Driving Sales Beyond

11 Criteria Of Top Producing Sales Reps - Part II

On Monday in our post titled What Separates Top Producing Sales Reps From The Others?  Part I, we listed the first five of eleven.    The first five criteria were:

• Have clearly defined expectations
• Have a plan and strategy for maximizing territory potential
• Understand the customer’s needs and business
• They have a passion for the business
• They bring creativity & innovation to create solutions

Here are the final six that were generated by these sales managers.

Create new opportunities
Some seize existing opportunities and call it a day, only to wake up the next morning in a cloud of dust left by trailblazers who have created their own fortunes from the most unlikely and overlooked places.  Top-producers not only take advantage of existing opportunities, but find ways to create them as well.  Our sales representatives must understand that:

• Selling requires more than sustaining current business.  
• They must create new business not only within current accounts, but also through new accounts.

Know your company
Only by fully understanding our resources and total capabilities can we know what it is we take to market; and, as those capabilities expand, what we take to market changes!  Because of this, our sales team must understand:

• That selling is more than taking orders (i.e. some sales reps run to management saying they need certain products that we don’t represent).
• Our capabilities – what we do well and not so well.
• The suppliers we represent, our product offerings and the applications that they best address.
• Our value proposition and competitive advantage.
• Authors Note – This is a huge void in most distribution sales organizations.  Geneally speaking our sales people do not understand our capabilities and how to present them as solutions to our customer’s business needs.

Know the market
“The ability to learn faster than your competitors,” says business strategist, Arie de Geus, “may be your only sustainable competitive advantage.”  Because markets and tastes change, our selling opportunities change.  Our sales representatives must learn all they can about their selling environments, including:

• The markets and industries in which they compete.
• The strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.

Personal development
Tennis champion, Venus Williams’ candidly observed, “You either improve or retire. I try to keep evolving.”  Likewise, survival in today’s business climate mandates a continued evolution.  “All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners looking for new skills, insights, and ideas,” says author, Denis Waitley, “If they're not learning, they're not growing . . . not moving toward excellence.”  Our sales representatives must:

• Desire continued growth and accept the support our company offers to achieve it.
• Commit to continued growth (When is the last time they did something for the first time?)
• Agree to after-hours development (Remember when sales meetings were held on Saturdays?)

Collaboration
Collaboration allows us to “huddle” with co-workers to produce greater results than we could ever achieve on our own.  It’s based on the belief that early involvement, teamwork, defined responsibilities and processes can turn good ideas into dynamic solutions.  Our sales representatives should demonstrate the willingness to share knowledge and expertise.

Integrity
More people are watching you than you think. The University of Notre Dame Athletics Department advises participants in its sporting events to be their “best” selves because “everything we say and do (and don't say or do) sends a message about our values.”  Notre Dame describes integrity as doing what’s right even when it’s unpopular or personally costly.  “By not making a wrong right, you are supporting the wrong.   By inaction, you condone the behavior.   If you know the truth, speak it loud and clear.   In other words, don't hide behind the presence of officials - play as if you are refereeing the event.”   

What Are Your Thoughts?
So there are the final six criteria which separate top producing sales reps from all the others according to this group of talented sales managers.  While probably not all-inclusive I think it is a great list.  What did you think of this list?  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Have others to add?  Let me know – I look forward to your input.

11 Criteria Of Top Producing Sales Reps - Part I

Recently I was with a group of sales managers and a spontaneous discussion began around the question, “What separates top producing sales people from the others?”  These sales managers generated 11 criteria.  Take a look at the list (I’ll break it up into two posts to be conscious of your time) and let me know if you agree, or if you would have added other items to the list.

Clearly Defined Expectations
Is everyone under your leadership on the "same page," or is someone marching to a different drummer?  Improved productivity and performance require the clear communication of expectations.  Our sales representatives should:

• Know their roles and responsibilities -- what they should and should not do.  For example, they should let customer service representatives service while they themselves focus on consistently executing the sales function.
• Understand the desired end state – what they must accomplish.
• Work toward set goals and use those goals to measure their performance.
  

