How to Build and Manage a Highly

Successful Sales Force

For the past 16 years…

My take on the situation:

“Selling is Easy…

Getting sales people who

can do well it is Not.”

The 9 elements of an effective sales force

1. Talent Pipeline2. Aggressive Interviewing Process3. Competency Modeling4. Differentiated Products / Services5. Intensive Training6. Accurate Measurement7. Superb Sales Management8. Reward Success Lavishly9. Deal Decisively with Mediocrity

1. Sales Pipeline for Sales People

Colleges Internet Referrals Competitors Open House Trade Shows Chamber Internships

One new high quality sales person

Are you using EVERY possible tool at your disposal to find the absolute BEST talent?

2. Aggressive Interviewing Process

1) Challenging Questions2) Question Script3) Multiple Interviews4) Multiple Interviewers5) Multiple Interviewees6) Team Interviews7) Role Plays8) Scenarios9) Tests10) Background Check11) Call last Employer12) Call ALL Referrals

3. Competency Modeling

Talk too much

Talk about their company way too much

Don’t know my business well enough

Don’t understand my customers

Don’t know their own products & services

Don’t tell the truth

Don’t deliver on their promises

Only worried about their commission

Can’t prove their value

Don’t ask the right questions

Don’t ask the tough questions

Are not really there to help ME

93 % WASTE MY TIME!

Competency Model: Trusted Advisor

1. Asks superb questions

2. Listens attentively – takes notes – keeps track of key issues

3. Understands their customer’s business

4. Understand their customer’s customers

5. Is an expert on their products & services

6. Is customer focused – not “closing” focused

7. Tells the 100% truth at ALL times

8. Keeps the client fully informed

9. Sets clear expectations with the customer

10. Keeps their promises

11. Can clearly demonstrate superior value

12. Never wastes a client’s time

4. Differentiated Products / Services

It used to be…

Good Fast Cheap

Things have changed…

2008

2010

Now you MUST deliver…

• The highest quality…• At the lowest possible price…• Immediately --- or sooner…• All while giving consistently superior

customer service for an outstanding “Total Buying and Owning Experience.”

5. Intensive Training

• Product training• Sales skills training

– Advanced questioning– Listening– Body language– Handling objections

• Sales process training– Sales call planning– Account planning

• Business acumen training

A few things you can’t train…

• Positive attitude• Curiosity• Passion for the business• Passion for serving customers• Honesty• Integrity• Compassion• Likeability / EQ

6. Accurate Measurements

• Be careful what you measure

• Just because you can measure something…

• Just because something is hard to measure…

• Get it down to a few key measures that truly drive the business

• Position measures as a warning system for help not punishment

• Tie rewards directly to key success measures

• Revisit the measures often to ensure they are the right ones

Remember: What gets measured and rewarded…

Create A Dashboard of Key Indicators

MPS Margin Per Sale

Talent Level

Service Level

7. Superb Sales Management

MUST be able to “Walk the Talk”

Excellent coach, teacher and motivator

Always pushing their team to grow and improve

Lifelong learner

Creative problem solver

Highly organized

Connoisseur of talent

Rigorous but not ruthless

8. Reward Success Lavishly

But it is NOT all about money…

9. Deal Decisively with Mediocrity

20

From the most successful CEO I know…• Big picture I believe small – medium size companies that sell a commodity need

manufacturers reps. Wide shotgun distribution. Some, maybe no, direct end user sales and then only if it doesn’t conflict with distributor pricing levels. 100% Commission. They don’t sell --- they don’t eat.

• Any company regardless of size that sells customized or technical products needs direct sales people - trusted advisors – who can be trained and dedicate their time to the cause. Selective distribution. More of an end user sale. Comp is mostly competitive salary/benefits with opportunity to earn up to 50% of base salary as additional variable pay based on profitable selling performance.

• Don’t nickel and dime direct employee sales forces. EQUIP them. Blackberry, PC’s, great marketing communication literature, company car, CRM, tons of training…

• Nothing chases good people away as perception that sales people aren’t valued, listened to, or taken care of. Sales is the loneliest, quantifiable, visible job in the company. And arguably delivers biggest bang for the buck when you hire the right people.

• Hire people over the first ‘life curve’. Unless you have a lot of money, you need to bring in people in who have a bit more at stake – family/home/desire for career not just a job.

Our company has: Score of 1 - 10

1. A robust talent pipeline.2. An aggressive and well- developed interviewing process.3. A clear competency model of our “ideal” sales person.4. Highly differentiated and value-added products / services.5. An intensive training in all the necessary skills for sales success.6. Very accurate measure of what we know drives our success.7. Superb sales managers that absolutely set a living example of

what we want our sales people to be and do.8. Developed numerous ways to reward our best people.9. The disciplines and courage to decisively with mediocrity.10. A highly successful sales force.

THANK YOU

If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to send a note or call. My email address is: john@johnspence.com

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