Sales Management Training Articles

Win-Over C-Level Decision Makers with Effective Communicationsr Learn to Find and Push the Execs’ Hot Buttons/ Engaging Executive Conversations

Subordinates, administrators, purchasing, etc. keep you away from their bosses and the real decision makers because they fear losing something – power, ego, job, recognition, authority, etc. However, don’t assume to know what it is because you could be wrong. Get them to tell you why they don’t want you to go past them.

It is 4 times easier to get business from an existing account where you’ve maintained high level relationships, rather than getting business from a new account. It’s 2 times easier to get business from an account that you’ve lost, for whatever reason than a new one. Why, because you have relationships – good ones and weaker ones.

You’re walking in a mall when suddenly someone comes up to you and gives you a flyer while saying something about a product or service. You keep walking and he keeps walking with you? What do you do? What do you think about the sales person? What did you think about the product? This is a common daily scenario; what’s not common is when the sales person actually attracts the customers to get to know more about what he is offering. That is the reason why sales trai

There is a major difference between being a sales manager and a top-notch seller, as there is a great deal of responsibility that goes along with being a manager. For starters, a manager must provide sales force motivation for the staff, as his or her career is dependent on how hard these other individuals work. In order to be good at your job, you must master sales order management and sales process management, as both of these skills will help you a great deal along the way.

Anxiety is the uneasy feeling that arises within you when thinking about approaching a senior level executive, doctor, high government official, etc. It surfaces because you are anticipating an unpleasant outcome or projecting a negative experience. So in essence, it’s your own imagination that creates executive intimidation.

Large accounts are cash cows for any business. We all wish we had more. We all go crazy if we lose one. However, large accounts require the most powerful selling skills –getting-to and selling profit center leaders and their staffs. Two points of clarification: 1. Selling the C- level means working with these top-level, influential people so that they see you and /or your company helping them attain their financial goals. This is not about monetary purchases.

People block you from their bosses and others for a whole host of reasons. For example they feel they will lose their power over you; they don’t like what you have and know that if you get past them their boss might buy what you have and they will be stuck with you; admins are told not to let sales people get past them and fear the repercussions from the boss; etc. However, every block you’ve ever encountered was based on fear of losing something – power, ego, job, recognition, authority, etc. Gatekeepers don’t see a win in it for themselves; otherwise they would let you pass.

Listening is the key to establishing relationships and selling. If you learn what your prospects want, and/or forgot to mention, and/or don’t know about, and what they mean by the words they used to describe what they want, you’ll have a complete description of what it will take to win these people over. It works for both business and personal relationships.

Everyone knows that “Those with the In, Win”. Sales people want to be connected at the top, but usually struggle. Sales managers to presidents wish their sales people could get connected and were schmoozing with the top executives. So this five part series is intended to help you ...Everyone knows that “Those with the In, Win”. Sales people want to be connected at the top, but usually struggle. Sales managers to presidents wish their sales people could get connected and were schmoozing with the top executives.

Wal-Mart may conger up some images for you, yet one thing Wal-Mart does is to have a Greeter to make people feel welcome. Even the old K-Mart use to announces “Welcome K-Mart shoppers.” Unfortunately, after the Greeter or the welcome message, you get lost in the sea of people and merchandise ...Wal-Mart may conger up some images for you, yet one thing Wal-Mart does is to have a Greeter to make people feel welcome.

Never believe purchasing, delegated subordinates, or committees make final decisions. All they do is recommend their decision to their bosses. I frequently hear there’s a committee or some manager or functional person has been assigned the responsibility for the selection. The sad news is that sales people believe this nonsense and then feel it is now unnecessary to get to the top people. All committees or delegates do is gather information (leg-work) and past their thoughts upward for the final decision.

Good training works immediately is the claim made by us and most successful training providers. Unfortunately, there is still far too much training that does not achieve immediate results delivered by trainers reading from off the shelf generic courses. Most courses conclude with the delegates asked to evaluate the training (the happy form) at the end of the session. Research has shown that most evaluation forms (the happy…) are rated fairly highly.

