Sales Management. Simplified.: The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team by Mike Weinberg
Mike Weinberg is the truth. Not only does this guy know his stuff, he is the fiercest salesperson with the best heart. This combination leads to sales management systems and processes that are insanely productive yet simple.
The one caveat I have here is you must come into the book with the perspective that some of the content here is directed towards larger organizations. While all the principles apply no matter what the size, some applications aren’t always relevant. I would have liked some more comments on what size the organizations were in context to his examples. For instance, he talks in depth about how managers shouldn’t be player coaches, and only briefly states it should only be done in smaller organizations when they can’t afford a manager who doesn’t run sales calls.
This being said, I recommend this to anyone looking to sharpen their sales or sales management game.
Here are some gems from the book:
- If at all possible, never have a player coach. Keep management and people in different positions.
- The CEO should never expect the same kind of perspective, performance, and expertise as the people below them. Why should they? Have proper expectations and watch them grow.
- Many companies focus on product knowledge training for their sales reps but not enough focus on sales skills. While you might create subject matter experts, you don’t create sales people.
- MY FAVORITE: The goal in a sales presentation is for the sales person to execute well enough and provide so much value to the prospect that the prospect should want to write the salesperson a check for how much they learned from the presentation.
- Never pitch at the prospect. The sales person who talks the most, loses. Ask questions.
- Never reply to RFPs.
- Social selling and new sexy tools are a supplement to sales prospecting, not a replacement for it.
- Salespeople are perceived by customers as vendors and order takers, not a value-add consultative help. This is where the give and take comes in. You do have to encourage people at some level! That is sales. Influence. This is effective salesman ship.
- The most important priorities in a sales organization are:
- 1) Leadership
- 2) Culture
- 3) Talent Management
- 4) Sales Process
- The best sales tool is a sniper rifle – highly targeted contacts and market places.
- Have your salespeople draft a plan for their year, in writing. If they don’t live up to it, hold them accountable for their plan because they came up with it.
At my company, Pereus Marketing (RPMC) and Superhuman Prospecting, we sell selling. It’s odd. We sell prospecting campaigns to businesses so we are always discussing sales, sales management, and lead generation. It’s ironic and odd to be building out our own new business plan because we are considered the experts. Well, yes, but in a very isolated portion. We all have room to grow, so books like this help with setting principles and systems up in the beginning based on those who have already had success. I recommend.