Sales Tips & Techniques Blog
Our Sales Tips And Techniques Blog is the voice of our experienced sales training executives and sales assessment consultants. Here you will find a clear and concise summary of the best ways for managers to hire and train salespeople, along with incorporating innovative industry examples that will help to improve the output of a company’s representatives.
Sales managers and executives who are able to effectively implement, teach and inform their representatives of the correct sales methods and techniques will see positive results and increased revenue from their sales team.
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May 23rd, 2013 by Barrett Riddleberger | Development, Hiring & Retention, Hiring Salespeople, Sales Managers
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Although virtually anyone can learn the principles of selling, not everyone can be a successful salesperson. Mastering techniques and principles is one thing; having the desire and drive to apply them is another. Joe may learn the fundamentals of selling—prospecting, building trust, analyzing customer needs, studying product lines, making presentations—but this is no guarantee that he will be an outstanding salesman. Joe might lack the necessary willingness and ambition; he might not be a “people person.” Junior may inherit the family business, but distinctly lack the personality traits prerequisite to the sales profession. Furthermore, even if Junior is intelligent and outgoing, there is no reason to assume he is prepared to be a CEO. (The principle also applies in reverse: Learn More.
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April 25th, 2013 by Barrett Riddleberger | Development, Sales Coaching, Sales Management, Sales Managers
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Sales leadership is analogous to football in the sense that medium-to-large-organizations tend to have two or more “layers” of management—comparable to coaches and assistant coaches in the NFL. Every team has a head coach, who oversees the entire program, and assistant coaches, who specialize in running backs, quarterbacks, linebackers, and so on. Likewise, the typical sales hierarchy consists of a CEO or VP (head coach), supported by several sales managers and account managers (assistant coaches), each with their own “players” and specific realms of responsibility. Sales leadership training, then, could be described as “coaching the coaches.” A sales manager might be considered a “sales coach“. Sound leadership training recognizes the fact that sales managers are charged with a task shared Learn More.
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March 21st, 2013 by Barrett Riddleberger | Development, Sales Management, Sales Managers, Sales Training
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Sales training is a fairly common endeavor, but many companies do not get much of a return on their investment. Despite the lofty aspirations of executives and managers, sales training, when conducted improperly, is simply another means of squandering time and resources. Here are the eight most common sales training blunders: 1) “Homegrown” training, instead of hiring a professional firm. In-house programs are typically created by someone with insufficient knowledge of adult learning theory and models. 2) Training on product. The flawed assumption behind this approach is that product knowledge is the equivalent of sales training; that, if an associate understands how the product works, then by default, she will know how to sell it. Product training and sales training Learn More.
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February 21st, 2013 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Management, Troubleshooting
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Few challenges rival the complexity of turning around a troubled enterprise, but the newly-hired VP of sales need not stumble around in the dark. Prudent guidelines are available to help navigate the battered ship out of troubled waters. To begin with, the VP must immediately obtain the “lay of the land”: Are the financials of the company so dire that bankruptcy looms? Who are the firm’s primary customers, and are those accounts in jeopardy? Which product lines are performing, and which are not? How effective is the marketing department? What is the condition of the supply chain? Are there customer service issues to address? Is the business languishing because of low morale? What financial resources are available, and to what Learn More.
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January 28th, 2013 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Management, Troubleshooting
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Virtually every sales team is susceptible to morale problems, but vigilant leadership can minimize the frequency of attitude decline, and the toll that it takes. Although the general outlook of a sales team—its collective attitude and tendency toward optimism or pessimism–is difficult to quantify, it is apparent that morale can make or break an enterprise. Consequently, declining morale must be addressed and corrected in short order. The most astute executive forges their own workplace culture, and keeps a finger on the “psychological pulse” of their sales team. They are keenly aware of the potential sources of morale problems. Quite often, a single individual is responsible for declining morale. An incompetent or dictatorial manager, for instance, is a menace to the Learn More.
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December 20th, 2012 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Management
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Innovative products, reasonably priced, are coveted commodities, but there is no guarantee they will sell. Virtually every product can be duplicated and improved upon by competitors. Products alone—regardless of quality—do not generate revenue. Likewise, services, operations, management, and administration are important aspects of business, but they do not generate revenue. Salespeople do. In fact, the most profitable companies are those that create and maintain a “sales culture.” What is meant by this term? In a broad sense, “culture” may be defined as a common set of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. At the macro level, nations have dominant and distinctive cultures; at the micro level, so do business enterprises. Culture, at its best, is the glue that holds an organization together. Learn More.
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November 30th, 2012 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Training
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Gatekeepers are not obstacles to overcome; rather, they are your potential allies. They are often the initial, make-or-break link in the sales process. Sales professionals who form alliances with gatekeepers often reap rewards for doing so, and the process is quick and painless. Here’s how: 1. Make a connection. Approach the gatekeeper with sincerity. What would be meaningful and relevant to this person? They’ve seen every approach—underhanded, manipulative, sticky-sweet, and everything in between. Too often, Gatekeepers get the message: “I’m a low person on the totem pole. I’m neither valuable nor relevant.” Conversely, the gatekeeper treated with dignity and respect feels appreciated, and becomes an invaluable asset. 2. Bring quality and substance to the table. Do not call with a Learn More.
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October 25th, 2012 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Management
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Most of us, at the mere mention of a weekly sales meeting, stride briskly in the opposite direction, mumbling, perhaps, something about an emergency at home. And the impulse is understandable. After all, sales meetings are notoriously tedious, time-consuming, and pointless. If asked to choose, your team members might struggle to decide which is more dreadful: the weekly sales meeting, or a root canal. But this need not be the case. With proper planning and execution, your sales meetings can be transformed from monotonous and ineffective, to dynamic and informative. Imagine that: Your team members eagerly anticipating the weekly sales meeting! The transformation will take place upon the implementation of three simple steps: Clearly define your purpose: There is nothing Learn More.
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October 5th, 2012 by Barrett Riddleberger | News and Events
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Greensboro, NC – October 4, 2012 Ten years ago Resolution Systems, Inc. (RSI) was founded in Greensboro, NC, by Barrett Riddleberger. In a time of nationwide economic uncertainty, RSI has continued to grow and advance, positioning itself as one of the premier sales transformation organizations nationwide. “Our company excels because of our talented staff of professional trainers, coaches, instructional designers and support personnel who take the time to learn each client’s needs and work with them to achieve their respective sales and business goals,” says owner and CEO, Barrett Riddleberger. According to a recent analysis by the consulting firm Dun & Bradstreet, it was determined that due to the shaky housing market, “wavering consumer confidence” and slow job growth across Learn More.
Tags: greensboro nc, resolution systems
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August 29th, 2012 by Barrett Riddleberger | Sales Management
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There has been a negative stigma that has been attached to outsourcing in the corporate world due to the recent political battles about the practice.
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