One of the interesting things about the majority of "Top Jobs" in direct sales is that many, if not most of them, are never advertised. In this article, a "Top Job" is defined as one in which the sales person can earn $100,000 or more, (depending on skill, ability, desire), within one or two years. The company providing such a job must have an honest product that fills a serious need, and depends heavily on direct sales.
If these companies don't advertise their sales positions, how is one supposed to ferret them out?
Takes a bit of research, but it's not hard. We'll get into that in a minute. Before you even think about interviewing for such a position you must be absolutely certain you know the skills and techniques of a professional sales person, and know how to sell. Do you know how to get an appointment on the phone? Do you know how to get past the person whose job it is to keep sales people out? Do you know how to construct a presentation - not of a specific product, but rather a presentation of any product? Do you know how to close a sale and how to handle stalls and objections? If not, don't apply and don't even look. You need to learn.
The only thing of major importance in a direct sales job is your ability to sell. A sales manager who has a position with an earnings potential of $100,000 plus a year can not afford the time to run around training people from the ground up. Such a sales manager wants to put people in the field who can hit the ground running. The manager will be happy to give you, the newcomer, all the product information available, plus review their standard presentation and close, but only if you have demonstrated a knowledge of direct sales skills and techniques.
The upside of all of this is that you don't have to have a resume' that shows you to be a Harvard MBA in the top 5 percent of your class. The MBA people are generally looking for jobs with companies that offer high salaries, company cars, and heavy expense accounts. These companies are looking for "institutional" sales people, and require a candidate who presents the image of their company.
All you have to be is clean, neat, enthusiastic, honest, and know the skills of a direct sales person - and how to use them. There are many books that cover these skills, and they aren't that difficult to learn. It is, however, much like learning to play tennis from a book. All your reading about the skills required to be a good tennis player won't do much for you as you watch the tennis ball coming toward you at 85 mph. It's learning how to apply a skill that makes the difference.
Where do I start?
The first place to start your search is with those people, usually professionals, who might use a big-ticket item. Business owners, doctors, attorneys, CPAs, accountants . . . in other words, people who deal with the general public, and need to have all the tools necessary to do so, professionally. The money for any big-ticket item will usually come out of their pocket, and they want to be involved in the purchase, rather than leave it up to a purchasing agent (if they have one). All you have to do is contact these people and indicate something to the effect that you are doing a survey and would appreciate a moment of their time.
Upon contact, let them know that you are doing a survey on direct sales. What you want to know is if he/she purchased a single item, other than a car or truck, within the past 12 months, costing between $5,000 and $15,000 dollars, to be used by the business. You don't need to know the name of the item or exact price. What you do need to know is the name of the company they purchased it from, approximately how many sales calls it took before the purchase was made, and their impression of the sales person responsible for the sale. Was the person you are talking to satisfied with the sales person, and has the sales person followed up since the original sale? Do they know the name of the sales person responsible for the sale; if not, do they know the name of the sales manager?
You should continue your survey calls until you have a list of fifteen to twenty companies whose SALES MANAGERS you can now contact. I've capitalized sales managers because you do NOT want to be shunted off to someone like the Director of Human Resources. Sales managers, whose earnings are dependent on sales, almost always have the final say about the sales people they hire.
When you contact the Sales Manager, (if you can't get by the switchboard operator or the sales manager's secretary, you need to work on your sales techniques), he/she will probably tell you they don't need any sales people right now. That's normal, and make sure you let him/her know that is exactly what you expected to hear. It's important that you get the message across that you just wanted to speak to him/her personally. Let him/her know that you've researched the field, and recently had contact with [insert the name person you had spoken to, and the name of the company that gave you this company's name] where you were impressed with their sales approach, product, and follow-up. Words such as: "I can sell, and wanted to contact you personally to let you know that I'm impressed with the way your sales people conduct business. You've got a team that I'd be proud to join," are music to any sales manager's ears. Your next comment is important. It should go something like this: "I'm sending some information about me directly to you. You may not have any use for it right now, but experience tells me that most sales organizations have at least one person, 'on the bubble.' If that situation should create an opening in your organization, I'd very much like an opportunity to meet with you and discuss possibilities." Your call should be followed up with a "Thank you" note plus a brief resume' of your experience and training.
