How to Get 'Em to Do What You Want 'Em to

That's probably the question I'm asked more than any other. Frustrated distributor CEO's and sales managers express that thought over and over, in one way or another. They're talking about their salespeople, of course. They harbor a feeling that some of their salespeople just aren't doing what they want them to do, and they don't know what to do about it.

If that thought occasionally passes through your mind, read on.

"What do you want them to do?" I often reply.

At this point, you're probably thinking, "What an obvious question. We want them to sell a lot, of course."

But that response is too vague and coarse to hold any real meaning in today's world. A few years ago, it was OK to direct your salespeople to "Go forth and sell a lot," but today that direction is not sufficient. Salespeople are capable of more than that. And, the world in which your company operates has changed significantly in the last few years. Our economy has grown increasingly complex, many markets are maturing, the demands and expectations of your customers are growing, your customers' choices of ways to satisfy their needs are multiplying, and information technology is growing more powerful and user friendly. All that means that you need to more finely direct your sales force than at any time in the past. Successful sales management in the approaching 21st century world requires a more sophisticated answer from you than just "Go forth and sell."

I learned that lesson the hard way in my days as a distributor rep. I was doing a great job selling in my largest account. That one customer accounted for about 30% of my total volume. Sales were increasing monthly, and my visibility and influence in the account was growing. If my boss wanted me to "Go forth and sell a lot," I was doing it!

Then, one dismal Monday afternoon, I was sheepishly greeted by my primary contact person, and informed that I was to see the Director of Purchasing. The news from the director was short and to the point. The Materials Manager had signed a prime vendor contract with my arch-competitor. Over the next 90 days, they would be fazing out all of my business and turning it over to my competitor. All of my contact people were disappointed and not in favor of this move, but it had been negotiated by people in higher places.

The moral of the story? I was doing a great job of "going forth and selling a lot." But I should have been getting to know the administrative people and my contact's bosses. If I had been directed to do that, instead of being focused on getting the easiest sales, I may have been able to ward off the end-around by the competition.

I realize that a case could be made that I should have known to do that on my own. After all, don't good salesmen know to do those kinds of things? No. I didn't, and I was a heavy hitter, high-income straight commission salesman. But I was driven by a straight commission compensation program that rewarded me for gross profits in the short term, and I never thought to cover all my bases by calling on my customers' bosses.

But that's just one example. Here's another. One of my clients owns a small but rapidly growing equipment distributorship. Every month his salespeople must count certain pieces of equipment in their territories. Each month he selects a piece of equipment, and requires his sales force to count how many of those there are, where they are, how old they are, what brand they are, and when they are scheduled to be replaced.

He uses that information to make territory and product line forecasts, as well as a basis for developing more sophisticated joint marketing plans with his partner-vendors. I'm sure you'll agree -- that's good information to have. But don't the salespeople do those kinds of things on their own? Do they really need that kind of precise direction from management?

Take a little self-test. Consider each of your salespeople, one at a time. Ask yourself, "Is ...(salesperson's name).... systematically collecting that kind of market information on his or her own?"

If your answer is a 100% "yes," will you please write to me so that I can note your sales force as the single national exception?

Those two examples illustrate just two of hundreds of possible behaviors you could expect from your sales force. In each case, the company's long-term strategic interests were best served by directing the sales force to behaviors that probably wouldn't happen in the absence of that direction.

So, the first step in getting your sales people "to do what you want'em to," is to decide "what you want'em to do."

Ideally, those things proceed directly from your strategic plan. For example, if your strategic plan says that you want to penetrate a new market segment, then you should expect your salespeople to make X calls per month on that segment, or create X new customers within that segment, or do X amount of sales with that segment, or achieve X amount of gross profit with that segment.

The first step is to develop your strategic plan, and then to create expectations for your sales force that directly support that strategic plan.

What, you don't have a strategic plan? That's too bad, you're definitely at a disadvantage. But, you're not disqualified. Just start at step two, and create precise expectations for your sales force. Develop a list of the three to ten most important things you want them to do.

Bringing in a certain amount of sales or gross profits should be one of them, but only one of them.

Next, make sure that your list of expectations are easily, accurately and fairly measurable. This can be difficult. Much of your ability to manage your sales force depends on your ability to measure sales behaviors.

