Understanding the Sales Force

10 Lessons From the Sales Candidate Who Smelled Like He Peed on Himself

Dave Kurlan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

It was quite the claim. I remember telling my client that the next candidate we were to interview was the best sounding candidate I had ever spoken with on the phone. Robert, the sales manager, went to the lobby to get the candidate and returned, an ashen look on his face. Ray, the candidate, followed Robert into the conference room and suddenly, I had the same ashen look on my face. It seemed that the best candidate I had ever spoken with by phone was, well, a bum!

They say you make an impression in the first 5 seconds and if the first impression was horrible, it was a huge understatement. Here are just some of the things we noticed:

he had a paper bag with a bottle in it
his white shirt had yellowed
he was completely wrinkled - not a wrinkled face, but a suit that was wrinkled so bad it could only have occurred from sleeping in it - on a park bench - on multiple nights
he stunk - not like Yankees stink or Red Sox stink, but as if he had urinated on himself
his hair had not been combed - or washed - for days, maybe weeks
his clothes didn't fit

The funny thing was that when we began to interview him, if you just closed your eyes, you would have heard the most pleasing, helpful, nurturing, lucid, quick, humorous, effective, competent salesperson you could imagine. And since this was an inside sales position...

Even that was a beyond a stretch. You couldn't even support the logic for Ray working from home - away from the other salespeople who could find him offensive because, well, he probably didn't have a home.

So outside of this being a great true story, there are some lessons from it.

It doesn't matter how good the candidate's resume, track record, assessment results and phone interview are. There is a reason for a face to face interview and that must go well too.
The purpose for a sales recruiting process is to filter candidates out - not the other way around
It doesn't matter how much confidence you have in your interviewing, recruiting, and selection skills. You will still be wrong about people
Your gut instinct has its place. Recruiting and selection isn't the place to rely on it.
Your eyes can't be fooled. Or can they? What if Ray was just plain ugly instead of repulsive and homeless? What if he was disabled? What if he had a disease?
Candidates might not be as good as advertised but rarely will they be better than advertised
There is a reason for sequenced, multiple steps in the process. Never deviate or take short cuts.
Just because the earlier steps in the process did not effectively filter out Ray, you shouldn't assume that the process is flawed because of one miss. Always practice what works most of the time, not what worked or didn't work once.
Be warned about making compromises. Would you have hired Ray, a great salesperson, if everything was normal - except for the bottle in the bag (could it have been orange juice?), or except for the hair (just a bad hair day), or except for the shirt (the others were at the cleaners), or except for the size of the clothes (lost a ton of weight and still losing)?
Never hire anyone that smells like he peed on himself.

Sales Management Requires a Different Mindset Than Sales

Dave Kurlan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:08:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

It was on the corner of 82nd Street and 37th Avenue in Queens where 12 year-old Mark Berezow learned to approach strangers and provide them with some compelling reasons to vote for his friend's dad. He believes that experience had a great impact on his ability to sell, manage salespeople and for the past 20 years, help companies grow their sales.

Mark was my guest on this week's episode of Meet the Sales Experts.

Mark shared some great insights about sales management, specifically how the the sales management mindset differs from the sales mindset. He said, "A Salesperson is all about being successful. A sales manager must make the team successful. The team is made up of individuals. A group doesn't achieve, individuals achieve. The good sales manager manages the behavior of individuals so that they reach their personal goals."

Mark also said, "Existing business will not grow as much as it did before because the business is just not there. People just aren't buying as much. So companies are forced to make up the difference by seeking out new business" even though their salespeople may not have done that before.

And you just have to hear Mark tell the story about how he cold called to get his first sales job.

You can listen to the entire Mark Berezow interview here. Contact Mark.

10 Steps to Record-Breaking Sales Revenues

Dave Kurlan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:17:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

When things loosen up (and things will loosen up) and companies and consumers both begin spending money again, you could be in for a significant windfall. You may even have some record breaking revenue months if, and it's a big if, you have your sales force doing all of the right things, even while companies and consumers aren't spending money.

Here are ten requirements for having and continuing to have record-breaking months in the not-too-distant future:

1) Over stuff the pipeline. Just because opportunities are being placed on hold, doesn't mean that you shouldn't put more opportunities into the pipeline. The sales pipeline is not like your stomach, you know. It will expand infinitely.

