The sales manager takes care of the sales force and the sales people execute the sales campaign. So people come first if the customer is to be foremost.

SALES  MANAGERS  ROLE

 &   THE  EMPLOYEE  LIFECYCLE

The sales manager takes care of the sales force and the sales people execute the sales campaign. So people come first if the customer is to be foremost. The costs of a sales force people management responsibilities can be quite significant. A large proportion of these costs will relate to the hiring, firing and everything in between for the recruitment, retention and release of an salesforce member. It is important, therefore, to understand and appreciate the benefits of knowing and understanding the basic elements of an salesforce member lifecycle and how managing the sales force people can help this process.

Although models and descriptions of an salesforce member lifecycle will vary, the most common terms that will be found include the following stages: recruitment, orientation, talent development, progression and departure. From this last point, the cycle will start over: a new  for the company, a new company for the former salesforce member. It is important to remember that different keywords may be used in examples of salesforce member lifecycles but the basic concept remains the same. From one company to another, it is possible to adapt the salesforce member lifecycle to suit the individual needs of each company.

RECRUITMENT: the gateway to building a salesforce

The beginning stage of the salesforce member lifecycle is, quite obviously, the recruitment stage. It is during the recruitment phase that the salesforce member-employer relationship is first established. First impressions are possible, introductions are made and, depending on how all stages of the recruitment are conducted, it becomes the starting point for the salesforce member lifecycle. In regards to the salesforce member lifecycle, the recruitment stage may cover more than just the traditional methods of hiring an salesforce member. For example, the first stage of the salesforce member lifecycle could also cover scenarios where the salesforce member is transferred to a new department or subsidiary company as the salesforce member process starts over from the beginning once more.

ORIENTATION: the homecoming stage

Once a decision is made to accept the transferral or hire a new recruit, the orientation phase begins. Alternatively known as the settling-in stage or the onboaring;  this part of the salesforce member lifecycle is about allowing the salesforce member to familiarise themselves with the company and explore the responsibilities of the role. Decisions need to be made about the time for the orientation to last and how quickly to share information with the new salesforce member. It also important to strike the right balance between being involved in your salesforce member's induction period while also giving them enough space to find their own way in the company. Studies have shown that the orientation can offer long term benefits in terms of company retention.

TALENT DEVELOPMENT & DEPLOYMENT

In order to increase the likelihood of salesforce member retention, it is necessary to invest time in the development of an salesforce member. Both personally and professionally, if a company enables its salesforce members to develop, it will be able to satisfy the needs of those salesforce members. This could range from allowing salesforce members time off to develop new personal skills or further any established hobbies or set time aside for professional training courses funded by the company as part of its commitment to the future of its salesforce members. Engaging the workforce by presenting them with a visible focus on their professional development will help to ensure that the salesforce members are invested in the success of the company as much as the managers are.

PROGRESSION: SHOWING THE CAREER PATHWAY

The future prospects for salesforce members will often dictate how long a person will spend with any particular company. Progression opportunities could refer to financial benefits (increase in salary, monetary bonuses, etc.) or to psychological success (supervisor title, managerial responsibilities, etc.). Most importantly, progression for the salesforce member lifecycle should reflect the tenure of their stay with the company and the educational qualifications that would make an salesforce member a good candidate for progression within the company. Other positive targets for progression could include rewards and similar forms of recognition that highlight their achievements and outline the future.

DEPARTURE: NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

At some point, every salesforce member will leave their job. The only difference between salesforce members is the how, why and when that is involved in leaving the job and ending the salesforce member lifecycle. At this point, the salesforce member has gone full circle from starting out with the company, continuing along the chain and finally reaching the end stage. The relevance of this point is to minimise the risks on both sides. Where the parting is done on pleasant terms, the separation can be a positive opportunity for both company and salesforce member. The salesforce member will venture out into another part of the business world, while the company could gain from having someone who could forge new networking possibilities. This works both ways - the former salesforce member and the company should always remember that word of mouth is the strongest tool in promotion.

In business, there are many aspects that can be understood by means of a lifecycle. The journey of an salesforce member from the start of their relationship with a company right through to the very end is just one example of the most common lifecycles in the business world. It easily defines the contributions of both salesforce member and company to the success in the salesforce member-company relationship. Any responsible and professional sales manager should be made aware of the salesforce member lifecycle as a way of making sure that their work is targeted to the specific stages of an salesforce member's interaction with the company.

With best wishes

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

BUILD YOUR SALES MANAGERS ABILITY TO COACH AND BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE

In the varied roles of a effective sales manager; managing people gets at least 50% weightage.

