• Case History – Sneak Preview of a Sales Candidate

    • July 28, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    It never ceases to amaze me when clients receive nasty-grams from sales candidates who are – let’s call it put-off – by the client’s request that they first take our on-line assessment. The candidates receive a very nice email thanking them for sending their resume, explaining the client’s recruiting process and asking them to take the assessment. You just wouldn’t believe some of the notes I’ve seen. Name calling, cussing, threats, sarcasm, and more.

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  • How You Can Get Your Salespeople to Do What They Don’t

    • July 26, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I always said to myself that if I could apply the same discipline I applied at work to my eating and my golfing I would be a thin scratch golfer. One down…

    Please read this article the way I intended to write it. First, what it is not.

    It is not an article about how I lost 40 pounds. Nor is it an article about why I lost 40 pounds. Instead, please read this as an article about how to get people to change.

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  • Recruiting Strong Salespeople – The Sales Candidate Pipeline

    • July 22, 2010
    • Posted by: Kurlan & Associates, Inc.
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Recruiting Salespeople – again?

    Yes. I cannot write enough about this!

    But, as usual, I’ll address recruiting from a slightly different perspective this time – the candidate pipeline. Not to be confused with the candidate pool which is simply a single component of the pipeline.

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  • Bench Strength – The Key to Replacing Salespeople

    • July 19, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Don’t put yourself in a position where you have to worry about your new salespeople.  Once they’re on board, make sure you have a structured, effective 90-day ramp-up program to assure they succeed instead of setting them up for failure.

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  • Sales Force Compensation – X Marks the Spot

    • July 15, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Compensation is usually simpler than most companies make it.  Most companies seem to either over compensate or under compensate on salary.  Most companies tend to do the same with commissions.

    There are three key points in time with compensation.  They are:

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  • More Sales Coaching Leads to Accelerated Growth

    • July 14, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Your salespeople have the opportunity to replay their last call – one that probably had a horrible ending – and learn from it…

    Your salespeople can experience a live version of reincarnation every day! 

    There are two keys that can’t be overlooked though:

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  • This One Tip Helps Salespeople Close More Business

    • July 13, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Everyone likes options, right?  Yes, people love options.  The only problem is that options prevent most people from being able to make decisions. 

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  • Sales Just Can’t be This Easy…Can it?

    • July 1, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Last month, Reuters posted this article, describing research by Columbia University, which determined that both men and women are more likely to respond positively – and buy – when touched by a woman.

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  • Which Salespeople Use Bad Judgment and Burn Bridges?

    • June 30, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You want your salespeople to get decisions instead of taking stalls, put-offs and objections.  Some of your salespeople are better at this than others.  I’ve written extensively about the difference between the required skills versus the strengths that support closing, as well as recognizing and dealing with put-offs.  Today, I will discuss the difference between not getting the desired reaction or behavior, not getting a decision and burning a bridge.

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  • Top 5 Sales Recruiting Observations of 2010

    • June 29, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Today, I’ll make some observations about the sales recruiting activity taking place this summer that either reinforces some of the things I’ve said in the past, or modifies my original stance.

    In no particular order, but of equal importance:

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