If you're highly automated and use effective sales force software, it'll be a snap. If you're not effectively automated, it'll be much more difficult. For example, one of my clients wanted his sales force to call on new prospects. His business was growing, and his salespeople were happy. But he was sure that there was additional market share to be had in accounts that were not being cultivated. He felt his straight commissioned salespeople were content to call on their friends, and weren't doing the harder work of calling on new prospects. He wasn't automated, and didn't believe his veteran sales force would accurately and thoroughly complete weekly call reports.

His sales cycle (capital equipment) was long, and he didn't want to wait until he saw actual sales numbers. Those sales could occur 12 to 18 months after the first sales call. He determined to measure his sales forces' activity, (calling on new prospects) not the results (sales to new prospects).

We struggled with a way to easily, fairly and accurately measure the activity of calling on new prospects. As we discussed the possibilities, we realized that every customer's name was on the database. We also noted that every quote was produced by a sales assistant in the office, who typed each quote individually for all the salespeople.

Bingo! Suppose we had the sales assistant keep track of quotes made to companies not on the database?

We couldn't measure sales calls made to prospects, but we could measure the next best thing -- quotes made to new prospects. The system would be easy, accurate, and fair.

Having decided that, it was an easy step to give each salesperson a quarterly expectation for the number of "quotes made to new prospects." Our strategic initiative, "Gain market share," turned into a measurable expectation for each salesperson, "Generate X quotes per month to prospects not on the database."

Let's review: Step one, develop a strategic plan. Step two, create a set of the 3 - 10 most important sales behaviors. Step three, fine tune them until they are easily, fairly and accurately measurable.

Here's step four: Measure and reward the behavior you want. That can mean anything from publishing and posting those numbers every month, to revising your compensation formula, to making their pay dependent on performance of those activities. For example, you could measure the performance of the entire sales force each month, and post it conspicuously for everyone to see. In my business, we measure five sales activities, combine the individual numbers, and post the composites for everyone to see. We post monthly totals, year to date, this year's goals, and last year's monthly totals, year to date, this year's goals, and last year's numbers.

As an alternative, you may measure and post each salesperson's performance individually. You can report each salesperson's performance to him/her alone, and talk about it in monthly conferences.

Another technique is to make those numbers a topic for discussion at monthly sales meetings.

But if you really want to add some power, refine your sales compensation plan to make each person's pay dependent on performance on those numbers. This is not an article on sales force compensation. That's an entire series of articles on its own. (Call or fax me a request and I'll send you several of my articles on sales force compensation). However, it's been my observation that most sales compensation plans do not reward the behavior that they say they want. The company's executives say they want salespeople to do one thing, but their compensation plan rewards them for doing something else.

For example, you may be paying your salespeople straight commission based on gross profits. Yet, you may be expecting them to open new accounts, promote certain product lines, or emphasize certain accounts. When you pay them purely by commission, you reward them for the easiest, richest sales. So, your compensation plan says one thing, while you say something else. No wonder it's frustrating.

To encourage your sales people to do what "you want'em to," line your sales compensation plan up directly with your strategic plan. Directly reward those three to ten behaviors that you developed earlier. Consider a performance-based plan that pays them for implementing the company's strategies.

Finally, step five is the single most powerful way to manage your people once you've done all this homework. Hold "accountability-holding, goal-setting, strategy-developing, resource-identifying" quarterly or monthly conferences with each of your salespeople.

At these tune-up conferences do these things, in this sequence:

Hold them accountable for doing what they said they were going to do. Simply ask, "Did you do what you said you were going to do?" "Why or Why not?" "What did you learn?" "What are you going to do differently next time?"
Help them set goals. Ask, "In light of the compensation plan, the company's expectations, and your situation, what will you be trying to accomplish in the next quarter (month)?"
Help them create a strategy. Ask, "How are you going to do that?" Make them answer in detail and have them commit that answer to writing.
Finally, ask "How can I help?" and "What do you need to help you do it?"

Success in Sales

So you are looking for work and you think, why not sales. You like people, you tend to be outgoing, and your uncle Ted is in sales and he makes a ton of money, how hard can it be? The answer may surprise you. As many as 30% of people who enter the sales field leave in their first year and only 20% earn 80% of the total compensation paid to sales reps across the country. Getting a sales job is easy, being successful is very difficult. If you are willing to learn and develop the following traits, abilities and skills, then you may have the potential to be a successful in sales.