HIRING  SALES TALENT :

the sales manger’s role for 

better interviewing techniques

In the varied roles of a effective sales manager; managing people gets at least 50% weightage. Because the sales force takes care of the customer and the quality of talent you have in the sales force will determine how much of an edge you have in reaching the Customer. So throughout the employee life cycle: hiring, induction, developing, appraising and exit process ; the sales manager has to be oriented to the people management process to complete his role and responsibility as an effective and complete sales manager

 The most important thing that you need to do when you hire talent; is understand his or her workplace values. After all, you can train people to cover skills gaps, and you can help people gain experience. But it's really hard to get people to change their values; and they will be "problem workers" until they do. When values are out of alignment, people work towards different goals, with different intentions, and with different outcomes. This can damage work relationships, productivity, job satisfaction, and creative potential.

At the job interview the sales manager today has to play a vital role. HR dept in the corporate office cannot shoulder the entire responsibility. Some say tech-savvy companies use skype for streamlining the process. But nothing can substitute a trained and committed sales manager who is interested in bring the right people.

With best wishes

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

TODAY'S competitive market means you nurture your key customers winning new customer is 5 times tougher than retaining old ones

what are the lessons you learnt from your most difficult  sales campign and what special demands did the big customers have from you after the sale was done

ARE YOU FEELING RUN DOWN WHEN THINGS GO WRONG? HERE READ THE WORLD'S MOST INSPIRATIONAL POEM EVER WRITTEN TO REJUVENATE THE MIND HEART AND SOUL

you need to create and develop your own self motivation to bring you the energy and enthusiasm to pursue the dreams of your life.

ARE YOU THE HELMSMAN

 OF YOUR LIFE ?

 Self motivation is the only way for you to get out of your current situation that you may not like. You need to have the inner drive to keep your momentum in achieving your goals in life. Without self motivation, nothing else matters. You can hire the most expensive motivator to tell you all the things you already know.

But, if you fail to realize that there is no one else except you who can change your life, then you practically throw your money down the drain by going from one seminar to another in the hope that you can change your life. What matters most is your own action. You need to create and develop your own self motivation to bring you the energy and enthusiasm to pursue the dreams of your life..Self motivation is the only way for you to get out of your current situation that you may not like. You need to have the inner drive to keep your momentum in achieving your goals in life. Without self motivation, nothing else matters. You can hire the most expensive motivator to tell you all the things you already know. But, if you fail to realize that there is no one else except you who can change your life, then you practically throw your money down the drain by going from one seminar to another in the hope that you can change your life. What matters most is your own action. You need to create and develop your own self motivation to bring you the energy and enthusiasm to pursue the dreams of your life.

You need some kind of motivational drive in anything you do. At work, you may need your colleague or boss to motivate you to accomplish your task. At home, you may need your family member to share some motivational thoughts to keep you energetic in your pursuit of your dreams.

 They can sit with you all day trying to keep you motivated. Again, all these will be meaningless when you yourself fail to acknowledge that you need more lasting drive to really keep your enthusiasm, that is, your self motivation. This is the quality that will separate you from the rest of the people.

Most of you may be thinking that this is going to be a very daunting task as you do not have the slightest idea of how you are going to go about this. You will be surprised as how easy this can really be done. 

Here are the 10 things that you need to follow:

1. Do not worry if you make mistakes. Making mistakes is one way we can learn and improve in our life. There is no one that has never made any mistake. The most important thing here is you realize that you have made mistakes and do not repeat the same mistakes again. You learn more from mistakes you have made than any other way.

2. Feel happy about your life. Happiness generates more positive energy within you. This energy is important to keep you more optimistic and enthusiastic about your life. Happy people are always motivated to accomplish something in their life.

3. Get out of your comfort zone. You need to learn to get into unfamiliar surroundings to explore better opportunities. Do not just stick around with the same people, same known places, skills or work. Explore new things that will enhance your ability to achieve your goals and keep you stay motivated.

4. Think the unthinkable. Nothing will stop you from thinking of goals you want to achieve. You have to dream high in order to set high goals. Everything starts with a dream. Do not limit yourself in your goals and dreams.

5. Read and listen to inspirational materials. You have to start spending time reading motivational books and listening to inspirational tapes. But, you must also implement what you learn from your reading and listening. New things you learn from these exercises will give you excitement and energy to work harder toward achieving your goals.

6. Resolve problems instead of running away. Your ride to success destination will not be smooth all the time. You will face difficulties. Do not quit when you experience predicaments in your quest to achieve your dreams. Frustrations and setbacks naturally form as parts of your success venture.