Practice is not something one does when their good. Practice is what makes one good. 1. Why is it important, for you or your sales people to get to the leaders? List at least 5 reasons why you’d like to get to top level executives in your customers’ and prospects’ organizations. If you realize the advantages, you’ll start focusing on getting to CEOs, profit center leader, or top officials and their immediate staffs.

What goes through you when your boss or your inner-self says you’ve got to get to the top decision maker for this deal, contract, renewal or sale? It’s probably not great. However, the executive suite is where you have to be to increase you chances of success. Most sales people quickly boast ...What goes through you when your boss or your inner-self says you’ve got to get to the top decision maker for this deal, contract, renewal or sale? It’s probably not great. However, the executive suite is where you have to be to increase you chances of success.

"Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage," wrote Publilius Syrus more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome. Such wise advice from ages ago has never been more relevant. In the modern professional world, we are suffering from a listening crisis. Actually, it's a "lack-of-listening" crisis. Whether your role is executive, managerial, sales, customer service or anything else, it is critically important to your success that you listen. "Seek first to understand, th

Competition on the Sales Floorr One of the simplest elements of capitalism is that competition breeds excellence, and this is as true on a sales team as it is anywhere else. An appropriately competitive atmosphere among your sales people can be the key to getting the most out of your staff. The best way to create a competitive atmosphere that rewards initiative and innovation can stem from a Lead Management System like Leads360. Sales managers can set rules and policy in orde

Selling to C-Level and C-Suite Executives will go much faster and easier if you follow this simple nugget. C-Level and C-Suite Executives really value solutions that protect or enhance their careers. What make them look good? What helps them with their jobs? What solves their problems? What helps them keep their jobs, and what gets them promoted? They don't care about the lowest price, or competitive features.

Think of the companies that have bought from you. There are powerful people in those companies beyond your primary contacts, who have benefited from what they bought from you. These are people you can ask for referrals and critical information on upcoming projects or cross-sells. There are also people in associations, consultants, and within your own organization that have benefited from working with you. These are people you can use to make introductions for you to hard-to-see executives.

Get support if you want to sell faster and easier. Selling is a team sport. Use the people with whom you have a professional relationship to get to know others. Build relationships with them and keep moving up and out.

Your presentation makes your proposal come to life. It must instill a feeling of confidence about your company as it relates to the project you’re bidding. It also must be memorable. The last presenter has an advantage, but many times whoappears last is out of your control. So what you say and ...Your presentation makes your proposal come to life. It must instill a feeling of confidence about your company as it relates to the project you’re bidding. It also must be memorable. The last presenter has an advantage, but many times whoappears last is out of your control.

You hear the decision has been delegate and you believe it is no longer necessary to get to higher levels of influence. It’s common for senior managers to delegate or set-up committees to determine project scope and select vendors. However, senior managers never delegate or give-away final approval. The term delegate basically means, “You do the legwork and report your finding back to me.”

Confidence wanes and self-doubt sets-in when your negative little voices nag at you. Those little voices stem from parental lectures and social interactions which are now programmed into you psyche. These programs are what your inner parent draws from to tells your inner child how to react. If the message is positive, your inner child is happy and confident. If the message is negative or a warning, you inner child is fearful and full of caution / self doubt.

"I am the captain of my fate, I am the master of my destiny" wrote Henry Ford. You may not hanker after his fame or even his fortune, but to have made a difference? Wouldn't we all like to leave a wake behind us? To steer our ship we must have a destination and an idea of how to get there. You will have heard about setting goals and breaking them up into objectives. If the objectives are too big, we are to break them up into tasks. Theory says if you plan every step then take each step, you will eventually reach your goal. You just put one foot in front of the other.

The proposal document is an expensive, time-consuming, yet necessary document. Therefore it better hit the right buttons with the client so it takes you to the shortlist or gets you invited to do a presentation. So some thought should go into what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say ...The proposal document is an expensive, time-consuming, yet necessary document. Therefore it better hit the right buttons with the client so it takes you to the shortlist or gets you invited to do a presentation.

