It’s no secret that the independent representative/principal relationship is one of the rockiest in the manufacturing world. Here’s a typical example of how it can go wrong: The dance between reps and principals usually starts this way: a company decides it needs more sales and wants to leverage its sales budget, so it recruits a […]
Becoming a Great Sales Manager
Building a Great Team Through Inspiration We all assume that being a great sales manager, or any manager for that matter, is by holding your people accountable. Oh, that accountability thing, that’s what we live and die for, to make sure that everyone is being held accountable…but is it really? And, to whom are they […]
Targeting Your Ideal Customer
If you are going to successfully sell you products and services, you first must figure out who wants them. Sorry to say but not everyone is going to need or even want what you’re selling. So, rather than waste time trying to sell to everyone regardless of their needs it is much more efficient, not […]
Advice From Johnny The Bagger
Tips for great customer service! They say there are less than two hundred board shops left in North America, a fact that amazes me to no end. The other day, I was looking at a plan I did for a company just twelve years ago, where I said that there were less that six hundred […]
Managing Your Sales Team
Nothing happens by accident anymore, especially when it comes to sales. It used to be so much simpler; you’d buy a good directory, circle those companies that would make good prospects, call them, set up a meeting, go see them and if you did a pretty good job in that meeting you’d get a quote […]
Embrace Change/ Embrace Success
“I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody” Lily Tomlin Oh, that dreaded word “CHANGE” I have seen companies go out of business, rather than change. I have seen people suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, rather than change. I have seen whole marketing plans get […]
The Game Of Sales
Managing a sales team is just like managing a sports team. You strive to put the best team on the field and then manage them to greatness. It means just like a sports team you must deal with all the team members as individuals figuring out how to handle each of them from the […]
Getting Your Customers To Sell For You: A Step By Step Plan
Getting your customer to brag about your company, and your services, is the best form of advertising that there is. You can tell people how great you are until you’re blue in the face and you might get someone to listen, but get your customers to brag about you and everyone will listen. The trick […]