Why Do You Sell
Thanks for dropping by to view this lens. Please do rate the value to you by clicking on the stars above. Five stars is the highest possible rank. I would also greatly appreciate your input......what topics do you want to review? What made you become a salesperson? Define a sales specialist in your terms so we can compare notes. Let's talks folks.
Great News! I just got accepted as a member of the "The Entrepreneur Station", which is a very cool group that you should definitely review.
Now, on to the good stuff. As a practitioner of the art and science of selling for nearly thirty years across three continents; on the front line and in the back-office, I have come to the conclusion that "fit" is perhaps the most important requirement for success in a sales role. To be an artist in this craft requires a combination of talents that not everyone possesses. I know that may sound like an overworked cliche, but it doesn't change the truth of it.
I have a voracious appetite for new thinking about this oldest of professions and wanted to create a lens that would allow me to share my findings with all of you. I have read all of the material that I reference and I have direct knowledge of the programs that I recommend.
At the end of the day selling should be a profession that you enjoy. If you have reached the point where you don't start each day with the belief that you can personally make a difference, then it's time to do something else. Life is too short and not everyone "fits" in a sales role. However, if you are going to have a career in sales, then recognize that it is a profession and just like a Doctor or an Engineer, you need to study and train to be successful at your craft.
Very few people are born with a talent for sales since our talents form long before we ever engage in the act of selling. The magic comes from taking your natural talents and applying them effectively. If you don't know what your natural talents are, then you might want to read StrengthsFinder 2.0 and take the assessment provided through the book. It will provide you with a baseline understanding of your talents and perhaps some insight into your current performance, positive or negative.
Lead Development & The Sales Pipeline
"The Job of Marketing is to develop a lead generation system that matches the readiness of the buyer with the expectations of your sales person" Joe Coe, The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing
- Sales Myths:
Myth 1: A sales pipeline is nothing more than a numbers game; i.e.: if you stuff enough leads into the front end you will naturally end up some closed deals. Might also add that motion does not always equal forward progress; i.e.: just because you have lots of meetings and make lots of phone calls does not mean you are advancing the sales effort.
Myth 2: Communicating the value of your products and services is sufficient to get most clients to test drive your solution. Customers don't care about what you think. They care about what you can do for them and how well you persuade them to see your value.
Myth 3: There is a natural progression that deals go through while in the sales pipeline and given enough time most deals will get sorted.
Myth 4: Your sales staff really understand the selling technique your firm endorses and apply it effectively.
Myth 5: You have a sales engagement strategy that starts with the CEO and extends to the customer.
Myth 6: Most sales staff enjoy populating SFA tools and to it accurately.
Myth 7: Your salesforce is delivering the strategic messages prepared by marketing.
Myth 8: Weighting the pipeline is an effective strategy for calculating sales performance results.
Myth 9. Your sales and marketing teams are working closely together to ensure the lead development process is being managed correctly.
Myth 10: You have a lead development process.
Myth 11: Marketing has developed ROI tools that easily fit into your sales environment.
Myth 12: Your sales staff really understand ROI.
Myth 13: Your sales staff really understand the concept of negotiation and how to position value in front of negotiation. - Sales Realities:
1. Sales coaching is a "hands-on" endeavor.
2. You can't really understand "sales" unless you have "carried a bag" at some point in your career.....not really!
3. Negotiation is the application of power to meet needs. Without needs you have no reason to negotiate and without power you have no ability to negotiate.
4. Preparation is the primary source of power is every negotiation.
5. Every successful sales campaign started with a premediated outbound sales strategy with predetermined objectives and measured results.
6. Selling is a process and the most successful sales agents following their process religiously. Rainmakers are rarely as free lance as they would like you to believe.
Great Stuff on Sales
Books You Need to Read!
Accelerants: Twelve Strategies to Sell Faster, Close Deals Faster, and Grow Your Business Faster
Amazon Price: $5.38 (as of 12/08/2009) 
Achieve Sales Excellence: The 7 Customer Rules for Becoming the New Sales Professional
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/08/2009)
The Last Link: Closing the Gap That Is Sabotaging Your Business
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 12/08/2009)
Lead Generation for the Complex Sale: Boost the Quality and Quantity of Leads to Increase Your ROI
Amazon Price: $21.33 (as of 12/08/2009)
Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way
Amazon Price: $17.82 (as of 12/08/2009)
Reader Feedback
Come On, Add a Note........Can't Hurt & Will Probably Help Someone.........
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- CandaceF CandaceF Dec 8, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
- The StrengthsFinder 2.0 book is by Tom Rath. It came from the extensive research done by Donald P. Clifton and his compatriots at SRI, which acquired The Gallup Organization in the early 1990's. They also put out a book earlier this decade called Discover Your Sales Strengths by Benson Smith and Tony Rutigliano that has access to a code to take the earlier version of the assessment. This book explores how the talents are used from the sales perspective and the insights are quite meaningful if you want to leverage your innate talents in selling.
It is my humble opinion that the work Don Clifton started in the 1950's that culminated in the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment is one of the greatest gifts to humanity in centuries. Buy one of their books, take the assessment and change your life.
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- JanaMurray JanaMurray Aug 25, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
- Love your photo of the Biltmore House. 5*, Asheville Real Estate
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- BartonMurray BartonMurray Aug 25, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
- Great Lens, 5*. Rhino Club
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- Bill Gates Bill Gates Jun 1, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
- What about the sales process? When does that come into play?
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- Jan Jan May 17, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
- Lead Development and Pipeline Management are really hard these days and it is interesting that my experiences mirror your myths. Keep writing and I'll keep reading.
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by PatrickGaul
I'm a Senior Technology Executive with over 30 years of market experience across three continents. My passions includes travel, cooking, wine, music,...
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