1. Understand the Value of Selling as a Profession

Sales is an honorable profession and one to be proud of. Without sales there would be no free market or economy as we know it today. Selling is the spark that drives our economic system.

2. Live With a Flexible Salary

Be prepared to set your own salary and have your pay be directly tied to your performance. Sales people are some of the highest paid people in the world, due to the nature of commissioned based selling with no ceilings and no floor.

3. Leave Your Outgoing Personality at Home

One of the biggest mistakes people make in pursuing a sales career is taking a sales job because they get a charge from being around people. Outgoing people who love to talk and make new friends, often burn out because of the rejection they experience and their inability to close sales from not listening. The best sales people are listening, analyzing and asking questions so they can meet the needs of their customers.

4. Learn to See Rejection as a Good Thing

There is so much rejection in sales, if taken personally it will lead to unhappiness that will spill over into your personal life. Successful sales people see rejection as one step closer to a sale and a very powerful learning experience. They do not experience emotional side effects from the loss of a sale.

5. Become a Constant Learner

True sales people are not born, they are trained. There are no secrets or magic bullets that lead to success in selling. Successful sales people spend a portion of each day reading, listening to audio tapes and learning from the top sellers in their profession.

6. Believe in Your Product or Service

You must believe in your product/service with all your heart, soul, mind and body. If this is not possible, then do not sell for that company. People will not buy from someone that does not believe 100% in what they are selling. This cannot be hidden; the customer will see through insincere intentions.

7. Be Honest and Trustworthy

Customers want to buy from someone who they can trust and is honest. They want to buy from a friend. Learn to build relationships based on trust, honesty and integrity.

8. Learn Your CustomerÕs Hot Buttons

Get inside the head of the customer and learn why the buy. Push their hot buttons by meeting needs and adding value.

There are many more factors associated with sales success, however these are eight of the most important. If you decide to pursue a sales career, incorporate these traits and you are on the road to successful selling.

What is the Sales Manager Looking for in a Sales Rep?

A clone of their all-star sales people, or those in the top 20% who bring in 80% of the sales teamÕs revenue.
Commitment and loyalty to the company and product.
Eagerness to earn high commissions.
A proven track record in sales.
Loyalty to the needs of the customer.
Goal oriented individuals.
Positive enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and grow on the job.
When interviewing for a sales job ask the following questions:

Can I see a job description?
What is my compensation potential?
What does your average performer make?
What does your top seller make?
How much autonomy will I have?
How many calls are expected per day or week?
Is the job in the field or tele-sales?
Can you explain the compensation plan?
Who specifically is your target market? p>These types of questions can help clarify the kind of sales job for which you have applied.

The medical sales role

career as a pharmaceutical sales rep can a highly lucrative and rewarding one, with average salaries ranging between $60,000-$80,000 per year. Most pharmaceutical sales reps are employed by leading drug companies around the country, and are responsible for informing the public, doctors, and hospitals about the latest products available. Sales representatives set up appointments with doctors and hospitals in an effort to persuade them to purchase a particular product or new drug on the market.


Getting a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep doesn't require a college degree, although most employer's prefer a strong education and at least a bachelor's degree in science. Associate degrees in business or a medical field can also be enough to obtain a job in this field; the key traits most drug companies are looking for is a business mind-set, confidence, the ability to learn and grow with the company, and keeping up to date on medical trends and research. College students can start to look for placement with major drug companies, and interviews are often conducted on college campuses throughout the country.


Successful pharmaceutical reps can start by working with a supervising sales representative to learn the basic process, and will gain the most advantage by increasing their product knowledge and learning how to speak to the medical audience. They need to be persuasive, charismatic, and learn how to speak clearly under pressure. During the interview, the hiring manager will most likely ask questions such as:


What do you think is the most challenging aspect of a pharmaceutical representative?
Why is a sales mindset important for the pharmaceutical sales rep?
How would you convince a physician to switch to a preferred brand?

