August 21st, 2010
Too often sales people guess what it takes to succeed. In most companies, someone has tried to take the guess work out of success by assigning sales activity goals. The theory behind sales activity goals is that the powers that set these goals are saying that “if you do these activities, then you will be successful“. I am suggesting that salespeople take this a step further and learn to predict their own success.
This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a recruiting project for a sales leader I’ve known and respected for many years. In the beginning, we were using educated guessing to understand what it would take to be successful. After one or two hiring experiences, we were able to extract some data and begin to predict our own success. By backing into our success ratio, I know to the exact numexactly how much recruiting activity I need to execute to get the outcome we desire.
Taking the guesswork out of your success is a powerful tool in long-term success. You can plan for vacations, slower periods – or that new car. So, before the next selling season begins, do the math and predict your success. If you don’t like what you see, you’ll have the information to change your future, also.
Join Meeting to Win before Friday and get a sales team meeting agenda on using your lagging indicators (sales activity) to impact your leading indicators (revenue) or, in the spirit of this article, predict your own success. With Meeting to Win, sales managers get a new sales meeting agenda delivered to their inbox every Friday morning. Stop dreading Monday mornings and join Meeting to Win.
Tags: lagging indicators, leading indicators, sales meeting agenda
Posted in agenda ideas, sales activity, sales meeting agenda | No Comments »
August 13th, 2010
As a sales professional, what do you envision when you think of yourself? Do you strive to be a rep that hits goals or do you see yourself as someone buying a beach house after a good year? There is a difference. Too many (about 95% at any given company) have their sights set too low. They are happy to get by, content to simply hit sales goals month after month.
This post is to challenge you to see a different sales rep when you look in the mirror. Train your brain to expect more than what 95% of sales reps expect from themselves.
To change your mindset, try the following things:
- First of all, get a vision of what you want to be. Or, as a starting point, what you don’t want to be.
- Now, find other people who have achieved that vision and figure out a way to spend some time with them.
- Read books by people who have achieved what you are trying to achieve.
- Figure 2-3 actions they took or are taking and begin taking those same actions on a consistent basis.
By taking the above actions you can begin to train your brain to think differently, to have different expectations for your life and to expect different things for your future.
Mindset is a powerful navigator. Point yours in the right direction.
Join other Meeting to Win subscribers this fall as we tackle sales topics to help your team reach the top of their game.
Tags: mindset
Posted in Uncategorized, mindset | No Comments »
August 12th, 2010
This week I am beginning a series on image. Everything we say or do or any place we show up physically or virtually adds or detracts from the image we want to leave. Many movie stars are masters at managing their image (Angelina Jolie) and, of course, many… are not (Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson). Our series will be fun, sometimes funny, occasionally insulting and will take shape as we go.
This past week we all learned about the test Hewlett-Packard Co.’s employees are suggested to take before taking action on anything. It is suggested that they consider this: “Before I make a decision, I consider how it would look in a news story.” I have a similar test I ask people to take. “Before you put anything in an email, make sure you would be OK with it printed on a large billboard on the biggest highway in your city.”
To manage your image, you first must know the image you want to present. If you are Barack Obama, your image is very different from someone like Madonna. Our series will start with an exercise to get you and your team to define the image you want to present and then we’ll talk about how to manage that image.
Currently, our series is scheduled cover the following topics:
- The Brand of YOU
- The Virtual Image
- Physical Appearance
- Communication
- Etiquette/Conduct
If you are recently out of college, this series can be the biggest gift your career can ever get. A bad image limits your possibilities severely. It’s an ugly truth, but it’s the truth. Presenting the right image will remove a huge barrier and allow employers, clients or recruiters to see the many wonderful talents you have. A bad image will keep you out of the conversation.
Stay with us on this series, challenge me and suggest other categories. This is a big topic and one of the most important factors contributing to your success. Thanks for joining us.
Meeting to Win will be publishing a sales team meeting series on this topic in Oct 2010, also. Subscribe now and don’t miss any opportunity to give your team a competitive advantage this year.
Tags: professional image
Posted in professional image | No Comments »
August 5th, 2010
Summer is coming to a close, many kids are back in school and, if you follow business activity trends, you’ll notice that things are picking up heading into the next selling season. Right now in early August is the time to increase your sales activity so you can gain more market share as more and more purchases are made post-summer.
Get your team together early this month and pick a handful of activities that you need to be doing to win business during the next selling season, Sept- Nov. Set increased activity goals in those areas for the month of August. Watch Sept-Nov sales grow because your team is increasing activity in August instead of extending your summer by an extra month like your competitors are doing.
For an agenda to lead your team through an exercise to celebrate and learn from your summer’s success while planning for success in the next selling season, subscribe to Meeting to Win weekly sales team meeting agendas.
