How To Become A Better Sales Manager

YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired," by the "Donald." It was no surprise to me. It was all about people and management skills. You either have them or you don't! Kendra had them and Tana, sad to say, didn't.

The shenanigans you watched during the "Apprentice" show are perfect examples of what not to do if you want to become an effective and respected sales manager.

Enough about that . . .

Today, being a sales manager, is a tough job - and it can also be extremely rewarding. Here's what I find bizarre. There are too many undertrained sales managers trying to coach and develop their undertrained salespeople. It's not a pretty picture.

What do you think happens when that happens? Right - nothing much happens.

Last week I went to Chicago to conduct a one half-day sales training program. After completing the program in Chicago I was off to Las Vegas to do a two-day sales training program.

I'm sitting in an aisle seat (9D) on American Airlines flight #1417. Once I settled in I exchanged hellos with the guy sitting next to me.

I asked, "What kind of work do you do?"

He says, "I'm a sales manager" and proceeds to tell me about his company, his responsibilities, and some of his problems.

After a while he asks me, "What about you - what kind of work do you do?"

I gave him my prepared elevator speech, "I coach and train salespeople and sales managers on how to increase sales, earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less time."

He says, "You coach sales managers, man could I ever use a coach!"

I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "One day I'm a very successful sales representative and the next day I'm a sales manager."

He continues and says "Hey, I wanted this job - it was a dream come true for me." Along with the promotion I got the standard "Hit the road Jack kind of attitude from my company."

"It wasn't mean-spirited, just a go figure-it-out for yourself kind of an attitude."

I asked him one of my favorite questions - a question that uncovers specific problems. I said, "Keith, as a sales manager, what are some of the biggest challenges you're dealing with now?"

He said, "You got an hour to hear them all?" I took some notes while he was talking and here's a list of what he said he needed help with:

Recruiting Interviewing Planning Time management Coaching Motivation Planning a dynamite sales meeting Strategic account plans Measuring performance Sitting goals that get results Leadership Self confidence

I said, "That's quite a list."

He says, "My wife thinks I'm nuts for taking the sales management position."

She says, "You're working longer hours, you're always stressed out, and you're always thinking about work."

Well, I'm not going to bore you with any more of the details of that conversation - but Keith seems to be the perfect candidate for my just released Sales Management Coaching Program.

After I explained the program and all of its benefits to Keith he perked up and said, "Sign me up!"

You can use this link to see the complete Sales Management Coaching package - it will take only 118 seconds to read. http://www.meisenheimer.com/sales_coaching/individual.shtml

If you're a sales representative please forward this to every sales manager you know, who wants to become the best they can be in their role as sales manager.

If you're a sales manager, take a close look in the mirror and ask yourself, "How am I doing as a sales manager?" If you want to achieve superior results as a sales manager you'll have to have superior sales management skills at your fingertips.

Years ago, some of the best advice I never took was "You can't succeed alone." It took me a long time to buy into this very simple concept. Today I belong to a Mastermind group that meets every three months. We've been doing this for five years now.

During the same five years I have hired three different coaches to help me grow different parts of my business. Personally, I have always found an immediate payback with the coaches I've hired.

For me, the results have been truly amazing and incredibly rewarding.

Here's the link again to see the complete package. http://www.meisenheimer.com/sales_coaching/individual.shtml

Enough about sales management . . .

It's time to start thinking about the second-half of 2005.

Here are a few practical selling tips:

1. Prepare a list of what worked for you during the first half of 2005.

2. Prepare a list of what didn't work for you during the first half of 2005.

3. Prepare a written list of goals (Make them specific) that you want to achieve during the second half of 2005 - professional and personal.

4. For each written goal prepare a list of strategies that describes in considerable detail how you are planning to achieve each goal.

5. Identify the one thing that's holding you back from achieving phenomenal success. Be honest with yourself! Then, immerse yourself in a self-development program to convert this weakness into a personal strength.

This is not an exercise in futility. Actually, it's an exercise designed to help you achieve the personal growth and development you need to take your business to the next level.

If dealing with time management is an issue for you, my Audio Book "57 Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life" includes 57 creative ideas on how you can, once again, take control of your time and more importantly your life. Use this link for more information about the audio book and to see the extra stuff I'm including: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=143021

Now go out and outsell and outsmart your competition . . .

Jim Meisenheimer is the No-Brainer Sales Training Guru. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com

Use this link to sign-up for Jim's FREE No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter and to get your copy of my Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do." http://www.meisenheimer.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Turning Strangers to Friends with Power of Freebies

In the last issue I shared with you a technique... Read More

How to Increase The Sales Of Promotional Products

I have searched for a new way to increase the... Read More

Stop Drowning: Nine Strategies For Managing Your Priorities

I just got off the phone with Susan. She is... Read More

The Benefits of Catalog Sales For Your Business

Things to watch out for when selling your product in... Read More

6 Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process

Is lack of sales results, more sales training costs, months... Read More

3 Secrets That Set The Context For Sales Success

In today's competitive environment, every organization is trying to improve... Read More

Run a Productive Business From Your Car-Office

The way we do business has changed dramatically over the... Read More

The Nine Warning Signs that You Need a Sales Video

Corporate videos are an important sales tool that can often... Read More

A Real CRM Strategy or Just Tracking Customers?

Exactly what is CRMThe idea itself is nothing new; its... Read More

Sales Tactics to Beat Your Competition

This month I want to share a success from a... Read More

How We Build a 90% Failure Rate into the Sales Process

I recently began doing training in the banking industry. Across... Read More

Increasing Sales by Using Coupons - Will it Help Your Business?

Increasing Sales by using Coupons. Will it help your business?... Read More

All Small Businesses Need to Gather Community Intel

How well do you know your community? As business owners... Read More

3 Steps To Getting A Sales Meeting

The best way to get a new customer is to... Read More

Project/Program Management Best Practices for Success in ANY Industry!

Where is our success? Although there have been improvements, over... Read More

How to Win Over the Man in the Chair Salesmanship, Repetition, and Direct Mail

In a classic business-to-business print ad from the late 50's... Read More

Offer Package Deals To Increase Profits And Sales

An effective way to increase your profits and sales is... Read More

Your Extended Shadow And Successful Sales Management

In a small midwestern town, the local high school of... Read More

The Hardest Job Of A Trade Show

You've heard this before: There were four people named Everybody,... Read More

How to Organize a Seminar or an Event

Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic... Read More

Baditude!

As a group of sales trainees took a break from... Read More

Management From Within

Inspiration and Management from Within ? Part 2.The more you... Read More

Effective Sales Territory Management

How you prioritize your sales territory management activities depends upon... Read More

How Many Salespeople Should I Hire?

One of the most asked questions I get is how... Read More

Is Your Forecast Too Sunny? How to Improve the Accuracy of Sales Forecasts

As spring moves to summer, the forecast should be for... Read More

Sales & Marketing Plan Strategies

Design and Implementation of a new Sales & Marketing campaign... Read More

A Coachs Handbook For Sales Managers

This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express... Read More

The Product or the Sale

This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the... Read More

Never Trust a Silent Customer

Imagine you run a pizza parlour. You have all these... Read More

Franchise Sales; Recruiting of Laid Off Employees

Because of corporate downsizing, many people have been laid-off or... Read More

How to Sharpen Your Sales Message with Do-it-Yourself Focus Groups - Small Business Power Tools

You've probably heard of focus groups. It's a tool that... Read More

Shorten Sales Cycles in Complex Sales Environments

Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and... Read More

The Art and Science of Managing Expectations in Selling

It is very easy to fall into a trap with... Read More