Pharmaceutical sales are a competitive industry, and the rep needs to learn how to handle rejection! It is also prestigious in nature; most drug companies offer attractive salaries, benefits, and use of a company car. Getting a job in the field may require some proactive searching and ongoing interviews with multiple employers. You have to be a self-starter, ambitious, confident, ethical, and positive. Still your efforts and hard work can be very rewarding

Sales Strategy

in a recent report from Conning & Company, the insurance industry research firm. It indicates costs must be cut for property and casualty insurance companies to remain competitive. Since most of these expenses are in acquisition and commission costs, one of the best ways to slash them is by having consumers serve themselves.

What Conning & Company and others are suggesting isn't just another change; it is revolutionary. What's happening in sales is disintermediation with a vengence. A quick translation traditional selling is history. Even with all the positive attributes, salespeople can be expensive, tempermental and lack loyalty. Eliminating them from the equation is making more sense than ever before.

Anyone who wants to succeed in selling can do so. But it means changing the way we think about sales and the role of the salesperson. Here is what it requires:

1. Stop fooling ourselves. Those who try to con the customer only kid themselves. A phone call came from a telephone company representative who described a new approach to meeting the telecom needs of mid-size businesses. To provide these services, the phone company was "partnering" with another firm to conduct a needs assessment and to make recommendations.

When the report was presented several weeks later, potential telephone service savings were noted if certain equipment was purchased from the partner company.

Who was being conned? Not the customer. He saw through the "report" instantly, since it was no more than a thinly veiled (and poorly prepared) gimmick to sell equipment. Did the phone company and its partner believe such a transparent, sophomoric approach could possibly succeed? If they did, they were only fooling themselves.

2. Stop getting in your own way. If anyone's objective is to make the sale, they render themselves ineffective as a salesperson. This is why more and more salespeople fail today. They are being told by their managers that the job is making sales. The president of a bank describes his company as a "sales organization." He knows exactly which products are profitable and easy to administer. There's only one problem. A dismal track record! He gets in his own way. Prospective customers recognize his objective; they sense all he wants to do is make the sale. And no one buys!

Ask the right questions

If you're in sales, you know the feeling; about two weeks after starting a new job, you begin to doubt your decision. You detect a gap between what you were told and what is actually happening, and it keeps getting wider. You hear yourself saying, "I think I made a mistake," after being on the job for only a month.

Salespeople seem to be more prone to making mistakes than others when it comes to selecting the right job. Since it's their business to stress the positive and minimize negative factors, it's possible they apply this same approach in choosing a job. Perhaps salespeople are good customers who respond to a solid sales pitch. Even though they know they're getting a sales pitch, they may be more easily swayed than those outside the profession.

To avoid taking the wrong job, here are 10 questions to ask before accepting a new sales position. While most should be directed to the sales manager, ask anyone who may give you more information.

1. Does the sales manager make me feel inferior? You are the only person who can answer this question. It's important because sales managers are often known for their well-developed, and sometimes oversized, egos. If the person you'll be reporting to makes you feel uncomfortable or inferior during the initial interview, just imagine how you'll feel once you're on the job. Is it realistic to think that it will be different in a month or a year? If you're uncomfortable at the start, it isn't going to change.

Getting the sales job

The compensation plan changed again. The revolving door of company executives spins out of control. You look at the corporate direction and you'd like to give the CEO a compass so he can find his way. Concerned, you've decided that today is the day that you will peek your head over the cubicle wall and see what other opportunities are out there. After all, you've been successful. No need to go down with the ship.

The morning you wake up with the inspiration to begin a job search is a little scary. There is the factor of the unknown. Yet, you pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone to open the doors to new opportunity. It's been a while since you last looked for a new sales home. How do you go from where you are today to a new, fresh opportunity?

Know what you want. In sales, you often work with the profile of your ideal client. The same applies when looking for a job. You need to know what the ideal fit is for your sales pedigree. If you don't know what you are looking for, how will you know when you find it? This introspective exercise is the subject of another article of mine titled, "Finding the Right Home For Your Sales Skills." That article walks you through the exercise of defining your ideal sales role. Don't go another step in the process until you have read that article.

Develop your marketing tools. Marketing tools? Yes, that is what a cover letter and resume are all about. When you think of marketing, you also think of messaging. Many forget this when they develop their cover letter and resume. However, these marketing tools communicate a message, a story. The key is to make sure they convey the story you intend.

