Systematic on-boarding programs predict success

As part of our work with clients, we sometimes help them improve their hiring effectiveness and efficiency by introducing an assessment into their hiring process. I have found that hiring managers occasionally get lulled to sleep believing that because the candidate was recommended by the assessment, and HR screened them that they will just step into the position and be a superstar. I wish it worked that way, but it doesn’t.

5 elements preventing sales manager effectiveness

I recently spoke to two entrepreneurs from two separate companies, who had recently hired new sales managers. In both cases, the new managers had the right skills but still failed to have an impact on their sales force.

Recruiting a new sales manager can help address declining or inconsistent results. However, in order to succeed they must be able to provide consistent coaching and support, while holding each sales person accountable to what they need to do to succeed.

The inside sales evolution - managing complex deals in a remote sales world

The classic face-to-face meeting is becoming less and less common these days. You must, as an organization, be equipped to navigate b2b deals in an increasingly remote sales environment. Can your field sales excel when they're moved off the road? Can your inside sales people manage the transition from a transactional to complex sales logic?

What makes a good B2B sales person?

In many parts of the world, sales people have a bad reputation. They are often described as liars who trick people into buying things they don’t need, or painted as ultra-competitive mercenaries willing to do anything to reach their goals. When people are asked how they came to this conclusion, you’ll hear stories about used car sales men, or aggressive telemarketers interrupting family dinners. Such experiences give the sales profession a poor reputation.

B2B sales = change management

Working with complex b2b sales is really about change management. You are helping people make the improvements needed to move their business in a positive direction. However, in order to improve, they will need to change how they do things and you are interrupting their status quo. The more risky and cumbersome they perceive this change to be, the more complex the deal becomes. 

Efficiency, effectiveness and the role of CRM

Quick – what’s the difference between efficiency and effectiveness? Don’t worry, these two words can confuse us. Efficiency measures how fast you do something, while effectiveness tells you how useful your efforts are towards reaching an intended end result.