If you want doctors to prescribe your drugs, use your devices or refer your services, you’ll have to win-over them over, one by one. Winning over means they see you as a resource to protect or enhance their practices. Everybody knows they must see the doctors and not ignore the staffs, but how come most sales people struggle getting to these top dogs; engage them in the professional conversations; and winning their support? The answers are ignorance, fear, and/or obstacles. Ignorance

Relationships are a powerful way to get business. A relationship will be established when each party feels the benefits for him or her self. C-Levels and senior executives are primarily interested in business benefits you can deliver that serve their careers. Deliver the benefits and secure the professional relationships. Delivering results are thing you can control.

Job hunting is similar to selling and you will realize that the challenge is tougher to those interested in sales positions. Naturally, employers are expecting that you can convince them to “buy” your services. Hence, you can’t stay complacent during the application process and promise that you will show great work once hired. Soon as you have expressed your desire to work for a specific company, you need to start unleashing your sales skills. What you have learned from

The best way to capture the attention of a C-Level executive is to interview him. Senior exec’s loved to be interviewed. Additionally interviewing serves many other purposes. 1. It puts the focus on the executive and high level people like to be the focus of attention. 2. They get to do all the talking and executives like to do all the talking. 3. Answering your questions will let you know the executive’s thoughts feelings and desires, and this is what you’ll build your presentation around.r

Interviewing is the most important step of sales calls and relationship development. Interviewing requires asking stimulating questions that get prospects to discuss their wants relative to what you’re offering. However, interviewing also requires active listening. That is, listening with and ear to learn and understand.

A winter scarf is said to be very versatile because it allows you to create any look when wearing it. However, not all winter scarves are good enough for you. There are some things that need to be considered in choosing the right winter scarf for you. First of all, scarves are made from different materials. The piece can be made of wool or from high-quality synthetic fabrics. These fabrics provide the warmth needed, hence, it is better to choose the warmer fabric. Likewise, t

Increase your sales by using these simple C-level relationship selling, sales tips. Steal your competitors’ accounts. They are qualified, and they buy your type of products / services. Your competitors sell to these accounts. So what’s not to like, except they are not buying from you. To make you feel worse your main contacts at these competitive accounts are very cordial, yet let you know they’re happy with your competitors. Therefore, you assume everybody, including the powerful C-Level decision makers, love the competitors and will never change.

Sales force compensation options are plentiful—commission based on sales, blend of stock options, incentives and special bonus plans. Successful plans are always aligned to fit the overall goals of the company. Threads The list of variables to consider in a compensation plan include: new ...

Most sales people know enough to ask questions. And every sales person has heard a thousand times to listen more than they speak. However, most sales people interrogate rather than interview. The difference is; interrogating is about the sales person, and interviewing is about the prospect or C-level executive.

Developing strong listening skills is a key element in building collaborative, professional and long-lasting personal relationships. Listening is an integral part of the whole communication cycle. As you move through the levels of listening, you’ll generate different responses from the speaker. To get a feel for what this might mean, imagine yourself as the speaker - how do you feel and respond when someone doesn’t pay attention to you as you speak to them? And how is tha

Statistics show that more than 75% of sales calls end without the sales person asking for commitment. Believe it or not most customers buy rather than sales people asking for the order. The purchasing discussion usually goes something like this, "Send me a proposal." Then there's some follow-up and the customer agrees or not. The sales person never really knows why. Another common occurrence, "What’s the price?" Then there's some discussion and or negotiation, and finally the customer says, "Okay, I'll buy it," in so many words.

Telemarketing Tips, Closing Incoming Telesales for Call Centers Interest and credibility are the keys to successfully leading incoming callers to buy your products or services. When someone calls into your business, be it your, receptionist, multi-person phone bank or home office with an inquiry, obviously interest is high. However, you have to keep that interest burning while developing credibility and avoiding frustration. So how you answer and your next few statements are critical to moving this opportunity forward. Step 1 – Create Rapport with Your Greeting

Like you, I've been selling all my life and what I've learned is, asking good questions and listening effectively are the most powerful selling skills. Unfortunately, the dynamics between sales people and prospects/customers, coupled with tension and old habits makes asking questions and listening very difficult to execute consistently. Yes, many of you will say, you ask questions and listen. However, I contend that most of you ask only cursory questions, listen superficially, and can’t wait to give their pitch.