Join us for a great Fall Selling Season.
Tags: energize sales team, motivate sales team, sales team meeting agendas
Posted in discipline, free sales team meeting topics, performance | No Comments »
July 28th, 2010
The pre-work for this week’s Meeting to Win sales team meeting agenda includes two articles by S. Anthony Iannarino of The Sales Blog.
Mr. Iannarino writes an insightful blog and was kind enough to let us use his insights into the bottom 80% of sales performers. Read the articles, add to the list and decide where you want to rank.
To get a sales team meeting agenda that leads your team through this valuable exercise, subscribe before Friday! The agenda goes out at 6am ET. Hope you can join us in the TOP 20%.
Tags: energize sales team, motivate sales team, sales team meeting agenda
Posted in best practice, free sales team meeting topics, sales meeting agenda, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda | No Comments »
July 24th, 2010
Stop for a moment and think about the experience your customers have purchasing from you and your company. Do you make it easy and enjoyable or does the work just begin when they say “yes”. The Meeting to Win agenda that went out on Friday is Creating Better Buying Experiences and it leads sales teams through exercises to eliminate bad experiences and create better experiences. We think so often about selling that sometimes we don’t stop to think about what it’s like to buy.
I was sitting with my colleague while she was booking hotel rooms for our team for an upcoming trip. The website she was using limited her to two reservations and she needed three. To get three, you had to call. Well, we were in an office building with poor cell reception and limited time so, what did she do? She went to our second choice and booked three $400/night hotel rooms at the competition. The first choice will never know they missed out on that business, but one buying experience cost them $2,000 that week.
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes by calling your own customer service, reviewing invoices, visiting your website and ordering your own products and services. Talk to customers about each interaction they have with your company to learn where they experience frustrations. Get your marketing team in on the project. If you can improve the customer’s buying experience, you can increase sales.
FREE Sales Team Meeting Idea:
As a team, walk through the exercises in this complimentary sales team meeting agenda, Creating Better Buying Experiences. To get agendas like this every week, simply join other successful Sales Managers and subscribe to Meeting to Win.
Tags: motivate sales team, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda, sales team meeting agendas, sales team meeting idea
Posted in agenda ideas, free sales team meeting topics, how to have productive sales team meetings, meetings | No Comments »
July 14th, 2010
Here is a link to the FREE e-book Paul promised and delivered. Enjoy! Thanks to Paul for mentioning Meeting to Win as a helpful resource for sales managers looking to have “meetings that rock“.
Tags: energize sales team, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda, sales team meeting agendas, sales team meeting idea
Posted in agenda ideas, free sales team meeting topics, how to have productive sales team meetings | No Comments »
July 13th, 2010
It’s one of my goals to share great sales meeting ideas and resources with Sales & The City readers. In pursuit of that goal, I point you to Paul Castain’s two-part series, Sales Meetings That Rock.
Check it out here.
Tags: energize sales team, motivate sales team, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda, sales team meeting agendas
Posted in free sales team meeting topics, how to have productive sales team meetings | No Comments »
July 11th, 2010
We here in the northern hemisphere are experiencing the dog days of summer. If you haven’t taken a vacation yet this summer, shame on you. Immediately stop reading this and find a beach house - minimum stay 7 nights. If you are back from vacation, then continue reading. It really doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to gain the competitive edge. It simply takes a few strategic moves to create momentum that will reward you when others are just getting back in the game. Now, mid-July, is the time to take action. You have a good 6-8 weeks to get a headstart that you will not regret.
Check out the Meeting to Win ideas for heading into the next selling season with a head of steam:
Click on this link to get a list of ideas: Getting a Headstart
Sales Team Meeting Idea:
- Ask everyone to read this blog post before your next sales meeting.
- Ask everyone to come with their own ideas to add to the list. During the meeting, create a comprehensive list of ideas.
- During the meeting, ask each person to commit to 1 or more activities that will make the biggest difference in their momentum.
- Ask someone to “own” the Summer Momentum Project (leadership opportunity). It will be their job to monitor and report on the team’s progress until the end of August.
- Then, once a month, Sept – Dec, ask the team to share the results of the SMP. I guarantee you will have RESULTS!
To get sales team meeting agendas that lead your team through exercises to gain momentum, close more pipeline opportunities and stay motivated during the dog – and any other – days, subscribe to Meeting to Win weekly sales team meeting agendas.
Look forward to Monday mornings!
Tags: energize sales team, motivate sales team, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda, sales team meeting agendas, sales team meeting idea
Posted in Summer Selling Season, agenda ideas, free sales team meeting topics, sales meeting agenda, sales team agenda., sales team meeting agenda, summer sales | No Comments »
