring more calls and tougher negotiations
for lower average sized deals. Many however are
dealing in "nice to have" products and finding
pipelines stagnating and reps struggling.
As one deftly put it - how do you overcome a problem
of asymmetrical need - where the
vendor's need to sell is much higher than the
customers' need to buy?
What to do? Time to raise the game at all
levels to find
the deals that are out there. It's
not about "closing" - it's about up-leveling
Strategic Sales Execution which
involves the complete selling effort in finding,
addressing, and consummating all opportunities:
salesperson
mentality, process refinement, account/territory
prioritization, maximizing selling activities, crisp sales
messaging, enhanced probing and questioning,
decision-cycle management, and disciplined
pipeline/forecast management.
It's not rocket science; it is about intelligent, optimized
performance of a well-turned sales machine.
Are Great Sales Pros Born that Way? Just as good natural athletes can be developed to be great athletes, salespeople can be developed to be outstanding producers. But just as not all people can be turned into superstar athletes, some salespeople will be limited by their nature. They can be trained to overcome some blind-spots and limitations, but not all can be developed to be sales superstars. Their nature ultimately comes into play. The key for aspiring superstar salespeople is to fully develop and maximize one's natural gifts. For sales managers, the focus is on identifying, coaching and further developing future superstars with a sales-oriented culture that hones sales excellence. Are you nurturing natural nature?
MXL's Mike Griego named to Worldwide Top Sales
Experts
Team "I am honored to be invited to be part of an elite collection of sales professionals," says Griego. TSE founder, Jonathan Farrington, states that "we are delighted to add Michael to this select group of sales gurus drawn from all over the world, who liase and combine their expertise on numerous projects every year."
What's the Profile of a Sales SuperStar?
1. Driver - a self-starter. The best
salespeople
are those who need no outside motivation. They
possess an inner drive that pushes them to limits
beyond the common individual. It's not easily taught.
Superstars are naturals.
2. Technician - technically
self-sufficient. The
ideal rep is knowledgeable about their products and
customer's environment and problems. They are
not simply sellers. They are like good customer-facing
mechanics who understand how the engine works.
3. Facilitator - manages one-to-one and
one-to-many communications. An excellent rep
can
command a boardroom full of people as well as
facilitate
private discussions. It's a developed skill that
comes with experience, confidence and sensitivity.
4. Empathizer - can express identification
with
others. They genuinely can respond naturally to
the stated situation of prospects, customers and their
own internal team. This characteristic stems from a
sensitive heart and the ability to effectively listen with
compassion and empathy. 5. Servant - a humble and healthy sense of self. Ultimately a server of others, like a servant with a heart, caring for the other person before themselves. This characteristic really stems from their own security and strong sense of self. They are so comfortable with themselves that they don't have to defend or fight, they actually can care and desire to serve the other side. While these gifts and attributes may come naturally to some, they can be honed, developed and fine-tuned by good coaches, managers and trainers. But balance is the key. If any one point is extended or over-exaggerated then the star is off balance. An effective superstar is strong and equally weighted on all SuperStar points.
Challenges to Meet and Exceed
Quota Reps Meeting or Exceeding Quota
Last year at this time, expectations by 60% of survey respondents were optimistic about meeting and exceeding goals. This year we're all no doubt a bit more conservative and cautious. Incidentally, corporate revenue plan attainment (due to the practice of quota over-assignment) was 79.9% in 2009, down from 85.9% in 2008. Still a very dramatic drop year over year. Are you still missing quota and/or your plan? Perhaps we should talk.
Success and Honor
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