It seems sales hiring is heating up and that means we are having more and more conversations about compensation. Too often I see leaders so entrenched in their financial models that they can’t get the right person in the right seat, because they won’t provide the right comp. Compensation plans should not be designed to…
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I recently gave a presentation on strategic pricing. Afterwards, an audience member who leads a marketing firm asked for advice on how to handle RFPs (requests for proposal). Her question: “How can we sell value when we can’t even talk to decision-makers?” Procurement Over Value RFPs function as an entry point into an organization through…
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Most salespeople are not motivated by money. I wrote about it recently. They instead have their own reasons for executing and achieving. Now don’t get me wrong. By and large, salespeople would love to be paid more for their work, who wouldn’t? But as I pointed out previously, 74% of salespeople, whether top tier or…
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Salespeople are in it for the money! It’s a common belief and one you may think is true. If so, you might be tempted to construct a compensation plan that heavily favors pay for performance. Of course, salespeople want to be paid well. Everybody does. And I whole-heartedly support compensating salespeople to reinforce the behaviors…
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When the pandemic hit, were you crushing it, maintaining status quo, or suffering? The answer would likely depend on your industry. But that was then. Looking forward, the economy is projected to be gangbusters at least through 2023. Maybe you are thinking it’s time to double down on your sales growth. Maybe there are some…
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Gaining referrals can seem harder than cold calling. It’s something I’ve recently noticed. There are many salespeople who would rather talk with relative strangers in the form of prospects than to ask current clients for referrals. I know that I struggled with it previously in my career. Why Is It So Hard? I believe there…
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Ch-ch-ch-changes…for the past year salespeople have dealt with plenty of them because of the pandemic. And more ch-ch-ch-changes are on their way. While we can wait, wish and hope, it is unrealistic to expect those ole days of selling to return. What’s Not Changing Back? There is a sizeable segment of workers that will never…
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I have been playing golf for 48 years. I been riding a bike for 5 or 6 years longer, so depending on which activity we’re talking about, that’s a little over or a little under 50 years of experience. It is an exceptionally long time to know how to do something. Easy and Hard So…
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While driving in a downpour recently, I decided to take the backroads home instead of the freeway. I thought to myself, “Wow. I feel really old, avoiding the freeway.” I wondered why I felt that way. I can see pretty well. My reaction time is fine. I haven’t ever been in any serious car accident.…
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Here’s a duh! Salespeople who are easily able to reach decision-makers are infinitely more effective at closing business. Here’s the data: According to Objective Management Group they are 337% more effective. That’s the good news. The bad news is that only 28% of salespeople are strong at doing it. This is a massive problem. If…
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