Planning
Planning and organization at the territory level are critical to sales success. Each sales representative must develop and execute a strategy that proactively addresses the dynamics and changes in his territory. Effective planning means establishing clear objectives and organizing specific sales activities into integrated yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily work plans.  The sales representative should:

• Develop a plan for maximizing the territory’s potential.
• Follow a process that begins with an annual plan and filters down to shorter-term quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily plans.
• Develop a plan for each call that includes specific objectives for that call.
• Practice organizational skills that make his work both efficient and effective.
  

Understand The Customer’s Needs & Business
To compete at the highest levels, sales representatives must develop professional interviewing skills that establish their credibility and expertise, as well as demonstrate empathy.  Additionally, they’ll use these skills to reveal the customer’s important business needs, goals, priorities and points of view. Each sales representative should:

• Focus on the customer as a “market of one.”
• Cultivate skills that allow him to drive a discussion around the strategies, objectives, and initiatives of his customer’s business.
• Avoid dumping information, and instead, listen while the customer does most of the talking.
• Cultivate skills that help him communicate effectively at all levels in the customer’s business.   This includes participating in quality business discussions with those higher up in the customer’s organization chart.
  

Passion For The Business
Passion creates the energy and drive required to succeed over the long haul. Sales representatives with a natural enthusiasm and passion for their business need no motivation. Members of the sales team must:

• View their work as more than “just a job,” love what they do and the market they’re in.
• Have the work ethic to do what it takes to succeed.
  

Creativity & Innovation
Developing new and better solutions to customer problems requires a big dose of creativity on the part of the sales representative. Innovation and creativity hearten perseverance and spark performance breakthroughs. Our sales team must understand that:

• Required solutions are not always easy to find.
• The sales cycle at times may become a drawn out process.  The sales representative must find ways to stay engaged and lead that process.
  

So there are the first five criteria which separate top producing sales reps from all the others according to this group of talented sales managers.  On Thursday I’ll outline the other six top producing criteria.

What did you think of this list?  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Have others to add?  Let me know – I look forward to your input.

Who else wants more than their fair share?

Can you ever imagine Tiger Woods saying that he wants to win his "fair share" of golf tournaments?  Last week he returned to the PGA Tour, still ranked #1 in the world after an 8 month break following reconstructive knee surgery.  Despite his early exit from the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play, he returns with a mind set that undoubtedly gives his competitors sweaty palms when he says, “I want to become better than I was.”

I guarantee that you will never hear Tiger Woods say that he wants to win only his fair share of golf tournaments!

But how about sales people?  Are they ever comfortable with their fair share?  From my travels with distributor and manufacturer sales people another guarantee I can provide is that many are, in fact, satisfied with getting only their fair share.

I was recently with a task force of managers and sales representatives from a regional distributor where we explored why customers tend to split their spend between a handful of suppliers.  Some of the reasons identified included:

• Sophistication - the business savvy of some customers doesn’t allow them to see the real value of deeper partnerships.
• Obligation - relationships and friendships built over the years compel the customer to dole out business to their friends.
• Credit Line - maybe more so in today’s market than before, customers need to use the credit line from multiple suppliers to source the needed goods.
• Comfort - The prospect of having “all their eggs in one basket” is unsettling to many.

I am sure there are others, but sales people can find many reasons to be satisfied with getting their fair share of an accounts business.  Over the last several years for example, I have spent a lot of time working with distributors who are selling their products to and through independent dealers.

A common theme that I hear from many of the sales people is: “All’s I want is my fair share.”  Have you ever heard one of your reps say that?  What they are saying is that if they represent one of the top three brands in the market for example, they are working to get 33% of the floor space.  It's interesting to think where these individuals would end up on the PGA’s tournament wins or earnings list with that mindset - while their competition is strategizing how to take more than their fair share.

I personally don’t understand this thinking.  In fact, I think it is the easy way out.  I know that there are many reason why we can rationalize limiting ourselves to fair share:  We don’t want to be pushy, we don’t want to create a discussion around the volume rebates the dealer gets from the competitors, we understand that the dealer has developed friendships with the competing sales reps . . . the list goes on.