7. Appreciate every moment of your life. Think of what your life really is as of now. Appreciate every moment you have currently. Thinking about the past or day dreaming about the future will not bring you anywhere. Appreciating your current conditions makes you feel much better and realize the need to move forward to achieve your goals.

8. Finish what you start. Once you have started something, finish it. Never leave what you do halfway regardless of the end result. This will train you to accomplish something out of things that you do.

9. Face challenges one at a time. Challenges come to us almost all the time. Take up one challenge at a time. Do not try to accumulate and face them at one go. As the challenges accumulate, you will only feel less motivated to face them and finally unable to complete anything.

10. Care less about what people say. You may hear a lot of bad things people say about you. Sometimes those bad comments may come from somebody close to you. As long as you fully know what you are doing to achieve your goals, you can let those comments fall into deaf ears. Thinking too much about what people say will only make you weaker and loose focus on your effort.

Of course, this list does not just stop here. To instill and develop your self motivation, there are more ways you can do. But, if you can really comprehend and take the appropriate actions just based on these 10 things, you will definitely see the results.

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

Mumbai- India

www.synergymanager.net

SIX KEYS FOR CAREER GROWTH : FROM SALES FRONTLINER TO NATIONAL SALES MANAGER

SIX KEYS FOR CAREER GROWTH :

 FROM SALES FRONTLINER TO NATIONAL SALES  MANAGER

KEY ONE; BELEIVE IN YOURSELF

The Self Doubter: A sales rep that sees and believes everything they do is wrong.

These frontliner are extremely challenging to coach. If you provide direct feedback it may be met with “I already do that” or reasons why they don’t. The Self Doubter perceives any critiquing as weakness and personalizes it as confirmation that they are doing a horrible job!

The trick with this type of individual is to lead them through a process of self-discovery and improvement. By asking them a series of questions you can guide them through a process of self-awareness that will lead to an “ah ha” moment. This breakthrough may seem labour-intensive, but the payback is a stronger rep and increased performance.

KEY TWO: Proactively Manage your Boss

Your boss is no different than you. All bosses want to know two things: one, that you know what your issues are and, two, that you are doing something about them. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes. S/he has enough to worry about. If your boss is spending time wondering what you are doing about your issues than they are really questioning  whether  you  are  effectively doing your job.

Before your boss figures out your issues, communicate and demonstrate that you have a plan to proactively address them yourself. Remember, the best defence is an offence.

KEY THREE: Manage Your Own Motivation

Welcome  to  management.  As  a  rep  you  lived  in  a highly supportive environment. In management the environment is less supportive and filled with stress. It is incumbent on you to stay inspired so you can inspire your sales people. The word inspiration comes from the Latin word “spiarae” which means to breathe, to live. I have found that there are many ways to keep oneself motivated. You can read a leadership book or take a leadership course. Make sure you take care of yourself, take mental health days, exercise and eat well.

Regardless which options you choose, it is essential that you stay inspired because your people need your energy as a source of motivation.

KEY FOUR : LET YOUR ATTITUDE LEAD YOU

OK, you have two candidates that you really like. One knows the products, customers and the industry. The other candidate is passionate, driven and eager to prove them selves. The easy answer for a busy manager is to hire the sales rep that comes with all the experience. But have you  thought  about  what  else they bring  to  the table? Have you considered the infamous industry baggage?

The experienced rep may be easier on the manager for the first 6 months whereas the driven rep will have a slower start, but in 6 months he/she will likely have achieved better sales. Hire attitude over aptitude!

KEY FIVE : COMMIT AND SWEAR BY YOUR PERSONAL GOALS

To increase the chance that your sales frontliner will achieve a goal they have set for themselves it is critical to have them commit their plan to paper, write it down! When people put pen to paper it has two key benefits. Firstly, they have thought out what specific activities/steps they need to do to achieve their goal(s) and secondly the process of writing crystallizes in the brain what they intend  to  do.  This  speaks  to  commitment.  With  a written commitment the sales rep takes ownership of the outcome.

KEY SIX: SHARPEN YOU SELLING TECHNQIUES AFTER EVERY SALES CALL

Time and time again I have seen it. Sales frontliner going through  their  daily  activities  like  robots.  They  have little impact on each call, they just show up and expect the business. I call this “failure to impact syndrome.” It is contagious and can spread throughout an entire sales force. It works as long as the business grows. Everyone gets high fives and there is no need to dig any deeper.But what happens when sales are down and senior management starts  asking questions?  Sales  managers struggle to come up with the answers and frontliner get nervous.The cure: Get out in the field and inspire your frontliner to be innovative.SO IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS EVERY SALES MANAGER IS A SALES COACH