2) Focus on a different metric. The metric that reports closing percentage is skewed right now so ignore it. Instead, focus on the metrics that tell you how many opportunities are entering the first stage of your pipeline as well as those moving to the second stage of your pipeline.

3) Tighten up the criteria. As long as you're going to pay attention to the percentage of opportunities that move to the second stage of your pipeline, now is the time to make sure everyone understands the criteria for placing an opportunity in the second stage and make those criteria more difficult to meet.

4) Modify your incentive/reward program. If you have decided to focus on pipeline building rather than closing, reward that behavior with recognition, awards and bonuses!

5) Don't look back. The tendency will still be to look at closing. The problem is that once you start looking at it, you'll want to do something about it and there may not be anything you can do. Remain focused on pipeline stuffing.

6) Two - two - two closables in one. The closable stage of your pipeline will have two types of opportunities in it today. Closable now and closable later. What they have in common is that for both types of closable opportunities, you have been told that they will do business. The difference is only in the when. The later closables need to be nurtured while the current closables need to be closed. It's OK, even good, to make sure that the current closables don't become later closables.

7) Diversify. There is money out there and it is being spent. The question is whether your target customers are the ones doing the spending. This is a great time to move laterally into new markets. Let's suppose you sell trade show exhibits to small and medium sized businesses. The small size businesses not only don't have any money but they aren't even participating in shows. The mediums have money but aren't spending it on upgrades to their look. You can wait it out or you can target a new market segment by moving up to larger companies than your traditional sweet spot, or you can target specific industries that haven't been impacted as negatively, like food or health care.

8) Be a non-profit. When the money isn't rolling in like it's being printed just for you, there is almost a sense that you've become a non-profit. Well....do what the non-profits are doing right now and ask for money! You have all of those existing customers that you used to take for granted. Put the full court press on them, find out how they're coping, learn what's changed in their business and figure out what you can do to help. And ask for money!

9) Develop sales processes, competencies, strategies and tactics for the tough times. Selling is not the same as it once was. You can no longer count on success from glorified order taking and account management. Got a sales force? You must make it strong enough and effective enough to succeed in these times, not wait for a return to the good times. We may not see those times again. Invest in a sales development expert and let them help you now!

10) Hire great salespeople. All of your salespeople will not be able to make this transition and this isn't the time for charity. Replace the salespeople who won't be able to step up and aggressively hunt for new opportunities. Replace the salespeople who won't be able to skillfully move those opportunities through the steps of your sales cycle with good questioning and listening skills. Replace the salespeople that aren't closers. Good ones are out there and you must make the commitment to settle for nothing less.

Sales Are Probably Down if You're Doing These Three Things...

Dave Kurlan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:03:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

"When your market isn't growing, it is not business as usual and holding your breath and hoping is not the right strategy." This according to Casey Coffman, my guest on the most recent episode of Meet the Sales Experts. He went on to say that if you sell the same thing, to the same people, the same way that you did 16 months ago, he would be shocked if your sales aren't down.

Casey talked about the importance of confidence, courage and conviction, especially in this economy and he shed some light on CEO's who are still stuck in hunker down mode - paralyzed - not doing anything to reverse flat or declining revenues. He said, "Employees leave when they don't see a way they are going to win. If we do this we will win, versus, simply staying busy."

Coffman suggested that companies use this period to trim fat, hire, and retool a best in class sales force so that they can take advantage of being able to make changes that in good times they wouldn't be able to make, where in these times you must. He suggested new approaches, new systems, new strategies, new tactics. He suggested thinking six months out, and putting pressure on your process instead of your people.

Great advice from a great expert. Listen to the show here. Contact Casey here.

Why Most Sales Training Doesn't Work

Dave Kurlan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:22:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

If you invest in sales training, especially now, you also need it to work now, not in 12 months. Why does it take so long for most sales training to make a difference and why does most sales training fail to make the difference you expect? There are a lot of possible reasons and I'll attempt to explain them here.

