Sales leaders sometimes travel and sometimes they even take the time for a vacation! I can remember leading a sales management workshop 10 years ago when, at a break, it seemed almost everyone ran to a phone to check in and "put out fires." Two of attendees stayed behind and chatted casually about the class or other topics. It was a clear study of who were in control and, perhaps, who were not. The two sales managers must have known that even without them, their team and organization would continue to function.
In today's world with text, e-mail and mobile phones, staying in touch is easy...sometimes too easy. There are a few rules in leading a high-performance sales team when out of the office:
One: Make your team independent of you. Many first-time sales managers feel they must "serve" their team by solveing all their problems. While support is critical, absorbing their problems does not solve their problems -- it only adds to yours and limits your time to be effective on the strategic and key tactical actions you need to take to be successful. When a salesperson presents a problem to you, remember to say: "What are your three recommendations?" This will help them pre-think the issue before burdening you and, perhaps, solve the problem themselves.
Two: Assign Responsibility. When you are going to be away for a period of time, assign one or several salespeople to various roles. Obviously, you may limit their responsibility, but allow someone to run the weekly meeting or lead a sales training program and, if you have new or younger salespeople on your team, make sure each has an assigned senior to provide mentoring. These small tasks allow you to test and train others for future sales management roles.
Three: Turn off your phones. When you are at a conference, workshop or even taking a day off, enjoy the time to focus and clear the brain or, what I call, "get some fresh air." Sure, you can check your e-mail from time to time, but limit it to three times a day.
If you are living in a crisis mode and need to be in constant contact with everyone, then you might like to take the sales management Audit Analysis on my Web site to find out what you need to focus on to improve your sales management systems.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on August 31, 2010 at 11:52 AM0 comments
I once read a quote supposedly by Jack Nicklaus: "Golf is 80 percent above the shoulders." As a bogey golfer, I have come to totally appreciate that comment. I asked Jim West, our Director of Golf, what his recommendation would be for a book or video on the mental side of golf. He quickly suggested The Golfer's Mind, Play To Play Great, by Dr. Bob Rotella. I found it on Barnes & Noble and four days later it arrived. On the plane to Seattle Sunday morning I read about 75 percent of the book. It's an easy read with "ah ha's" throughout the book, with great ideas, practical suggestions and stories of his pro clients, including quips about the battles they face and philosophies they use to maintain their mental focus for 72 holes.
In reflecting on the Dr. Bob's recommendations, it is easy to translate the same thoughts to our world of sales and sales leadership. There are 29 short chapters in his book. The first chapter is: "A Golfing Philosophy." What is your sales philosophy? "If it isn't fun, it isn't selling" has been mine. The author describes the need to relax and enjoy the challenges golf brings, and the importance of controlling the mind at all times. In sales, we have peaks and valleys, successes and failures, as professionals. You must work to control your subconscious mind and not becoming distracted on the golf course or during a sales process.
"Goals and Dreams" is another chapter. Dr. Bob breaks down the reality of goals vs. dreams -- they are actually different elements to success. In my keynote, I speak to the concept of dreams andgoals and the fact there are no unrealistic dreams -- only unrealistic timelines. In sales, we must first set our dreams and define specific tactical goals that will help us achieve those dreams. "Setting your Target" is another chapter in which he describes clearly focusing on where you want the ball to land -- finding a very specific detailed spot, a tree, a 3 foot spot of fairway, the back of the hole, etc. -- before you putt and then letting the relaxed body execute. Having a specific planned objective for every sales call becomes critical, and relaxing to reduce tension allows the professional to achieve meaningful conversations.
As professionals we must commit (another chapter) to excellence. One important aspect is being mentally strong and prepared to win. What will you do this week to improve your professional success? Buy the book for each person on you sales team? It will improve your golf game as well.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on August 24, 2010 at 1:36 PM0 comments
This weekend I was working on my next book and the ending of my chapter described my keynote program: "No Regrets, a Do-over Recipe for Success." I thought I would share some ideas from the book with you as we move into the dog days of Summer.
