• Double Article Friday – How New Salespeople Struggle

    • February 21, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If ever there was a good analogy for the new salesperson, this is it; and what a case it makes for nailing the onboarding process to make sure that nothing is left to chance.  In what kind of shape is your onboarding process for new salespeople?

    Here is an article that I wrote seven years ago about how to onboard new salespeople and it still holds true today.  Enjoy.

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  • Do Salespeople Leverage the Ideal Moment in the Buying Process?

    • February 20, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    The moment after it’s all closed is the perfect moment for both salesperson and customer, and it can only go downhill from there.  So why do salespeople fail to leverage that moment?

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  • Top 4 Questions, 2 Words of Advice about Sales CRM

    • February 17, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A company’s executive team can have a positive or negative influence on the performance of the sales team.  Each member of your executive team can impact sales in some small, or not so small way.  Today, I want to talk about Chief Technology Officers, VP’s and Directors of IT.  At first glance, you might not think that IT has much of an impact on sales and you would be correct.  However, they do have a significant role.

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  • Are You Any Good at Evaluating Sales Talent?

    • February 11, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You can probably spot an energetic, motivated, likable, memorable, polished, polite and attractive salesperson from a handshake away.  Aren’t those the ones you like best?  Aren’t those, especially when they have industry background, the ones you hire?  And don’t they all perform just swell?  

    No?  Why not?  After all, they met all of your criteria, didn’t they?

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  • Friday – Finding New Business & Sales Part 2 – How it’s Done

    • February 7, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This is the second weekly installment of Finding New Business and Sales.  You can read Part 1 here.

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  • How to Run a Killer Sales Incentive Contest

    • February 6, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Incentive programs are still very powerful as long as you make sure they don’t last for more than 90 days.  There are other factors that can make the difference between an effective and ineffective program.  Consider the three most important concepts:  Everyone must believe that they can win the contest, there should be more than 1 winner, and the rewards must be motivating enough for them to go into overdrive to win one.

    Let’s begin with how you get them to believe they can win.

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  • World Series, Super Bowl and the Sales Force – The Rallying Cry

    • February 5, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    With selling being such an individual sport, can any of this character and culture stuff be applied to a sales force?  Let’s discuss it and figure it out.

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  • What is the Best Sales Model for Your Sales Force?

    • January 28, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    On its own, the concept of a sales model can be confusing, especially when you mention it in the same breath as sales process and sales methodology.  However, when the word “successful” precedes sales model, it lends more clarity to its purpose.

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  • Sales Selection Experiment – a Must Read Case Study

    • January 27, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    They were assessed with OMG’s tools, and assembled into 5 teams, all selling the exact same product.  They had to go door-to-door, sell an overpriced luxury item, in the same market, over a 3-day period.

    5 people were placed on each team based on the following carefully selected scores from OMG’s Sales Candidate Assessment:

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  • What Does it Take to Become a Sales Manager?

    • January 24, 2014
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    After his football career ended, Chatham went back to school and received an MBA from Babson in 2011.  With that in hand, he said that he would prefer a front office job and wishes to become a GM.  On the other hand, Fouria said that he would love to coach, but…

    There were a lot of buts:

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