Search Results

  • Challenges Don’t Always Require a Complete Sales Force Makeover
    • April 19, 2012
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Many of the Sales Force Evaluations provided by Objective Management Group (OMG) reveal that the company’s problems run so deep that they will require a complete sales force makeover.  However, it doesn’t always have to be that way.  Sometimes, a single word, question or statement will change how every prospect responds.

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  • Does Your Sales Force Look Like This?
    • April 12, 2012
    • Posted by: Kurlan & Associates, Inc.
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I shared just a few of the charts, graphs and tables, which we include in a sales force evaluation when we are answering common, but difficult, business questions such as:

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  • Another Sales Assessment Takes on OMG – What Does it Reveal?
    • April 4, 2012
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I received an email asking if I could explain why OMG’s assessment said “Not Recommended” and the SalesAP said “Highly Recommended”.  In general terms, SalesAP, like all personality assessments, makes assumptions about its sales findings. 

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  • Sales Team Morale is Overrated
    • March 2, 2012
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Someone posted the question, “Are you already behind on your YTD sales goals?”.

    One responses was another question, “What are some different ways you keep morale high when the team is behind on goals?” 

    I responded to this question with the following answer:

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  • New Penn State Coach – Just Like Dysfunctional Sales Management
    • January 6, 2012
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Bill O’Brien. One coach – two full time jobs.  Both teams need his immediate, undivided attention and won’t get all that they need.  Given the dual roles, how do you feel about the Patriots’ chances of another Super Bowl?  Given this conflict of interest, how do you feel about Penn State’s ability to have a quality recruiting season?

    This happens quite frequently in my world – the sales force.

    In most small businesses, the President or owner is responsible for running the company and by default, manages the sales force too.  The problem?  Unskilled sales management is being provided on demand and that is always quite ineffective.

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  • Sales Pipeline – Reality vs. What Your Salespeople Know and Think
    • November 28, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Categories: Sales Pipeline and Forecast, Understanding the Sales Force

    What your salespeople think or believe – not a data point.  

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  • Sales Traction – The Key to Measuring the #1 Sales Competency
    • November 16, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    One of the KPI’s I introduced in my Moneyball article two months ago was Traction, the ratio of suspects that become prospects. Using the Baseline Selling process, that is also the ratio of opportunities that move from 1st base to 2nd base. Translating that one more time, it is the number of 1st meetings that move to “we have a real opportunity here”.

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  • Top 7 Things That Consultative Sellers Do
    • November 14, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    A small group of experts, especially those that lack this competency themselves, believe that using this competency for selling is manipulative and counters being customer-centric.  They are as entitled to their opinion as I am to mine.  But remember, you simply can’t argue with science, data and results.

    So which competency am I referring to?

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  • Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales
    • October 3, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Categories: Best Top 10 Lists, Understanding the Sales Force

    I’ll bet that every CEO, President, Director, VP of Sales and Sales Manager asks the “how can we increase sales?” question on a regular basis.  Do you?

    There are as many answers to this question as there are politicians running for US President in 2012.  They include but aren’t limited to:

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