You know, most sales reps spend too much time thinking about why we can’t get more than 33% rather than why we deserve more than that even split.  

More Than Our Fair Share
In today's economic environment, now is the time to change our thinking - now is the time to displace competition and earn more than our fair share.  Some call it wallet share.  Others market share; and still others, percentage of the customers spend.  Some of the best distributor salespeople I have been with have a mind set that they don’t want their fair share - they want and truly believe they deserve more than their fair share.

Here are some questions that these top producers are continually exploring to develop strategies & plans to earn more than their fair share:

1. How do we differentiate? - They define what they bring to the customer that sets them apart from all other suppliers.
2. How do we add value? - They define how they can better impact the customer’s bottom line when they do in fact get more of the business.
3. How do we get and keep mind share? - Being top of mind is crucial and they develop systems to engage the customers with the appropriate quantity and quality of touches.
4. How do we get floor/shelf/bin space? - This question is all about earning the business.  Finding ways to overcome the many challenges and solid objections customers have to “putting their eggs in one basket.”
5. What must I do to “own” the customer? - These top producers are constantly exploring how they can be so invaluable to their customers, that the customer can’t imagine splitting the business.

I’d love to hear from you.  

• What are your thoughts about earning more than your fair share from your customers?  
• What have you successfully done to increase wallet share?  
• Are there other questions in addition to the five I’ve posted above that we should be asking ourselves?
• What are some of your answers to the above questions that you have found drive sales and help you gain more than your fair share?

Its Time To Thrive – 3 Areas Of Focus

Ugggh!  Keep the newspapers (remember them?) away from me.  The news is not pleasant.  Layoffs here, declining profits there, bailouts everywhere!

Just a bit ago I had a great conversation with a friend of mine James James (yes that is his real name) the VP of Sales for Yacht Chandlers relative to this state of economy and its impact on business, sales organizations, and individuals.  James shared the insight that in this environment most people - it’s human nature to - act in a way that:

• Makes you look good
• Reduces risk, and
• Allows you to survive

I think James is right.  Look at what sales people are doing in this environment.  To look good, they might start using the sales force automation system that the company invested in (years ago).  To reduce risk they might bring more competitive pricing to customers who have opened conversations with competitors.  And to survive they are knocking on more doors hoping that some prospect is in crises mode to reduce costs that will allow for an opportunity to quote.

On a macro economic level the British economist John Maynard Keynes coined the term “liquidity trap” during the Depression in the 1930s. A liquidity trap is when the loss of confidence of businesses and consumers results in a desire to hold on to cash rather than spend or invest.  A bank for example in tough times like we are experiencing now, will want to look good by taking massive write-downs.  They will reduce risk by tightening credit.  And will act to survive by conserving cash and cutting its dividend.  Sound familiar?

My take on this environment is that now is the time to:

Be Good rather than look good
Now is the time to check your skills.  I have suggested for years that good times camouflage poor performance.  And factually many in sales and sales management are waking up in this new economic period realizing that they had not focused on developing their skills to succeed in not just the good times, but in tough times like these. You know what skills & behaviors have been lacking - have you been transaction oriented rather than consultative?  Have you been administrating rather than coaching.  Let’s focus on being good.

Manage risk rather than reduce risk
Now is not the time to cower, sit back and wait for the market to turn.  Now more than ever strategy comes into play.  In good times, the market was much more forgiving to those who reacted to opportunities rather than strategically created opportunities.  In our just published book Driving Distribution Sales Beyond: Best Practices For Outselling Your Competitors from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, we explore how leading businesses develop the strategy and roadmap to achieve their vision.  Manage risk today by setting specific goals, detailing plans to achieve them and mobilize resources to work the plan.

Thrive rather than survive
In every market there are individuals and businesses that perform below the market averages and those that perform above those averages.  There are those that hang on and (try to) survive, and those who go beyond mediocrity to thrive. To thrive today we must have an expectation of success, which include the needed behaviors and a focus on superior execution.

One of the things that I am doing to be good, manage risks and thrive in this market is embracing the whole social networking movement.  Another is that we continue to evaluate ourselves internally relative to our commitment of “more than satisfied customers.”  Let me know if you want more information on either of these and I’ll be happy to post.