While the easy thing to do is to create one cover letter and one resume, it is not the most effective way to pursue a new job. As someone who has screened thousands of these documents from sales candidates, I can share with you a little nugget of insight. Hiring managers ask themselves a simple question when they first peruse your cover letter and resume. "Do they want my job or just a job?" We know when you are mass emailing your marketing tools just like prospects know when you mass email them.

In sales, you are taught to make sure your message matches your audience. Sales is not taught as a one-size-fits-all, but rather a template that is adjusted to match the need and circumstance. When prospects feel that they are the sales call of the day, they don't respond. The same applies to hiring managers. Hiring managers are looking to hire people that want to work in their organization. They can feel when someone just wants a job, not necessarily theirs. Thus, when they get that feeling, your candidacy for the job goes into the trash.

The cover letter is one of the first ways it becomes obvious that you are treating this as a mass event. The sales person applies for a specific job, but the cover letter communicates a message that says they want a different job. It is not intentional on the part of the sales person. After all, they paid a copywritera thousand dollars to create this masterpiece. Copywriters are very helpful to those in need of assistance in creating the story of their background. However, the effective cover letter recipe has three ingredients to it, making it somewhat difficult for the copywriter to unilaterally assist you.

1. Share what you know about the company. Hiring managers want to see that you have at least done a little research about them. This is easily done by visiting their website, performing an online search, and studying them on Hoover's.

2. Present your relevant qualifications/accomplishments. The keyword here is "relevant." We've all done a lot of things in our lives. Pick the ones that you feel are most relevant to the reader based on what you read when you researched the company. You can also ascertain this from the job posting.

3. Show the synergy between the opportunity and your background. Connect the dots for the reader. If the company is looking for a sales person that has developed a new territory and you are an expert at doing that, make sure the message comes out in the cover letter. Don't expect the reader to see the synergy. You need to map it out just like you do for sales prospects. When presenting the synergies, use their language. If they call the position "a hunter," refer to yourself as one. If they call bringing in new accounts as "territory development," you are in expert in territory development, not hunting.

When the objective, isn't the objective. The same holds true for the resume. Many sales people write an objective at the top of their resume. Yet, they fail to adjust the title based on the position for which they are applying. My favorite is when someone writes as an objective, "To get a sales or sales management position." I can assure you that approach is a guaranteed way to get yourself removed from consideration in an instant. Those are two completely different jobs. "I want to be a pitcher or the manager of the team. It doesn't matter to me." Again, I just heard you want a job, not necessarily my job.

What you've done. The resume is an extension of the cover letter. The message should be the same. Highlight the results and areas of expertise that are most relevant to this opportunity. I'm not suggesting that you leave certain jobs or employment off your resume. However, package each one as best as you can to convey the synergy between you and the company.

From the job posting, you can usually infer what is most important to the sales manager. Those usually can be found in the section of the job description that highlights the candidate requirements for the job. Include bulleted descriptions and statistics that map back to those elements.

While the work to customize these marketing tools may seem huge and painful, it really isn't. Earlier, I mentioned that you should start the search process by identifying the right home for your sales skills. The reason for that recommendation was to give focus to your search. It allows you to laser-in on those opportunities that best match you. Thus, isn't it worth the time investment to customize your marketing tools for those job prospects that are best suited for you? Wouldn't you do the same thing in pursuit of a major prospect? I certainly hope so.

Preparing For A Sales Interview

I am frequently asked about questions that may be asked at a sales rep job interview. Everyone wants to know "How can I ace my job interview?

In this article we are going to look at tips on how to present yourself in the first interview, how to answer interview questions, how to prepare for your interview, how to behave during the interview, questions you can ask the interviewer and how you can maximize the chances of getting the job you really want.

The best way of approaching a sales interview is to think of it like a normal sales meeting with a customer. But instead of selling goods or services, in a sales interview, the product is YOU.

By thinking of the interview as an ordinary sales call, you will find it easy to structure the call and prepare for it. For example, when you are selling, your first approach will often include a brochure or other sales literature setting out your offering. When you are selling yourself, this is the function of your resume or CV. It is essential that you present an employer a carefully constructed document which highlights the features and benefits you have to offer. This will usually be in the form of achievements, qualifications and training. Similarly, a well crafted cover letter will help your application to stand out.

Professional salespeople never visit a customer without having done some research first. At the very least they will have Googled their customer to find out the latest developments and announcements. They should also have checked recent files and had a look to see what is going on in the customer 's marketplace.

