The best, high-performing sales managers are a different breed.

They notice stuff.

They notice what their salespeople are good at…as well as what they’re not so good at. They then leverage the stuff they are good at to coax even greater performance out of their salespeople. They largely minimize the weaknesses.

The average sales managers sees those same weaknesses and thinks that he can fix them. He spends all his time doing just that.

That’s why he’s an average sales manager.

Let’s show an example… (more…)

Top sales managers agree that solid sales coaching makes a huge difference between a good and a bad sales quarter. Spending time coaching your sales people is worthwhile, it’s time well-spent, and if your sales managers are spending more time poring over spreadsheets and not coaching their reps, then you need to change your priorities.

What the real top sales managers don’t agree about, however—is how to best go about doing it. It seems everyone has their own opinion of sales coaching.

This difference in opinion and coaching styles has led to a number of useless tips floating around the industry – what top sales managers like to call “sales coaching myths”. Over the next couple of articles we’ll be discussing the different sales coaching myths – so your sales managers can avoid sales coaching mistakes that have the reverse and sometimes debilitating effects.

So without further ado, let’s get on with the show… (more…)

In explaining the near infinite growth opportunities  for the Coca-Cola company, the late great former CEO of Coca-Cola Robert Goizueta would oftentimes tell his troops:

“Each of the world’s six billion people drink on average SIXTY-FOUR ounces of fluids a day…of which TWO ounces is Coca-Cola”

This “sixty-two ounce upside” captured the essence of his message and reinforced the core belief that Coca-Cola had a near limitless growth potential. Goizueta was especially skilled at capturing a complex idea and communicating it in a clear visual, yet inspiring way.

He was a true “visual sales leader“.

Do you do the same with your sales team?

Visual sales leaders use memorable simple concepts to make it perfectly clear what needs to get done. They do it in easily understandable terms. The simpler…the better. But they make it unforgettable.

If you can distill your entire market down to its essential visual elements, and then MONETIZE it so your salespeople understand it without question…then, watch out.

Let me give you an example:

*You sell a specific kind of women’s dress

*The total market did $24 million for your sales district
in 2008.

*Your total 2008 sales were $4 million.

*Your market opportunity = $20 million

*Each of your ten salespeople has a $100,000 quota to achieve
their sales goal.

(Although I have never sold dresses in my life), a visual sales leader might say something like:

“When you place one of our dresses in the hands of ONLY one out of every 200 women dress shoppers in your entire geography then, congratulations…you hit quota”

“But…if you put one of our dresses in the hands of one out of every 100 women dress shoppers in your entire geography, then congratulations…you hit sales stardom”

Basic?

Yes.

Effective.

Most definitely.

In this example, you are simultaneously “leading visually”, while simultaneously “Setting the Bar Higher” (Course 2 in
the Sales Management Mastery online program – coming soon). Visual leading cuts through the crap…while reinforcing the predominant sales messages so your reps keep their eyes focused on the prize.

And the prize is the “sixty-two ounce upside”…

To learn even more about sales manager training, get our free ebook.

After you do that, post a comment to this post as to how you lead your salespeople to get the best from them?