So what are you doing in these times to Be Good?  To Manage Risk?  And to Thrive? Share your insight so that we can learn from you.

Human Energy

I have to admit  - I love Chevron’s Human Energy branding and advertising campaign.  I got hooked with their 2 1/2 minute commercial titled Untapped.  Maybe it's the motivational speaking in me, but this campaign is very good. 

 

Make no mistake Chevron is selling.  They’ve produced this commercial to sell and market the company, its products, and its services.  But - they have taken their message beyond the consultative approach and they are certainly not simply peddling their traditional oil and gas products.  They are improving sales by selling Human Energy.  Human Energy that creates:

• Vision
• Ideas
• Solutions

Chevron is challenging you and I, better than any business speaker could, to be part of the solution in overcoming the energy obstacles that our country is confronting.

What a great model for distributor sales organizations.  Today maybe more than ever we in distribution sales are faced with tough challenges.  Challenges of a lifetime.  Our economy is the story of this time and the economic challenges are all encompassing and leaves no one untouched.  Our customers included.

Now is the time for you and I to approach our customers in the same way that Chevron is reaching out to its market.  Let our competitors go in and pitch product and price while we sell a vision for a better tomorrow.  Let’s take time to understand - really understand how this economy is impacting the strategies, plans, and initiatives within our customer’s business.  Let’s bring ideas - solid well thought out ideas that come together as a comprehensive plan that solves real business needs.  And, like Chevron let’s sell a vision, a future reality for their business, operation, or department that is possible and would, when achieved contribute significantly to their business results.

What do you think of the Chevron Human Energy campaign? I am curious, how are you approaching customers differently in these economic times?  What is the human energy you bring to your customers?  Share with us way that you are selling more than product and price, maybe how you are partnering with your customers to sell ideas, vision, solutions and challenging each other to achieve a better tomorrow.

Who Has The Answers?

Years ago when I was starting my professional speaking career I went to learn from one of the original top motivational speakers, the late Ira Hayes.  Ira was a master at inspiring audiences to develop their potential for success in their careers and everyday living.  He taught me many things - how to craft a story, how to engage the audience, and the use of props and visual aids, and more. 

Ira made over 4,000 presentations to business groups before his passing, which is made even more remarkable when you consider - he had only one speech!  He was fond of saying to his audiences that he hoped to be asked back, but if so they had better have liked the speech he was giving because when he returned he would give the same presentation.

When I asked Ira about giving the same speech to the same audience he told me, “It’s easier to find another audience than to come up with another speech.”  :-)  He was right!

Could you imagine though, if Ira had the tools to immediately query the audience relative to the content he was sharing.  Each individual could have shared their perspectives, their thoughts, and their wisdom based on professional and personal experiences. Answers to issues brought out in the speech would have flown making Ira’s original thoughts that much better and meaningful.  Heck, Ira could have developed a second speech and made 8,000 presentations!

So Who Has The Answers?  What I have learned is that when it comes to improving sales, it is not the consultant, subject matter expert, and certainly not the speaker who has the answers.  The answers are to be found through the collective wisdom of those in the trenches and in the field.  Answers are found through the collaboration of a group, a team, and in the case of this blog, the community of readers and contributors.

Today, successful distributors and businesses of all types are pursuing more collaborative models to drive innovation, growth and results. The 2008 IBM Global CEO Study indicated that 71 percent of CEO’s planned to place greater focus on external partnerships and collaboration that extend beyond the traditional walls of their business.

So this blog is all about becoming our sales and management training community by extending your collaboration beyond  traditional walls.  We will focus on the collective wisdom of what I hope will become a growing community - a community of achievers who are interested in Driving Sales Beyond.  Together, we have the answers. I’ll pose questions on future posts around topics that are on our minds such as:

• Its time to thrive!
  

• What makes you different?
  

• Becoming invaluable
  

• The future belongs to the bold
  

• Do you need new customers?
  

You Have The Answers - Since this blog is for you, please let me know what you would like our conversation to center on - What questions would you like to ask - so that together we can find the answers to drive our sales beyond what the market is prepared to give.