
The Forward Thinking Sales Manager
Begins with the End in Mind
If
an outside sale is truly a sales process, then there are steps involved
for each sale. Since we agree on this fact, it makes sense to manage
salespeople towards each of the steps in the sales process. The best way
to manage these steps is taking them one at a time, moving forward each
step toward the sales close. Essentially, you want to begin with the end
in mind which Steven Covey suggests as the second habit of successful
people.
Too often a sales manager loses track of the importance of the sales
process and focuses on the activities. I remember when I was selling
copiers how the sales managers’ focus was only on my sales activities.
This tyrant of a sales manager challenged me each day. My calendar
needed to show 3 appointments, 20 cold calls and 50 telephone calls. The
fundamental belief that sales activity would lead to sales was flawed.
It wasn’t the activity that made me successful; it was the steps I was
taking toward each sale.
The forward thinking sales manager will always work backwards from
the goal of a closed sale. When a sales manager’s focus is on the sales
process, they will always know if a potential deal is real or not. A few
questions about where prospects are in the sales process and how the
prospect got there will reveal the true situation.
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Steve Martinez President of Selling Magic 9319 Robinson Lane Corona, CA 92883 (951) 277-0080
www.sellingmagic.com
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