Although it is extremely important to know what to do when teaching people, it must be just as important to know what not to do. Most training concentrates on the attributes of a skill, for example, how to be a leader? So whilst it is important to know what to do, it is just as important to know what NOT to do. I have selected the 12 major causes of failure in leadership and management from my work with numerous corporations throughout the world. 1. lack of clear goals and plans 2. Inability to organise details 3.

Your buyers from the top C-level echelon to lowly subordinates will stick buy you if you continue to meet their needs. Likewise, they will switch to competitors if you don’t. This means, if you want your competitors’ accounts, get to the c-level leaders and show them you can satisfy their needs and wants. Two notes of caution:r

The reason for C-Suite selling is to attain the final yes on a contract or sale. Additionally, C-Suite selling is the most effective way to generated excitement to start a project or sale. So what excites C-Suite executives to buy and/or initiate projects? It’s the expectation to eliminate problems or attain desires. Uncover those problems and desires (http://sammanfer.com/articles_salescalls.html )and you’re on your way to closing. This is C-Suite selling. Push your products and services and you’re on your way to the exit.

Self sabotage stems from unconscious interference. We desire a certain outcome yet sometimes, a part of us refuses to cooperate. Yet if we could train our unconscious mind to work in harmony with our purpose, almost anything ought to be possible. How can we train our unconscious mind to support our will? Unconscious impulses draw on emotional memories, deep seated motivators, beliefs, and experiences. Perhaps even genetic memory has a bearing. Our unconscious minds behave like a powerful wild horse with our thinking mind as its rider.

Hiring successful sales people and sales managers requires a scientific process, not a resume and interview ritual. You’ve probably been fooled many times from a great impression at the interview, and then the person didn’t cut it. S/he either quit, got fired or worse yet, s/he is still with ...Hiring successful sales people and sales managers requires a scientific process, not a resume and interview ritual. You’ve probably been fooled many times from a great impression at the interview, and then the person didn’t cut it.

How many times have you heard the executive who’ll make the final decision is too busy to meet with you? C-Levels and top executives have so many things to do. Well, something is wrong here because at some time the C-Level will have to take the time to learn before s/he makes the final decision. It’s not to say that C-levels and other executives aren’t busy. However, if this sale is a go project, it will affect this C-level and his status with the company. Therefore, he will want to know what’s going on to be sure his expectations are going to be fulfilled.

Networking produces leads, contacts, and C-Level relationships better than anything. So use your resources. You know people that know people who can get you to where you want to be. However you have to stop and think about this for a minute because you’re not used to using these contacts. Once you start to think about who you know, you’ll be amazed at how many resources you have.

Everyone knows that “Those with the In, Win”. Sales people want to be connected at the top, but usually struggle. Sales managers to presidents wish their sales people could get connected and were schmoozing with the top executives. So this five part series is intended to help you easily and ...Everyone knows that “Those with the In, Win”. Sales people want to be connected at the top, but usually struggle. Sales managers to presidents wish their sales people could get connected and were schmoozing with the top executives.

Over the course of a year I talk with thousands of complaining sales people. Some complain about getting to the right people. Others complain about making pitches that stick; others about competition; some about the support they get from their company, etc. etc.

In this article we will focus on selecting the types of clients and the types of projects where you have the best chances of winning. Keep in mind all RFP’s, clients and projects are not good for you. Knowing what RFP’s you can win before you bid is critical to your success ratio. Keep in ...In this article we will focus on selecting the types of clients and the types of projects where you have the best chances of winning. Keep in mind all RFP’s, clients and projects are not good for you.

Shedding off unwanted body fat can be tough. Some people turn to cosmetic surgical procedure to get rid of stubborn flabs on their body. Others are resorting to different kinds of fad diets. But there's now a good alte ative solution that is fast, non-invasive and seemed to be more effective. This non-invasive procedure is called cryolipolysis, also known as coolsculpting. If you want to lose those unpleasant bulges of fat, cryolipolysis might be a good option to consider. Read on below what you need to know about it. What is coolsculpting?