What are my chances of getting an interview?
Since you are selling yourself, you will be faced with a sales, "presentation-to-close" ratio. Your selling skills and telephone approach are critical. While the skill you demonstrate on the phone is important, there are numerous other factors beyond your control that will affect the final outcome. A pure guess would indicate that you should get between three to five responses from twenty contacts. The quickest responses will usually be from those managers who are desperate for good sales help. These may be organizations you would least like to be associated with, however, never turn down an interview. This is your opportunity to present your best features and how they might benefit your prospective employer. In other words, you will have an opportunity to sharpen your presentation. Use it well, and learn from it.
Getting a top job in direct sales is a matter of selling a quality product - YOU! It requires prospecting, contact, presentation of benefits and closing. If you keep at it, you will succeed.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Car Sales
Are you searching for a rewarding, high-paying job -- one that pays $3,500 -- $5,500 -- or even $10,500 or more per month?
Does it seem like all the good jobs -- the jobs that pay really well -- require years of specialized training or experience -- do you need a job that pays good money right away?
Would you like to have a job that truly rewards you for the effort you put forth -- and the results you achieve -- instead of toiling away at some lowly hourly rate?
Do you want a job that’s more than a job -- a true career that you can build on for the future?
Then you need to read this page thoroughly.
Believe me I know how you feel. I felt the same way before I discovered how successful you could be in the auto sales business.
You see, I started out as a sales consultant. Then I was promoted to Finance Manager, and then to Sales Manager. I’ve been involved in every aspect of auto sales.
I’ve seen a lot of people who wanted to start a new career in auto sales -- but they had no idea how the business worked -- or even if it was the right career for them.
That’s when it hit me! Why not put together a sales training course that explains the basics of how the auto business really operates -- so that people could make an informed decision as to whether this really was the right choice for themselves.
That way when you do start your new job in auto sales you’ll hit the ground running -- you’ll sell more cars faster and make more money sooner.
Every year auto salespeople are making $36,000, $48,000 up to $72,000 their first year.
You don't have to be a Doctor, Lawyer, or Business Owner to earn a professional wage.
Earn $48,000 to $72,000 your first year in auto sales. Enjoy the prestige and have fun while making money.
Your previous background has little to do with your ultimate success in auto sales.
What matters most is your ability to interact with clients in a friendly business-like manner.
That, and the ability to learn and follow a comprehensive sales training program.
People from all walks of life have been successful in auto Sales. Making $4,000.00 to $6,000.00 their first month in sales, and making $48,000 to $72,000 their first year.
If you assembled a group of 100 auto salespeople you would find that they are a pretty diverse group coming from widely different backgrounds.
We have seen former factory workers, teachers, police officers, and electricians become great auto salespeople. Computer programmers, secretaries, business owners, and military retirees have found success as well. Even students just out of school.
There really is no pre-requisite.
Auto Sales is a career where a friendly smile and a persistent attitude mean more than a college degree, or your previous work experience.
One unique thing about the auto sales business is that management positions are not typically filled from outside the industry. Rather, most managers begin their careers in car sales.
Successful salespeople often go on to become the dealership Finance Managers, Sales Managers, and General Managers. Some even go on to open their own auto dealerships.
The auto industry in the United States is on track to sell over 16,000,000 cars, trucks and SUVs this year alone. That number is expected to increase to 18,000,000 in the next 3 years, and these are just new cars. If you add in the total number of used cars sold the total would easily exceed 30,000,000 units in the USA alone.
