SMA Online Experts’ Exchange

March 01, 2011

Presented by

© Copyright 2011 The Sales Management Association.

New Winning Strategies for Pipeline

Management

About the Sales Management Association

A global, cross-industry professional association for sales

operations and sales management.

Focused in providing research, case studies, training, peer

networking, and professional development to our membership.

Fostering a community of thought-leaders, service providers,

academics, and practitioners.

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© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved Slide 2

Learn More: www.salesmanagement.org

MAR

10

Workshop: “Optimizing Sales Management’s Coaching Impact”

A workshop for sales leaders interested in implementing, assessing, and optimizing effective sales coaching programs in their sales organization. Held at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.

Join Us for this upcoming SMA event

Today’s Presenter is Jason Jordan

Slide 31

© 2011 The Sales Management Association . All rights reserved

Jason Jordan, Partner and Vice President, Vantage Point

Performance

• Recognized thought leader in the domain of consultative selling. Jason

has consulted internationally in industries such as technology, financial

services, media, telecommunications, manufacturing, distribution,

consumer products, health care, and hospitality

• Director of Research for the University Sales Education Foundation.

• Adjunct faculty member in the at the University of Virginia’s business

school, where he teaches in the Executive Education program and

manages a graduate-level courses in sales.

• New book being published by McGraw-Hill in the Fall –

Cracking the Sales Management Code .

New Winning Strategies for Pipeline

Management

March 01, 2011

The Sales Management Association – © Copyright 2011

Presented by:

SMA Online Experts’ Exchange

Agenda

• Vantage Point Performance

• The Sales Pipeline: A Heightened State of Alert

• The Perfect Pipeline

• Bad Things that Mangle Perfection

• Questions

Slide 5© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Vantage Point Performance

Strategy

Process

Skills

Tools

Metrics

Vantage Point’s

Total Sales PerformanceSM

Change Management Model

Holistic

Approach

to

Sales

Improvement

Sustainable

Change

Slide 6© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Vantage Point Performance

Focus On

Sales Management

Belief in

Research

Slide 7© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

A Few Clients

Slide 8© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

The Sales Pipeline in 2011... Larger than Life

Source: Commerce Dept. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Slide 9© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

The Perfect Pipeline

What is a Pipeline?

Slide 11© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

3 Key Characteristics of a Pipeline’s ‘Health’

Slide 12© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

A Typical Sales Pipeline - Examined

Slide 13© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

The Perfect Sales Pipeline

Slide 14© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Five Assumptions and Practices

that KILL the Perfect Pipeline

Dangerous Assumption: Bigger Is Necessarily Better

Slide 16© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Best Practice: Stout is Out... Thin Is In

Slide 17© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Dangerous Assumption: Feed the Beast

Slide 18© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Dangerous Assumption: Bigger Is Necessarily Better

Slide 19© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Best Practice: Kill the Deals

Slide 20© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Common Practice: Constant ‘Inspection’ of the Pipeline

INSPECTION

• Tactical in nature

• Explores what has already occurred

• Assesses sales rep compliance with agreed-upon expectations

• Required by manager, but low-value for rep

Slide 21© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Best Practice: Coaching Reps through the Opportunities

COACHING

• Developmental in nature

• Asks what to do differently in the future

• Focuses on building skills and execution

• Very time-intensive, but high-value for rep and coach

Slide 22© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Common Assumption: Late-Stage Manager Intervention

Slide 23© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Best Practice: A Balanced Approach

Slide 24© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Common Practice: Undisciplined Management Interactions

Slide 25© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

Best Practice: A Structured Agenda

© 2010 Copyright VPP, Inc: Pipeline CoachingSM Training Program

Slide 26© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

In Sum ...

• The Sale Pipeline has never been more in focus

• Yet, it’s still a little blurry as an effective

management tool

• Some common assumptions actually work

against us

• More deliberate strategies, practices, and

coaching can improve sales performance

Slide 27© 2011 Copyright Vantage Point Performance. Used with permission by The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved.

The Sales Management Association – © Copyright 2011

Thank You.