What Sales Managers Need To Know To Win!

Manuscript

Breakthrough Sales Management:
What Sales Managers Need To Know To WIN!

Introduction

I have several biases. One I am a student of Dale Carnegie’s famous book “How To Win Friends and Influence People” I believe in taking the positive approaches with people to a fault in leading greatness. Second, I believe in being intentional and making things happen and do not depend on hope or luck to determine my success or others victories. Although; I do believe, as I heard Arnold Palmer, the world famous champion of golf, say “the harder I work the luckier I get”

Maybe you are having the same challenge I had: as your organization is growing and your sales management team is maturing in their abilities and talents, I began to look for reading resources that would aid their professional development. What I discovered was a lot of material on sales, motivation and management but nothing that pulled all the disciplines together specifically targeted to Sales Managers. Therefore, I took it upon myself to write several drafts over the last 5 year as I flew across country, visiting our businesses. I would pull out my lap top and write about my experiences and thoughts as a personal memo to my Sales Managers. As I flew late at night between State College, Pennsylvania, Detroit, Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Las Vegas I wrote a lot of words with little order or congruence. Therefore, I asked an English Lecturer from Penn State named Faith McDonald to help with the editing. I am not a writer. I am a speaker; however, I was not confident that the other 200 USAir passengers would have enjoyed my speaking into a microphone at 30,000 feet while they were trying to sleep.

If you are reading this book, most likely you are a Sales Manager and I trust you will read with an open mind and receive the information as it was intended -- not as a management code, but as a helpful guide to your continued success. If you are not in sales management perhaps someday you will be, regardless enjoy!

Would you like to read more of my manuscript? Please post a comment. I would like to hear back from you and as always, please visit our website for more informaiton and for our upcoming training schedule.

http://www.dalecarnegiesystems.com/

Five Successful Strategies for Selling in Turbulent Times

Several years ago at our International Dale Carnegie Convention John Hines befriended my, at the time, 11 year old son Sam. A retired franchisee, John had had an outstanding career with Dale Carnegie and was well respected. John told Sam that he had written a book and when he got home to Wisconsin he would send Sam a signed copy. He then went on to tell Sam that if he could understand the essence of the book he would never be without a job or money for the rest of his life.

As you can imagine Sam was rather excited and anxious to receive Mr. Hines’ book which he believed would contained the secrets of financial freedom. I forgot about the exchange held in early December and when we returned home I was preoccupied with year end business stuff and of course the holidays. I missed Sam’s expectant look each day when the mail arrived. I am sure after a week even Sam gave up thinking it was a nice thought but really, what are the odds that an elderly gentleman would remember to send his book.

Much to our surprise a week before Christmas a package arrived from Wisconsin. Sure enough it was Mr. Hines’ book. Sam tore the package apart and grinned from ear to ear as he read the title. Then his smile turned to a frown as he opened the book and then back to a grin as he understood the thesis of Mr. Hines’ book. The title was “How to Sell and Make Money without Working” . . . and all 145 pages were blank.

There is no easy street in true selling; it is the discipline of consistently doing the right activities under pressure. I remember writing a commission check to a sales associate for $12,000 for six weeks of work, and then having the person resign, thank me and simply say, “I am not interested in working that hard.” I appreciated the honesty and felt bad that she missed out on all of the seeds that were planted during those six weeks.

Selling in good times is about discipline. Selling in turbulent times is even more about having the right personal discipline to win. So with the right work habits and right personal discipline here are 5 strategies that will work today:

1. Make contact daily with your current customers and ask for two things: (1). What else can we do to help you meet your business objectives and (2) ask for referrals
2. Go see your most valued customers and top 10 prospects. They most likely did not wake up this morning looking for you. Go see how you can help.
3. Dare yourself to break all Sales Records
4. Use Mr. Carnegie’s Golden Rule . . .”Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view.”
5. Be a relationship builder . . . build trust and drive out fear . . . we are helping, not selling.

Remember during turbulent times we need to draw upon our courage as sales professionals.

Eddie Rickenbacker the famous World War I fighter pilot said, “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.”

Also remember the words from Peter Drucker, “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

What strategy is working for you? Let us know with your comment here.

If you are interested in learning a time tested sales process or honing your sales skills check out our upcoming Sales Program.