Sales trainers want to sell sales training so they skip or gloss over the more important issues like

a sales force evaluation to determine the real issues and answer questions about possibilities;
helping you create the appropriate sales infrastructure including a customized sales process; a visual, criteria-based, staged pipeline; and proper metrics to drive revenue;
development of a proper sales culture;
development of the sales management team so that they become masters at coaching, accountability, motivation and development;
alignment;
compensation;
documentation;
recruiting and selection process and tools.

This is why it's so important to work with a sales development expert - someone who takes an integrated, thoughtful approach to the sales force.

Sales training is too difficult to understand and apply and trainers make it even more difficult with their complicated processes, non-intuitive tactics and tricks. Instead, they should make it as simple as possible by making it memorable, intuitive, and easy to apply.
They tend to demonstrate their strategies and tactics through role play, which is fine, but their role plays demonstrate more tactics than what they have already taught. They should never include more in the role play than their audience has learned from them. Here is an example. You take a seven year old to the movies. If it's an age appropriate movie, rated G or PG, all of the previews are age appropriate and the seven year-old gets it - all of it. However, if you take the seven year-old to a PG-13 movie, then the previews are a bit overwhelming. The seven year-old can tell you whether it seems exciting, funny or scary, but the seven year-old doesn't understand the theme, content or mature dialog. They haven't been exposed to that stuff yet. Same thing with your salespeople. If the trainer has already exposed them to the basics, and includes only the basics in role play, the salespeople get it. It's age appropriate. But if the trainer includes material that the salespeople haven't been exposed to, they can only tell you whether they like it or it seems scary. The role play is a bit overwhelming because they haven't been exposed to that stuff yet.
Some of the sales trainers just aren't that good. They fail to relate, engage, understand, entertain and change the salespeople they are training.
Much of the content isn't that good. Some of it is just plain outdated while much of the other content around isn't complete, only focusing on certain parts of the sales cycle.
Some of them only know strategies and tactics but they don't understand the laws of cause and effect. They can't get to the real reasons why salespeople fail to execute the strategies and tactics.

There are at least as many more reasons but this article is already longer than it should be. We'll just call it part 1 and I'll circle back with part 2 at a later date.

Sales and Sales Leadership Lessons from Lou Piniella and the Umpire

Dave Kurlan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:55:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

Last night on the MLB Network, I heard Don Denkinger, a former major league baseball umpire, tell a very funny story about former Yankee player and current Cubs manager Lou Piniella.

The pitch came across the plate and Denkinger called strike one.
Piniella thought the pitch was low, turned, and asked, "where was that pitch at?"
Denkinger responded, "Lou, don't you know that you can't end a question with a preposition?"
Piniella steamed for a moment and called time out. "OK, where was that pitch at, ass hole?"

There are some great sales and sales leadership lessons embedded in this funny story. Can you extract any of them?

I'll identify the winners later this week.

How to Find More Sales Opportunities (without Cold Calling)

Dave Kurlan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:41:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

The two biggest problems for most companies right now, in this economy, are delayed closings and not enough new opportunities. I've tackled delayed closings, so today, with a little help from my friends, I'll tackle not enough new opportunities. I mentioned in my last post that (most of) you need three times more opportunities than ever before to make up for the late stage opportunities that aren't closing right now.

Rick Roberge, The Rainmaker Maker (did you ever click the link up top to read the Rainmaker Maker Blog?) was my guest on the most recent episode of Meet the Sales Experts. Rick has had quite the sales career and your salespeople will find this show quite helpful.

Here are some of the highlights from my interview:

Rick talked at length about several additional ways to find new opportunities but stressed that they are all supplements - not replacements - for cold calling. Among them he included:

* Blog
* Hang out where they hang out
* From people who will say nice things about you or your company
* Someone else's customers
* Orphan accounts
* Centers of Influence
* Networking

Speaking of Networking, Rick's shared his Secrets to Successful Networking. He said the biggest mistake salespeople make is that they do not follow up! He said it is not part of their plan and he gave this formula for Networking Success - 2x2x48. Listen to the show to hear what that means!

Rick discussed the lessons he learned about rejection from his early days in sales. You see, the biggest obstacle he had to overcome was his shyness and since he still battles that problem to this day, he not only knows how to get around it, he shared it on the show.

Rick's view of successful selling boils down to this point: "It's not ever about you, your company, or the owner. It's what your prospect needs. Until salespeople make it all about the customer, nothing happens."