This is what a No Regrets, Do-over Recipe and Building a Personal recipe for success is all about: Abraham Lincoln made the comment, "It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." It's important to be able to bring balance together, learn to use the ingredients you have and know what you want from life. Start with being a better person and try to make the world a better place.
I like to suggest that it's all about three little words: and then some. These three little words are the secret to success. They're the difference between average people and extraordinary people in most organizations. Extraordinary people always do what is expected, and then some. They're thoughtful of others, they are considerate and kind and then some. They meet their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely and then some. They are good friends, helpful neighbors and then some. They can be counted on in an emergency, and then some. I'm thankful for people like this; they make the world more livable. Their spirit of service is summed up in these three words: and then some.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on August 18, 2010 at 12:55 PM0 comments
"Making it to the Top," and other phases like it typically refer to exceeding your sales quota or becoming a top performer in your organization. Sales leaders have used these words to create sales contests, set goals and sales themes for the year and ...so have I. Last Friday, I made it to the top!
First, I will be honest, I took Friday off. At 7 a.m., 11 people drove about 90 minutes to Smoky Mountain National Park to begin a 5.5 mile hike up Mount LeConte to reach its pike at 6600 feet. Secondly, it was a hard and difficult hike. On a hot day, we crossed mountain streams, climbed over rocks, walked along four-foot-wide ledges holding onto to a wire cable for support, and for over 3.5 hours -- we made slow and a steady upward climb. All eleven of us made it to the top! After a lunch and some rest we then hiked down the same path 5.5 miles. After the eleven-mile hike, we wearily took off our boots, sipped our last water and slid into our cars for the ride home -- as a treat, we stopped for two big scoops of cold tasty ice cream.
Yes the analogy is correct! In my keynote programs I describe "dream setting" and the need to have a vision for your life both personally and professionally. I had set my sights on climbing Mount LeConte four years ago -- there are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic timeframes -- and when I heard the hike was planned, I set aside that day. I made a commitment. I actually purchased two new hiking sticks -- I invested in myself. And I worked hard to make it up and down that mountain, success does not come easy, you have to earn it. Everyone on that hike kept each other's spirit strong as we all were tired. Persistence is an element of success. We worked together until everyone was safe and back to the parking lot with a sense of pride of accomplishment and then we treated ourselves for achieving the objective -- rewards bring a sense of pride.
What are your goals for the rest of the year? Or next year? Successful sales leaders have their personal and professional goals in balance, and have a vision and defined goals for their lives.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on August 06, 2010 at 11:53 AM0 comments
By now the summer is almost over and you need to be concerned about exceeding August's quotas, achieving September's goal and the fourth quarter sales numbers. What should you be thinking and doing? Here's a quick checklist:
- Ask each salesperson to identify if their top prospects/decision makers have vacations scheduled during the next 45 days and if they do, will they delay planned decision dates?
- Review your pipeline values by stage at 30, 60, 90 days to identify if you have enough opportunities for the future and if you can "move ahead" or accelerate their decision points. Do you need a few quick marketing lead generation programs?
- Carefully measure your leading indicators to see if your salespeople are taking the summer off. Leading indicators are sales actions that will lead to demonstrations and/or proposals.
- Do you have third- and fourth-quarter sales contests planned? "Sprint to the Finish" could be a theme. The contest could be based upon year-end sales by person or a team plan: The entire sales team wins by exceeding the sales budget for the fourth quarter.
- Schedule a company picnic lunch where the sales/marketing team cooks and serves the meal for everyone else in the company. This will build teamwork and shows appreciation for everyone that serves sales during the rest of the year.
Why all this special attention? It is not uncommon for people, in general, to slow down during July and August; family vacations, sports activities, weekend events -- all sorts of activities can begin to take away the focus that is necessary for high performance teams to excel. As a sales leader your focus and energy has to rise to another level to maintain the intensity that is necessary for success.
What other ideas do you have to ensure your third and fourth quarters are successes?
Posted by Ken Thoreson on July 26, 2010 at 9:46 AM0 comments
Last week I spoke at Microsoft's World Wide Partner Conference. With 14,000 attendees, it was a terrific event. The amazing action to watch was the volume of conversations taking place -- not necessarily just on the Expo floor but EVERYWHERE!
