Tagged With "Coaching"

Larry High Schools nor College teaches students "how to work your ass off". I'm a firm believer that you can't coach nor teach someone how to work hard. Knowing how to work hard is one of those innate characteristics within people that only comes to fruition when that person has the passion or drive to succeed. I've seen it time and time again, you can't teach someone how to work their ass of. The either want or don't want to. With sales, we understand that in order to win, we need to lose.

Art, Agree 100 % with you. It boils down to will do versus can do. Great coaches are so critical to sales success. Athletes flourish when coaches align with their talent. There is so much to learn from coming in second. As sales reps we can't win every deal but we sure can learn from them. Cam Newton, I do not doubt his ability, desire, determination and quest to win... Translate to a sales rep and if we acted that way we would not get the second chance as prospects or clients would not put...

If you're not first you're last

In sales you get no financial reward for coming in second. Commit to becoming the go to person in your market place as a sales rep. This culture starts at the top and filters down.

too bad there are so many crappy sales cultures in the business world. Too many companies look at sales people as a necessary evil and pay too much money to consultants that are so far removed from the industry that they don't have a clue. Most of these "consultants" will make a statement that we can make add more profit with our "new" program. Most times that program is to cut the comp plan of the sales people. I call it "Ikonism"

Oh boy Art biting my tongue dude. Walk and talk it, live it and breath it. Read between the lines and you will get my drift.

Fresh approach. Keep the info coming. Nice work..

Thank you Larry! Glad you enjoy. Have a great week.

Very good write up Larry. The statements are 100% right on that coming in second gives you nothing but the next phone call, door knock etc could be a win for you. I do want my sales reps to be pissed off and mad when they lose a deal. It tends to show me they really care. I personally get very upset when I lose a deal and I don't settle for second place. I am a sore loser when it comes to sales and I want my reps to be that way as well. I don't want to hear the BS "well there's always next...

Love it Jason! Finding out why we lost is always good. It allows for coaching and readjusting the game plan. The hardware deal may be lost if it involves one but the opportunities to sell additional solutions still exist.

just 30 minutes ago I lost a deal. I was happy, because the decision was made in a timely manner and the client notified me, thus I did not have to play phone tag for two months. I did ask why I lost and I lost to the incumbent, prices were equal ( had $3K GP in the deal ) and they were receiving good support and service, thus they stayed with the incumbent. Thus, what did I learn? The next time I go up against that competitor, I know I can add GP, and also need to dig deeper with why our...

Art, Sorry you list the deal but even old time guys (me included) can learn something new. This validates it is easier to stay with the "known" Always be Positioning yourself even in defeat. Within copier dealerships there are so many other "things" you all can sell to help solve business problems and challenges. I hate losing but sometimes good losing turns out to be great opportunities down the road. The Carolina Panthers will be back, Cam Newton will be back and as salespeople you will...

A good book on this subject is: From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call ...Close more by doing what you do best... by Richard Schroder. It's about how companies should conduct post sale interviews on all deals to determine why you won or lost. They quite effectively illustrate the value of this process and why someone other than the salesrep should conduct the interview. It pretty much proves that a very high percentage of the time, the salesrep really has no clue why they lost or won...

Old glory, That's a fantastic idea. I had never thought about having someone do an "exit interview" from a prospect after losing a deal or winning a deal. I would bet most sales people don't even know why they won a deal, let alone lose one. I can say that even after many years of selling I still forget at times to ask the client why they chose me. Other times they come out and say it but I bet at least 50% of the time I forget to ask. I am more inclined it seems to ask why I lost rather...

Old Glory/Jason, Exit interviews are a fantastic way to truly engage and understand win/lose situations. So easy to get pissed off and move on, human sales nature. Stop and think about all the other things you leave on the table your dealership can support. A true sales professional wants to know why. This is how you improve. All too often the classic is "lost because of price" no you were outsold! Winning is a great way to find out what you did well so it can be repeated over time.

That's what this book is all about. Think of all the things that may influence a sale that the prospect will never say to your face. Are they going to tell you that they didn't believe what you said? Are they going to tell you that they just didn't like you as a person? Are they going to tell you that you were too pushy? No...they are going to say that you were more expensive whether it was true or not. The job of a sales person is the strategic management of perception. How can I possibly...

"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser" Vince Lombardi Well... "Here is looking at you kid! I admit I have Bronco Nation running through my blood, albeit Boise State Orange. Was I happy the Broncos won, of course. Peyton Manning, whether winning or losing is a class act. Peyton Manning and Cam Newton two phenomenal athletes at polar opposite spectrums of their careers. By now who hasn't watched the video clip of Cam walking out on the media, I laughed to myself as I watched.

When people ask you about yourself, what are the first few things you share? Aside from where you may live or whether you are married with kids, one of the first things you are most likely to share is your job title or what you do for a living. There’s a good reason as work is a common thread in most of our lives. Sharing with someone where you work and what you do gives them a good idea of what’s important to you. This is just a part of normal "get to know" conversation. In previous posts,...

I applaud DirecTV with their diversity. Not only are they continuing to make an impact within the cable TV wars; but they have also made a substantial impact within the sales world (more in a bit). Their recent campaign plays on one single phrase, showcasing a frontier-era family in a suburban neighborhood who stick to antiquated ways such as a horse-and-buggy and, by the way, cable. “We’re settlers son, we settle for things,” explains the father in “Neighbors”...

Larry, just a question for you. Could it be that principals and owners don't want their sales people to be awesome with LinkedIn? My reasoning is that many might would consider this to be a danger to their client base if the rep were to leave. Just a thought On the flip side, building your brand as a sales person gives you the unique opportunity to carry your contacts along for life, even if you change jobs, and industries. Wouldn't dealerships and reps want to be awesome at everything they do?

Art, you bring up some valid points, however; what was happening before LinkedIn? Sales reps will continue to come and go. It is up to the dealership and management to provide them the foundation and the tools to be successful. Think about this Art, copier dealer principals have invested decades, countless hours, and millions of dollars to build their brand reputation in their local market but the sales reps are front and center of the dealership. With a quick search a prospective client can...

What happened before LinkedIn, is that any rep who was looking to leave either kept a book of contacts or was stealing data with the customer base list. I'm a big fan of co-op dollars being used by the dealers for getting their reps the premium subscriptions. Just need manufacturers to embrace that idea also. I was vetted the other day by a prospect, and you know what, I was happy that person paid a visit to my profile. I now feel that I'll have a better chance of helping that prospect...

Art, sales reps are front and center. This will always be that way. Trust and environments of positive culture will always win. Operating any business with fear of what will happen or lack of trust is a recipe for constant turnover. Sure sales reps come and go but management has to foster a winning culture. Sales reps LinkedIn profiles show their dealership as where they work. No I will not be at ITEX . Build the brand, speak to the brand, live it, walk and drive traffic to it.