Rick also shared his Rule of Low Hanging Fruit, his Magic Sales Lesson and his concept of Clique Selling, which he learned about in B2C sales but he says still applies to B2B sales.

So while a major emphasis in sales development is to make salespeople more effective on the phone, there are other things you can have your salespeople doing to find more opportuntities today.

On the next edition of Meet the Sales Experts my guest will be Sales Development Expert Casey Coffman, CEO of The Coffman Group. Listen in on Thursday, June 25, at 1 PM ET. Click LISTEN LIVE. If you can't make it, check back after June 27th and click this link.

How to Hold the Sales Team Accountable Under New Rules of Sales Engagement

Dave Kurlan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:53:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

If you read yesterday's post, there was a comment from Teicko who asked how you can hold the sales team accountable under these new rules of sales engagement where you must work three times harder, three times longer, be three times more effective and have three times more opportunities in the pipeline to get the same results as you used to.

How? Hold them three times more accountable. Three times more often, inflexible on three metrics (like new appointments, new opportunities and new qualified), and be three times less forgiving (quicker to consequences and the consequences three times more severe). Let them know that excuses, especially those referencing the economy, won't be tolerated. Perform or be among the soon to be 10%ers.

I'll be interviewing Rick Roberge, The Rainmaker Maker, today (6/17) at 12 Noon ET on Meet the Sales Experts. Rick will be discussing Finding More Opportunities. Listen in (click LISTEN LIVE) or visit the archive (click the 6/17 show) after 6/19.

Rules of Sales Engagement for the Recession

Dave Kurlan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:44:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

On the June 16 episode of Meet the Sales Experts, I answered listener questions - live. There were some fantastic questions and I provided some fair answers.

Listen to the show to learn how you can shorten your sales cycle by taking advantage of the window of opportunity...

Listen to hear about sales coaching - how often, what kind, with whom, and how...

Listen to discover the single biggest mistake salespeople make...

Listen to some opportunity specific advice.

We also discussed the economy - of course - and right now, there are some new rules of engagement. You simply have to work three times harder, three times smarter, find three times more opportunities and be three times more effective just to sell what you used to sell. That's it? No. In order to be three times more effective you must refine your strategies and expand upon your tactics. You must be more creative, quicker on your feet, more resourceful and more persuasive. You must ask better questions and more of them. You must be more powerful than ever before. Do that and you will survive. Do that consistently and you will thrive when the economy turns around and money loosens up. In the mean time, no short cuts!

Put on Your Helmet - 3 Great Tips for Selling in This Economy

Dave Kurlan — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:09:00 GMT

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave Kurlan

What a great interview I had with Bill Murray, Founder and CEO of Winning Incorporated, Friday on my Meet the Sales Experts Radio Show! He was awesome.

Here are some of the highlights from my conversation with Bill:

His mission is to abolish mediocrity. He tells us how in the interview...

He revealed a success story where the client, a bank, achieved a 400% increase in their asset base. Listen to hear what Bill did with the bank tellers!

Bill recalled his early days in sales which included getting a Jaguar for free - listen to hear how - and four transferable lessons from his very first job in sales.

He revealed the biggest obstacle he had to overcome in order to succeed - hear what it was like going from a leadership position with 2 personal assistants to a startup with zero income and....5 kids!

He had 3 great tips for helping you succeed in sales in this economy - the #2 tip was Put on Your Helmet! He explained how he named his company, and he provided this great tip: "Find something you're passionate about and attack it."

Bill also talked about applying a 50,000 foot strategy to the real world.

How would you like to get your own sales force issues answered live on Meet the Sales Experts? You can. The next show is this Monday, June 15, at 12 Noon ET. You don't even have to listen to the live show - you can listen to the archived show later to get your answer.

First, email me the details of your issue. It doesn't matter what it is. It can be about your salespeople, strategy, systems, processes, challenges, or approach or even your frustration over the economy. Just send the email and I'll read your question and provide the answer on this week's show.

Next, if you're able to listen live, simply click here at 12 Noon ET on 6/15/09 and click the link to Listen Live. If you're not able to listen live, you can check back here any time after Tuesday, 6/16/09 and click the link for the 6/15/09 show.