When you were interviewing for your current job, you probably prepped yourself for days, making sure you did all your research on the position, spoke to the few people who know the job well, maybe got a little background information on your boss-to-be.

On the day of the interview you woke up that morning, you might have rehearsed your answers to some of the potential interview questions while you were in the shower.

Maybe you made extra sure that you got a nice haircut was just so and wore your best suit and even shined those beat up Bostonians.

The point is this, when you interviewed, you made every possible attempt to represent yourself in the best possible way.

In short, that day, unless you were sick, you presented yourself in the best possible way you knew how. It was the best that you had.

By the same token, when a sales manager is interviewing sales candidates, (more…)

“Sorry, I’m swamped right now”

“I need to call you back, I’m way behind right now”…

“I’m up to my ears right now…”

Does this sound like your sales managers?

No doubt, in the hectic corporate environment, there is a big tendency for sales managers to get bogged down and extremely busy. The front-line sales manager has so many forces all converging upon him: salespeople, customers, upper level executives, training people, operational departments; all vying for the sales manager’s time.

But by far the biggest drain on the average sales managers time is (more…)

Do your best sales reps feel disrespected when their sales managers assume they always have ALL the answers?

They hate it!

In fact, they feel that it’s a sign of disrespect, as well as a complete lack of belief (yours) in their inherent abilities (which they feel are enormous).

There is a “real life” trick that you can use to turn even the harshest dissenters into followers by simply changing the way you deal with them. It doesn’t take much, all it takes is for you to release a little control and let them feel the excitement of being on the business end of some kind of relevant policy change…especially one that directly impacts them.

So here’s the trick… (more…)

We’ve all sat through God-awful boring sales meetings right?

Not exactly a good time, as I’m sure you’d agree…

Has the thought ever occurred to you that your sales reps might feel like this almost every time you call a sales meeting?

“Positively absurd” you say!

Well, if you are one of the few who does have the need to inject a little vigor in your next sales meeting, then read on… (more…)

The thing with underperformers is that because of their failures to hit quota, they start to have a hard time picturing themselves on top. They know they’re performing way below their peers and like a baseball slugger in a slump, they start to lose confidence.

The real challenge for the sales manager is to help underperforming salespeople stop this destructive thought process. Not easy. But a salesperson whose lost confidence in their abilities cannot possibly perform at the level that’s expected of them.

And this is where the third rule comes in. (more…)