SalesForceXP: November-December 2009
The Pitch
The older I get, the more often it seems I use the term "If I had only known then what I know now." Whether it's managing a stock portfolio or managing a sales team, it's human nature to look back at mistakes and missed opportunities and wish you'd had more information. [295-word article]
Cover Story
Myth #1: RFPs are a gateway to a sale.
Conventional wisdom states that activity means results, and it does - depending upon what kind of results you're looking for. If you're looking to make procurement's job simple, then answering any and all RFPs will definitely produce results. If you're looking for more sales and revenues, you must forego activity in favor of strategy. [829-word article]
Myth #2: Managers should be sure that job candidates buy into their philosophy and management style
Strong leaders look for character, strength and ambition, but aren't afraid to hire people who disagree with them. [792-word article]
Myth #3: In tough economic times, reward people with more money.
Money has no emotional connection. Non-monetary rewards consistenly produce better results. [378-word article]
Myth #4: Incentives decrease intrinsic motivation.
Volumes of real-world examples of successful workplace incentive programs prove they work. [288-word article]
Myth #5: Multitaskers get more done
New research says that multitasking may lead us nowhere fast. [346-word article]
Like the crowd that dutifully feigned enthusiasm over the emperor's non-existent suit, too many managers today latch on to the latest business buzz without stopping to truly understand it or assess its value. We decided to bust some myths that have made headlines recently in order to help you prepare your tactics and assemble your team for 2010. [162-word article]
Closers
At a time when companies are slashing business travel and off-site meetings, you brought more than 3,000 of your people together for five days at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville in October. [461-word article]
Incentive Products
"There are two very real reasons to buy business gifts that are not necessarily warm and fuzzy..." [164-word article]
Classic incentive awards [233-word article]
Off Sites
Trimming Travel May Ground Your Own Business
Last year's double whammy of an economic meltdown and a backlash against corporate junkets left business travel in the bull's-eye when companies began cutting costs. Businesses pulled back on travel across the board, resulting in a 15 percent decline in the U.S. corporate travel market, according to travel industry analyst PhoCusWright. [1171-word article]
The Leap: Moving Into Management
You may think you know how your salespeople are handling presentations, but Keith Rosen doesn't believe it. "Unless managers are in the field observing and listening to what their people are doing, they have no clue," says Rosen, a sales coach and author most recently of Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions (Wiley, 2008). [514-word article]
Not surprisingly, employee morale and commitment has worsened during the recession. The 2009/2010 U.S. Strategic Rewards Survey by Watson Wyatt and WorldatWork found that employee engagement levels for all workers at the surveyed companies dropped 9 percent since last year, but the number was nearly 25 percent for top performers. [1501-word article]
The Sales Funnel
Beware of the Beast - It Could Be You
The business world loves taking lessons from the world of sports, so learn from the mistakes made by Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini, whose team is 1-7 and in last place in their division. [313-word article]
Crush the Opposition, Not Each Other
A lot of sales managers like to foster competition among their own reps, but Stanford professor and management guru Robert Sutton says this is only advisable to a point, and many managers cross that point early and often. [254-word article]
The B2B world continues to wrestle with how social media fits into a business plan. Its first clear role: recruiting. But while you can find employees through social media, how do you know you're finding the best employees? [425-word article]
Make Your (Power)Point In 20 Seconds
Brevity isn't a new concept, but it's one that can't be emphasized enough. A presentation system called pecha-kucha (Japanese for "chatter") isn't new either, but we only recently stumbled across it, and it seems like a great approach to adopt for the New Year for sales meetings and perhaps even your sales presentations. [243-word article]
If your mission statement feels like a Hallmark card, it's time to change it, says Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something, a non-profit organization that works to inspire young people to change the world. [278-word article]
Quick Tips to Help Timid Presenters
Author and communications expert Dianna Booher says some leaders are blessed with an "It Factor" that naturally compels people to follow them. All is not lost if you're not one of these, however. [209-word article]
Skills that make you successful in a strong economy can work against you in a recession, says Bruce Wedderburn, Vice President of Global Channel Sales at sales trainer Huthwaite. [226-word article]
Most of us are told at a young age, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Sound advice for a 5-year-old, however, can be a poor strategy for adults looking to improve workplace performance. [290-word article]
A vital part of management is finding the Next New Thing. Most managers don't develop these game-changers themselves. Rather, the objective is to remain vigilant enough to recognize important trends as they emerge and become an early adopter once you're convinced it will provide a competitive edge. [344-word article]
Top Performers
Incentive ideas from SFXP advertisers [932-word article]
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Savings At Sea
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The First Step To Designing A Winning Sales Compensation Plan |
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Is your sales compensation plan helping you get the most from your sales people? Listen to this episode of the Sales Management Minute to learn the first question to ask yourself when designing an effective sales compensation plan.
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Audio. 60 sec. - 09/01/2010 |
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