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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
FEATURESTORY
Jordan Clark's Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's, had just completed a three-month campaign aimed at getting the sales team to convince corporate clients to spend more on food and entertainment. Everyone involved was underwhelmed with the results-the customers, the salespeople who participated in the incentive program and, most important, Clark himself. Rather than abandon the concept altogether, however, Clark and his sales representative at BI, the Minneapolis-based business improvement company that created the incentive program, began to analyze what went wrong...
Making Memories So They'll Want to Make Quota Again
Diebold Inc., a global leader in providing integrated, self-service delivery and security systems, sponsors its Master's Circle Sales Incentive Program every year to recognize top salespeople who meet and exceed their goals.
In 2007, about 175 Diebold salespeople earned a spot on the Mexico trip, which occurred last spring. The program helped Diebold produce its highest revenue ever - $20 million higher than the previous year! Ultimately, it's not Mexico or any location that Diebold management ends up promoting when it launches each year's incentive program. The exclusivity of the experience, the camaraderie with other top salespeople, and the VIP treatment are what leave award winners raving about an incentive travel experience and committing to making next year's as well...
Capturing the Hearts - and Minds - of Independent Sales Reps
There are universal truths about salespeople that savvy managers account for when developing strategies. One of these is that reps are quick to disassociate pay with performance. Whether they're selling corporate jets or cafeteria supplies. "Once they spend their commission check, they forget about you." Until the next one arrives, that is....
In his role as acting director of recognition, incentives and communications at Verizon Telecom Marketing, Mark Miller and his team are charged with motivating over 10,000 representatives who handle Verizon Telecom consumer, small business and alternate channel sales. We caught up with Miller to ask him what's new in his world of keeping employees engaged and exceeding expectations...
Before you cut that unmotivated salesperson loose, ask yourself these 5 questions...
PUBLISHER'SNOTE
An Approach To Sales That Doesn’t Require A Silver Lining **
Wit and wisdom from our Publisher, Mike Murrell...
EDITOR'SNOTE
The Anti-Scrooge **
"I have the most generous boss in publishing — or at least my daughter thinks so...."
SCRATCHPAD
From Superman to the Incredible Skulk **
Why promoting a top salesperson to management can backfire...
Redefining Career Advancement **
Top salespeople don’t like feeling boxed into a role with no opportunity for advancement...
Political Small Talk Can Make Customers Walk **
Unless a salesperson is confident that he supports the same candidate as a customer or prospect, talking politics should be taboo...
Don’t Attack **
35% of bosses said they openly share their political views with employees and 66% of respondents said co-workers candidly discuss politics, according to a recent study by career Web site Vault.com...
Do Your Reps Talk Too Much? **
If all products were one-size-fits-all, the motor-mouth approach might work. But most accounts are custom jobs. That’s why the best salespeople are disciplined listeners who ask open-ended questions...
A Tough Love Guide to Supporting Salespeople **
Your commitment to them shouldn’t be greater than their commitment to themselves...
Management Tips From the Dog Whisperer **
Sales coach Joe Crisara is captivated by the calm demeanor that dog trainer Cesar Millan displays on the hit cable TV show “Dog Whisperer.” “His tactics never include force. Instead, his amazing arsenal utilizes principles such as leadership, positive energy, relationships, self-discipline and change.” Sales managers would do well to transfer these aspects of the Millan philosophy to the workplace...
What Would Socrates Do? **
Socrates told his students that, whatever the challenge, they can resolve it by asking a logical series of questions. There’s no better advice available for successful selling...
XPILLUSTRATED
How Great Sales Managers Motivate (interactive web feature)
Almost every sales manager inherits self-starters who push themselves. It’s the middle performers who present the most potential for increased sales. But how to motivate the
unmotivated is a question that’s been dissected and examined from every angle by some of history’s greatest minds – business, political and otherwise. Motivation is mostly about setting an example and
challenging high achievers to follow suit. It’s delegating without dictating, or, as Gen. George Patton once said, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you
with their ingenuity.” Explore our interactive web feature for more motivation tips and ideas...
SALESU
Fill Your Pipelines and Leave Pipe Dreams for Your Competitors To Chase **
A tight economy presents fewer sales opportunities, which means that salespeople can’t afford to be distracted by false prospects that waste their time while the competition is connecting with the true prospects. Managers can keep their salespeople on track by helping them detect the difference between a true revenue pipeline and a pipe dream...
Who Needs ’Em? Two types of customers you should send to the competition **
Some customers and prospects aren’t worth the time and energy it takes to maintain them. “Getting rid of a customer who provides you sales may actually help you increase sales,” says telemarketing guru Jim Domanski Tops on his hit list: “Dementors” and “Dimers”...
What’s The Point? Why Quitting Can Be A Step In The Right Direction **
Sales is all about the pursuit of goals. Whether thinking short-term, long-term or somewhere in between, there is usually a number in front of sales managers and their teams that drives performance — until, that is, it stops being a positive motivator and becomes a source of anxiety and frustration...
Some Are O.K. With Waving the White Flag **
The abhorrence of quitting is not necessarily true in all cultures. Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management says she sees it among Americans and Japanese, but less so in Europe...
Whose Line Is It? How improv can help you hone your management skills **
A common challenge for accidental sales managers — those who find themselves in a management role as a result of their success in the sales trenches – is learning how to act like a
leader. You can learn a lot about managing people by acting out — literally. Improvisational theater can help managers improve listening skills, read subtle cues, demonstrate trust and value
opinions...
SALESMANAGEMENTU
Get New Sales Reps Up to Speed
Once upon a time, major companies had wonderful sales training programs where new team members would undergo months of classroom training before they were ever allowed in front of a prospect. Economic pressures have squeezed many of those programs into non-existence. Now, new-hire training often comes in one of two forms: The “fire hose” program, in which a company throws everything it has at the neophyte salesperson during the first week of employment; and the “osmosis” program, an approach that mostly relies upon new salespeople figuring things out on their own. In both of these cases, companies often are unpleasantly surprised by high turnover, underperformance, and a constant mantra of “I need a lower price”...
MEETINGS&INCENTIVETRAVEL
Bring the Rope Bridge, Leave the Notepads **
Top 10 meeting trends include more team building and less paper...
Case Study - Incentive Travel: Travel Trumps Cash Incentives: **
A major manufacturer preparing to launch a national campaign to promote its high-end appliances initially intended to offer cash rebates as it had in the past. The challenging
economy, however, created the need for something that would cut through the clutter of consumer promotions...
INCENTIVEPRODUCTS
Product Review: Holiday Business Gifts (803KB PDF document. Requires free Adobe Reader)
Corporate gift giving is an easy way to let your team know how much you appreciate their hard work and clients know how much you appreciate their business. The National Business Association offers tips for making a positive impression...
Incentive Alley (1.2MB PDF document. Requires free Adobe Reader)
Take advantage of these exclusive offers to SalesForceXP readers on merchandise, gift card and travel incentives from our advertisers...
COACHES'CORNER
What Type of Sales Manager Are You? The Seven Types of Managers
In order to impact long-lasting change, managers need to upgrade their style and approach. These seven types of managers embody the critical competencies necessary to become an
effective coach. Be mindful, however, of how their strength can also be their weakness...
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