It seems that people just can't get enough. They not only need cars for basic transportation needs, but want that certain car that defines their personality, and they want the newest model.
There’s money to be made by giving people what they want.
Of course, car manufacturers and dealerships are doing their part. Huge marketing and advertising budgets continue driving lots of traffic to car showrooms.
Auto Salespeople In Demand
No Experience Necessary
With the auto industry in full swing demand for salespeople is at an all time high.
This comes at a time when many of the current generation of salespeople are retiring, increasing the need for salespeople.
Dealerships are constantly on the lookout for sales talent.
Today, most hiring managers prefer to hire inexperienced salespeople. But, they want someone who has received training in the auto sales business.
We have put together the best auto sales training system available today, and harnessed the power of the web to make it available to anyone worldwide.
Study this training course at your own pace, in your own time.
In this training course you will learn exactly how to become a successful auto salesperson.
Discover how to get hired at the best dealerships. Learn how to sell yourself to dealership hiring managers to land the best positions at the best dealerships.
We'll show you how to position and present yourself to the decision-makers in a way that shows you mean business, and are capable of getting the job done
Learn 2 powerful phrases to use during the interview process that will earn the respect of the interviewer, and help to clinch a job offer.
Learn the Eight Stage Map To A Sale. A comprehensive, step-by-step method to selling cars.
See the correct way to greet a prospect so that you engage them into a dialogue rather than eliciting a response such as "just looking."
Find the real reason the customer is in the market for a car, and tailor your approach to hone in on that reason and close the sale.
How to mentally obligate the customer so that they feel regretful about even considering doing business with someone besides you.
When and how to have the prospect take a test drive, and why this is such an important tool in ensuring a sale.
Presenting figures to a customer. How to structure your offer to assure the price is on your terms.
What You'll Learn
>> Gain an understanding of the sales process. Learn how to turn little yes answers into the big yes. Find minor points of agreement, and how to turn these into the sale.
>> Learn the right ways to follow-up with un-sold prospects.
>> There is only one objective in a follow-up call. Know what it is and how to achieve it.
>> Handling incoming phone calls. What information to give out, and what to withhold. Hint: you want to give just enough info to get an appointment.
>> Handling objections: How to spot the objections that can kill a sale, and how handling them properly will make the sale.
>> Closing The Sale: Simple scenarios and phrases you can use to practically cinch the sale. Provided you have laid the groundwork and timed it correctly.
>> How to develop a client base. We'll show you how to develop a network of referrers who will send clients to you.
>> The power of the web. How to use the internet as your own personal sales machine.
>> $100,000 per year selling cars? You'd better believe it. We'll show you how.
Does it seem like all the good jobs -- the jobs that pay really well -- require years of specialized training or experience -- do you need a job that pays good money right away?
Would you like to have a job that truly rewards you for the effort you put forth -- and the results you achieve -- instead of toiling away at some lowly hourly rate?
Do you want a job that’s more than a job -- a true career that you can build on for the future?
Then you need to read this page thoroughly.
Believe me I know how you feel. I felt the same way before I discovered how successful you could be in the auto sales business.
You see, I started out as a sales consultant. Then I was promoted to Finance Manager, and then to Sales Manager. I’ve been involved in every aspect of auto sales.
I’ve seen a lot of people who wanted to start a new career in auto sales -- but they had no idea how the business worked -- or even if it was the right career for them.
That’s when it hit me! Why not put together a sales training course that explains the basics of how the auto business really operates -- so that people could make an informed decision as to whether this really was the right choice for themselves.
That way when you do start your new job in auto sales you’ll hit the ground running -- you’ll sell more cars faster and make more money sooner.
Every year auto salespeople are making $36,000, $48,000 up to $72,000 their first year.
You don't have to be a Doctor, Lawyer, or Business Owner to earn a professional wage.
Earn $48,000 to $72,000 your first year in auto sales. Enjoy the prestige and have fun while making money.