At this event Microsoft has created a software tool called "Connect" that allows anyone registered to search the registered list of attendees and arrange for a meeting in a predefined area for a 30 minute "speed date" or even to arrange a meeting at some other location. Plus, attendees had the opportunity to network at the evening receptions (several every evening), at breakfast, lunches and hallway accidental meetings.
The noise and energy of people from all over the world discussing their business, asking questions and finding new opportunities were impressive. From my personal experience I had good accidental meetings with individuals from Russia, Poland, Greece, the Czech Republic and the U.S. We discussed and shared business thoughts and laughs. In other unplanned and prescheduled meetings, I had the opportunity to discuss Acumen's expertise, new business opportunities and was given the opportunity to enhance new relationships with other vendors. I know from past experience that conversations held an idea that information shared can lead to business opportunities for the near future.
I also met individuals that may not lead directly to new business, but their new knowledge of Acumen's expertise and experience could lead to referrals or the uncovering new relationships. Some of these individuals I have known for years and some were first time contacts. These contacts were discovered in airports, hotels, walking down the street, hallways between meetings or while simply waiting in line for another prescheduled meeting.
What does all of this mean to you?
What are you doing each day, each week to find new opportunities, opening up new relationships or building up your network? When I started my business I set a goal of meeting two individuals a week simply to build up the awareness of my practice.
As sales leaders. are you expecting networking activity in your monthly salesperson's business plans? Are you measuring or inspecting the types of networking they are participating in?
What creative ideas are you using to find new opportunities?
Posted by Ken Thoreson on July 19, 2010 at 9:33 AM0 comments
I am leaving Sunday for Washington D.C. -- yes, in July! It is the Microsoft's World Wide Partner Conference; it is my ninth year speaking at the event. Click here for webcasts, Acumen's best practices and content on increase your profitability.
During the day I will be listening to programs, attending breakout sessions and networking with my peers. At night I will be working on my client projects or attending networking events. Going to this event is always very interesting -- normally I am giving the keynote or leading a breakout session at vendors' or association's conference. At this conference I will be attending learning sessions as well.
With WPC and other industry events going on this week it is important that even with the economic challenges that you may be experiencing and even if cash flow is critical, attending these kinds of events must be a considered a priority. Learning new things, picking up one or two new ideas and even re-energizing your own mind can help you lead your organization during tough times. You may even gain insights into new sources of revenue that will propel your organizations as the economy begins to recover. Invest in yourself are the key words.
In one of my blogs I mentioned creating a Personal Development Plan for each of your team. As a sales leader you need to have your own too. For Summertime reading ask me for Ken's recommended list of executive books for your library by sending me an e-mail at Ken@AcumenMgmt.com.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on July 09, 2010 at 11:24 AM0 comments
There is no question about it. Top performers are more creative that your average salespeople. They seem to come up with unique ideas to prospect, find ways to enhance client relationships and close more effectively. Sales leadership requires creativity as well -- sales managers that are exceeding sales quotas, hiring and developing their teams and building a sales culture require huge levels of a creativity quotient.
The good news? You can enhance your creativity by "working on it"...In my Keynote,
No Regrets, the Do-Over Factor, I share three tenets for personal and professional success, with creativity being one of those three foundations. I have listed nine actions you can work on to develop mind patterns that will enhance your creativity power.
- Track your ideas: Keep a notebook and write down all your ideas-about anything, it is amazing what happens when you build an active list.
- Inquiring minds want to know: Be inquisitive, ask questions, increase your levels of interest.
- Learn about different things: Study a language, read a book, take a course, get active.
- Avoid set patterns: Break your habits, floss your teeth differently, brush your teeth in different sequences, drive to work on a new route.
- Be open: Listen to others, try to accept new ideas.
- Be patient in observations: Take the time to watch a bird fly, look at the woods more closely, look for new patterns, watch the river flow.
- Engage in hobbies: Your mind must disengage from normal business stress.
- Improve sense of humor: Learn to laugh, even at yourself.
