Business owners and sales managers frequently debate about whether to invest in an inside sales force, an outside sale force, or some combination of the two. With inside sales, your sales reps visit with customers and prospects via the telephone, email, and internet. They do not leave the inside of your office, hence the name. […]
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Managing Your Sales Force
Posted by David Wallace on February 3, 2010
Five key elements help you manage effective sales teams and grow a successful business: Well-defined plans Clear communications Processes and tools Performance metrics Flexibility and adaptation Well-Defined Plans Well-defined, precise plans are roadmaps to success. They present your goals and strategies for how you will achieve those goals. Success follows when you develop specific plans […]
Read MoreSales Compensation Plan – Real-Life Example, Part 2
Posted by David Wallace on January 28, 2010
In our last post, we read about the negotiations a new business sales rep was having with her employer. Here is the conclusion.
Read MoreSales Compensation – Real Life Example
Posted by David Wallace on January 25, 2010
Last week I had an email exchange with one of my readers. This sales rep was in the process of negotiating (and re-negotiating) the sales compensation package. I thought you might be interested in the exchange.
Read MoreLead Management – Managing, Tracking and Reporting
Posted by David Wallace on January 7, 2010
How do you ensure that your sales team will follow up on and close on your leads? You need a system to manage your leads. This system should also provide tools to track the leads and to report progress to management and the sales reps working on the leads.
Read MoreLead Management – Qualifying Leads
Posted by David Wallace on December 30, 2009
Sales leads fuel your company’s growth and help maintain its competitive position. Make sure you fully realize their value.
Read MoreLead Management – Collecting Leads
Posted by David Wallace on December 22, 2009
Sales leads are a product of the marketing engine that identifies new customers and new opportunity. They represent future revenue and growth for your company. With just a little effort before the hand-off, sales representatives will embrace sales leads as the valuable source of new business that they are.
Read MoreSales Training
Posted by David Wallace on December 18, 2009
Sales reps are made, not born. Plus, selling is a skill which has evolved from “getting people to buy” whatever you are selling to fulfilling customer and market needs with your products. Like elite athletes, your most successful sales representatives are always “in training.” They are learning your market, products and competition. They’ve been trained […]
Read MoreSales Force Mix
Posted by David Wallace on December 8, 2009
Multiple channels exist for bringing your products and services to market – inside sales, dealers and distributors, and direct sales. Is one channel preferred over another? Can you use multiple channels simultaneously? Can the different channels support one another? Channel Preference Different channels efficiently address different markets and situations. Inside sales teams effectively sell commodity-like […]
Read MoreNegotiating Job Offers
Posted by David Wallace on December 4, 2009
When you bring new sales reps on board, you need to negotiate job offers. To drive a successful outcome, there are a number of principles and strategies to keep in mind as you negotiate. Negotiation Basics Define the limits of your offer before you begin a negotiation. Understand what your goals are, the value of […]
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