Your previous background has little to do with your ultimate success in auto sales.
What matters most is your ability to interact with clients in a friendly business-like manner.
That, and the ability to learn and follow a comprehensive sales training program.
People from all walks of life have been successful in auto Sales. Making $4,000.00 to $6,000.00 their first month in sales, and making $48,000 to $72,000 their first year.
If you assembled a group of 100 auto salespeople you would find that they are a pretty diverse group coming from widely different backgrounds.
We have seen former factory workers, teachers, police officers, and electricians become great auto salespeople. Computer programmers, secretaries, business owners, and military retirees have found success as well. Even students just out of school.
There really is no pre-requisite.
Auto Sales is a career where a friendly smile and a persistent attitude mean more than a college degree, or your previous work experience.
One unique thing about the auto sales business is that management positions are not typically filled from outside the industry. Rather, most managers begin their careers in car sales.
Successful salespeople often go on to become the dealership Finance Managers, Sales Managers, and General Managers. Some even go on to open their own auto dealerships.
The auto industry in the United States is on track to sell over 16,000,000 cars, trucks and SUVs this year alone. That number is expected to increase to 18,000,000 in the next 3 years, and these are just new cars. If you add in the total number of used cars sold the total would easily exceed 30,000,000 units in the USA alone.
It seems that people just can't get enough. They not only need cars for basic transportation needs, but want that certain car that defines their personality, and they want the newest model.
There’s money to be made by giving people what they want.
Of course, car manufacturers and dealerships are doing their part. Huge marketing and advertising budgets continue driving lots of traffic to car showrooms.
Auto Salespeople In Demand
No Experience Necessary
With the auto industry in full swing demand for salespeople is at an all time high.
This comes at a time when many of the current generation of salespeople are retiring, increasing the need for salespeople.
Dealerships are constantly on the lookout for sales talent.
Today, most hiring managers prefer to hire inexperienced salespeople. But, they want someone who has received training in the auto sales business.
We have put together the best auto sales training system available today, and harnessed the power of the web to make it available to anyone worldwide.
Study this training course at your own pace, in your own time.
In this training course you will learn exactly how to become a successful auto salesperson.
Discover how to get hired at the best dealerships. Learn how to sell yourself to dealership hiring managers to land the best positions at the best dealerships.
We'll show you how to position and present yourself to the decision-makers in a way that shows you mean business, and are capable of getting the job done
Learn 2 powerful phrases to use during the interview process that will earn the respect of the interviewer, and help to clinch a job offer.
Learn the Eight Stage Map To A Sale. A comprehensive, step-by-step method to selling cars.
See the correct way to greet a prospect so that you engage them into a dialogue rather than eliciting a response such as "just looking."
Find the real reason the customer is in the market for a car, and tailor your approach to hone in on that reason and close the sale.
How to mentally obligate the customer so that they feel regretful about even considering doing business with someone besides you.
When and how to have the prospect take a test drive, and why this is such an important tool in ensuring a sale.
Presenting figures to a customer. How to structure your offer to assure the price is on your terms.
What You'll Learn
>> Gain an understanding of the sales process. Learn how to turn little yes answers into the big yes. Find minor points of agreement, and how to turn these into the sale.
>> Learn the right ways to follow-up with un-sold prospects.
>> There is only one objective in a follow-up call. Know what it is and how to achieve it.
>> Handling incoming phone calls. What information to give out, and what to withhold. Hint: you want to give just enough info to get an appointment.
>> Handling objections: How to spot the objections that can kill a sale, and how handling them properly will make the sale.
>> Closing The Sale: Simple scenarios and phrases you can use to practically cinch the sale. Provided you have laid the groundwork and timed it correctly.
>> How to develop a client base. We'll show you how to develop a network of referrers who will send clients to you.
>> The power of the web. How to use the internet as your own personal sales machine.
>> $100,000 per year selling cars? You'd better believe it. We'll show you how.
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?"
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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