- Be a risk taker: Try something different, the adrenalin will cause a positive impact on your brain.
I would like your comments and thoughts about how you enhance your creativity. What was the most creative sales tactic you have used? What were the results?
BTW: Thank you for reading our blog at www.YourSalesMangementGuru.com, which was recently ranked by two separate organizations as a Top 20 and Top 50 Sales Blogs.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on June 22, 2010 at 9:46 AM1 comments
Living in the Southeast where football is a lifestyle, the radio sports talk shows and the newspapers sports pages are covered with discussions regarding the changing PAC 10, Big 12 and even Nebraska going to the Big 10 and the potential impact on the SEC. The changes that could occur impact TV, basketball and all non-revenue sports, and as expected-there are opinions on all three sides of each issue. Change is always a good word when attempting to gain interest in any subject and last week I was reading a LinkedIn discussion group that was discussing how social media has changed selling and sales management.
As someone who usually has an opinion on most subjects, I jumped into the discussion. While not being aggressive in my comments, I simply pointed out that selling has an emotional, technical and strategic element. Many authors or sales trainers have put multiple spins on each of these aspects in an attempt to create unique messaging for their programs. However I claimed the fundamentals are still the same. There is no question social media has allowed salespeople greater insights into their prospect's backgrounds and potential leveraged relationships, but the execution of that knowledge is still the important aspect of selling.
Needless to say, several individuals began to "rave" about how new technology (2.0) has already changed the job of a salesperson and that I really didn't understand how the new world works. During the discussion it became obvious that people were getting confused between the changes in the job of selling vs. the understanding what the job of selling is.
Selling has not changed; however the job of selling has only been enhanced. Salespeople today can find out more information prior to making a sales call: what information prospects are reading on the salesperson's Web site, what e-mails are being opened, find out what are key topics within the their prospects' industries and other points of information that were not necessarily available to previous generations of sales or sales management. However, the job of sales and sales management has not changed. Sales management must recognize this and ensure their sales process mapping and training includes content on 2.0 technologies, but they MUST not lose focus on what selling is! Send your opinions to Ken@AcumenMgmt.com.
While I may sound "old school", last week the SalesManagementGuru was recognized as one of Top 50 Sales Social Media experts: Here's the quote: .
"Ken Thoreson, Acumen Management Group president, has been named to the IV50's select group of sales professionals who are playing a significant role in providing insight to their peers about the use of social media. In making the announcement on its blog, Inside View described Thoreson as "bringing a wealth of 'old school' expertise to our list of savvy sales professionals, sharing his expertise on Twitter and in a variety of publications."
The list is called 'IV50' and has been posted here on the InsideView blog.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on June 14, 2010 at 1:04 PM0 comments
After working on my keynote, I had plenty of time to reflect as we flew over South Dakota and into Montana. First, it has been great to hear from many of you who have enjoyed our many blog accounts on sales leadership, motivation and sales training ideas. I plan to continue to offer my thoughts, concepts and tools to assist you in building high performance sales organizations.
Second, what are your thoughts, what questions do you have on sales management training or potential topics would you like to me comment on? Let me know at Ken@AcumenMgmt.com for new topics or we will build a string of comments at www.YourSalesManagementGuru.com If you have missed all of our past blogs you will find them there.
In preparation for a series of books on Sales Management that we hope will be out this year, I recently re-read about 35 magazine columns I have written over the past few years. http://rcpmag.com/Articles/List/Selling-Microsoft.aspx While reading the columns I was looking for themes or topics to enhance and for ideas I had NOT covered in past columns or blogs. The outcome? I have many more ideas for future blogs that I hope are impacting your lives and the lives of the people you work with. My motivational keynote is all about that topic.
In our sales leadership training program we consistently use the phase,"If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything?" This is a great coaching tool for in the field training while making sales calls with your team and during sales training role playing at your office. Using this phrase is the beginning step of creating a self managed sales team. In my keynote I normally open with that question, but I am speaking more to the audience about their lives not sales training.