In the same way, the interviewee should carry out some pre-interview research. This will not only boost confidence but is fine preparation for some standard interview questions like "What do you know about our company?" or "What do you think the biggest challenges we face in the market today?" It should also prompt you to think about questions you can ask at the end of the interview when you are invited to do so.

Nowadays, it is more and more common for employers to filter job applications by conducting a telephone interview. Although many people are concerned about this, in fact it is usually an easy opportunity to score well and make an early impression.

The first thing to remember is that you are in charge. When the phone rings, the interviewer has absolutely no idea what you are doing and will nearly always ask if it is convenient to talk. Unless you are fully prepared then your answer should always be "no". Set a time when you know you will have had time to do your research and create an atmosphere conducive to giving the right impression. Make a list of the key points you want to get across and have any reference materials easily to hand. The objective of this session is for you to sound relaxed, confident and full of potential. The main goal of the discussion is for you to get a face to face interview. As the call draws to a close, it is essential that you try to set a date (remember to have your calendar to hand).

The main operating environment for a salesperson is when she is talking to her customer. When applying for a job, the potential employer is the customer, so the interview should use the same ground plan as you would for a customer sales call. Remember to arrive punctually, suitably dressed and with anything you might need (like a spare resume or a certificate of achievement) easily to hand in your bag. Remember that the interview starts the moment you arrive and your behaviour with garage attendants and receptionists may be assessed as part of the process.

There is no set pattern for a sales job interview. Some companies have a highly structured approach; others will be more amorphous in character. Regardless of structure, there are usually two questions that you can expect. You may be asked a something like "Tell me about yourself". The answer should be a very brief recap of your career lasting no more than three minutes, which highlights key achievements and finishes with the question "...what would you like to know about in particular?" Do not fall into the trap of rehearsing details of your childhood and upbringing thereby wasting valuable time on information that will not support the product on sale - you.

The second question you can expect is a derivation of "Why do you want this job?" Again, you must align the answers with the skills you are offering. An answer like "I read in your accounts that you are planning to expand into the South West. I have built up a considerable network in that region, am very familiar with the political issues and feel that with the new products you announced last week I can make a significant contribution..." will play very well and serves both to demonstrate the skills you bring and the fact that you have done your homework.

Inexperienced interviewers will often take off their watch and say "sell this to me! Don't be tricked into doing a "feature push" sale. Step back and remember your basic sales training. Respond by asking questions about what he wants in a watch before constructing a sales presentation aligned to his needs.

Good interviewers nearly always provide the opportunity to ask some questions. Do not let the opportunity slip by. This is your chance to showcase your research and ask about the company 's markets, plans and processes. Even if some of these items have been covered during the interview, you should be able to find a way to open up another angle especially if it will highlight one of your key strengths.

Although sales job interviews are very similar to other job interviews, they do differ in one important respect. At the end of the interview, the candidate is expected to attempt a close of some sort; if only to show that he is capable of asking for the business. This doesn't need to be an in your face "am I hired?" question. Indeed depending on the circumstances, this could be counterproductive. However a gentle question seeking feedback or confirmation that the interviewer will be taking your application forward can rarely do any harm.

In some situations the interviewer may start to ask you questions about package. Be on your guard. This is am opportunity to close. Do not just jump in with your number. Remember that this is a sales interview and the question could be a 'buying signal'. Therefore respond with a trial close: - "As we have started to discuss remuneration, can I take that as a sign that as long as the package is right your will be making me an offer?" If the answer is "yes", you have a deal and you can then start talking about the salary and benefits package you need, usually best expressed in terms of a range rather than outright figures. If the salary is lower than your target, you can push for an improved car or better health or holiday benefits.

Occasionally a sales interview will end with a firm offer being made. More often than not though, there will be further stages before an offer can be issued. In this event is is good practice to follow up the interview with a "thank you" letter or email. This should be short, summarize the key strengths that you have to offer, clear up any uncertainties and if appropriate add some further information or collateral which the interviewer might find interesting or supportive of your application.

And finally you should approach every sales job interview with the thought that good sales people are really hard to find and keep. If you can demonstrate that you know how to sell and are confident, well researched and have the energy and drive to perform well them you will be well on the way to meeting your objective of passing the interview.