Do you have NO regrets? Have you tasted it all? Many of you know I enjoy cooking. I have blended many of my cooking stories, food ideas and previous life mentors into my keynote to help everyone in the audience find and build a better life -- we even create our own menus for life and take an assessment for professional and personal lives based upon pizza!
As a sales leader, you must recognize your potential to impact the lives of your team members. As an individual you will have greater success both personally and professionally by impacting the lives of everyone you touch!
If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently, if anything?
Posted by Ken Thoreson on May 11, 2010 at 4:10 PM0 comments
As sales leaders, we must all seek to understand new approaches, current technologies and how marketing and sales execution must work in conjunction to exceed our revenue goals. I have found two quality sites that I would recommend you review on an ongoing basis -- as I do -- to keep current.
If you are in selling in a B2B business, then B2B Marketing zone is a great resource.
Using social media? The Webbiquity is your spot to learn the tricks, secrets and new ideas to improve search engine optimization.
Here's a breakdown of both handy reference sites:
B2B Marketing Zone
B2B Marketing Zone is a collection of blog posts and articles all around B2B Marketing. It uses the Browse My Stuff technology to create the topic hub.
Topic Hubs are sites that aggregates content from a variety of sources, organizes that content around keywords in the topic domain and supports both manual and social curation of that content.
The goals of the B2B Marketing Zone:
-- Collect high-quality content
-- Provide an easy-to-navigate Site
-- Be a jump-off point
-- Help surface content that might not be found
Webbiquity
Definition: 1) The fusion of SEO, search marketing, social media, reputation management, content marketing and interactive PR. 2) Being omnipresent on the Web for the search phrase that uniquely describes you or your organization.
Welcome to Webbiquity, a b2b marketing and social media blog., and new home of the WebMarketCentral blog.
Acumen Management Group Ltd. "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, their consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America.
Posted by Ken Thoreson on May 06, 2010 at 11:57 AM1 comments
I'm a former Boy Scout camp counselor and I was recently invited to a reunion. We hold them every two years to honor a man that was a mentor. For those who have heard me speak at events, you know about Sam. He impacted the lives of thousands in Wisconsin, but he has impacted others throughout the world with his energy, leadership and friendship. But this blog is not about Sam, but the invitation.
The Boy Scouts' motto is "Be Prepared." As an Eagle Scout, it is a part of my life. This weekend the Southeast was rocked with 54 tornadoes. At 2 a.m. Sunday, my weather radio went off, so we headed to the lower level of my home with a radio, flashlight, water and a few other items to wait out the all-clear. It was scary listening as all the surrounding cities were called out with the approaching storm. One tornado did touch ground about two miles away, but the news was good overall as we had very little damage in our area.
At 2:30 a.m., my neighbor called from Michigan. His alarm was going off and he wanted me to check out his home. Into the rain I went with my golf rain suit on, walking around his home and with his key and alarm code, I entered his house. (Like a good Boy Scout, I was prepared.) Good news: no damage at his home.
So, what does have to do with you? As a sales leader, at end of the April or, for that matter, at anytime are you prepared? You may never know:
... when a top performer might leave you. Are you advertising every 60 days for new salespeople on a regular basis? What is your pipeline for recruiting?
... when an expected and needed order fails to materialize. Do you have a clear understanding of your sales funnel ratios and a large enough number of sales opportunities to make up for the lost or postponed sale?
... when someone in marketing or your sales team does not execute a planned assignment that impacts your organization. Remember to inspect what you expect: Follow up, hold people accountable and double-check the details.
Comment here or send an e-mail to Ken@AcumenMgmt.com on what other events could pop up that you may never know could occur that could impact your success and how you can prepare for them.
Be Prepared is a motto that says to be proactive, anticipate events and put yourself and your team in a position to be safe and to succeed. Have a great quarter -- are you prepared?
Ken Thoreson is managing director of the Acumen Management Group Ltd., a North American consulting organization focused on improving sales management functions within growing and transitional organizations. You can reach him at ken@acumenmgmt.com. www.AcumenManagement.com. His blog also appears at www.YourSalesManagementGuru.com
Posted by Ken Thoreson on April 28, 2010 at 11:52 AM0 comments