5
Big Management Mistakes
That Drain Your Sales Results
All business owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs want bigger
sales and profits. They say it’s the most important
thing for their future. But very few small to medium-sized companies actually
break through to grow substantially bigger results.
Nearly all of these companies tend to go one of two
directions:
1. They stay small to medium-sized
2. They go out of business There’s a clear, proven way to solve this that we’ll get
to. But first, let’s identify the biggest roadblocks to
achieving your sales and profits goals.
What are the 5 biggest mistakes that reduce your sales
success?
 1. Lack of a Compelling Vision This is NOT a mission or values statement that gets
stuck on your lobby wall. It is far more active than
that.
You want to identify what is your company’s primary aim
that is compelling? What is irresistibly magnetic about
working in or with your company?
Build your vision around something that’s meaningful and
powerful to your customers, your employees and your
investors. Throw your vision out there into the future
and describe what you’re working to accomplish. Get
employees excited about how their work and talents will
be contributing to this new view of the world in the
future. Provide this “painted picture” to everyone.
Communicate it on a regular and ongoing basis. Enlist
people in your company to be a part of making your
compelling vision become a reality. You really can’t
communicate it too often. Most owners and entrepreneurs
simply don’t create this and don’t spend enough time and
energy in the vision area.
2. Missing Key People in Key Spots Key people in the key spots drive your business. Lack of
key people cost you. No matter what size company you
have, everyone has a real or implied “org chart” that
shows roles, responsibilities, direct reporting and the
work that must be done for the company to conduct
business.
In the big picture and keeping it simple, there are 2
main sides. The first side of the house is Sales that
brings in the business. They are the “promise makers.”
The other main side of the house is Operations that
deliver on the promises made by Sales. They are the
“promise keepers.”
Of course there are many important positions. However, I
believe that the most critically important position in
any company is the person running the sales
organization… the Sales Manager or Sales Leader. Whoever
runs the sales organization is responsible for
increasing the sales for the entire company… ensuring
future work and greater opportunity for all in the
company. However, most small to medium-sized companies
fail to put the right key person in this key spot.
 3. Committing one or more of the 3 Sins of Sales
Management
Most small to medium sized companies are committing one
or more of the 3 Sins of Sales Management.
- The owner/CEO/entrepreneur is also the Sales Manager
- They make the best sales person on the sales team the
Sales Manager
- They make the best sales person on the sales team the
Sales Manager PLUS continue selling
Being an owner/CEO is demanding, full time work. Being a
growth-minded sales manager also is demanding, full time
work. So remember this: if you are committing any of the
3 Sins, at best you have relegated the building of your
company to a part-time effort. If you really want breakthrough growth in sales and
profits, get clear about the sales manager’s #1 job.
The key to growing any company is growing your sales
force in quality and quantity. This is the Sales
Manager’s #1 job! Why would you want this most important
job done part-time?
- Your ultimate business leverage comes from growing
your sales force in quality and quantity
- Robust sales growth is driven directly from the sales
leader position.
 4. No sales leverage working to your advantage
Many owners and sales managers suffer from being the
Lone Ranger syndrome. When the pressure’s on, they end
up going it alone and “handle it all themselves.” They
rely on their own wits, determination and drive to get
things done.
What you don't know about developing a sales team is
costing you big time. Put strategies in place that have
worked for others. Don’t be the Lone Ranger. Learn to
leverage off of other’s success! If you want to excel as a sales leader capable of
building and leading an energized, skilled and highly
productive sales team, then implement what a sales
master has done before you. Learn to do what Jack Daly
has done and have the guts, drive and accountability to
do it. You can become a master, too.
I've learned an incredible amount from Jack Daly over
the last 9 years as a sales coach to clients and as his
partner in Jack’s web-based training programs. He is
truly masterful at knowing exactly what it takes to
drive enormous sales increases through his sales
building formulas.
Leverage everything you can:
- Systems that are proven for repeatable success
- Processes that replicate best practices and build
consistency
- Time-efficient organization that accomplish more in
less time
- Perseverance to avoid getting discouraged and stay on
track with coaching
 5. Not having a Sales
Growth Plan with Sales Systems to help you
accomplish the plan You need a clearly defined sales development game plan
customized for your situation and sales team. Get a customized sales team game plan designed with you
to grow the quality and quantity of your sales team.
-
Compelling vision
-
Key people in key spots
- Winning culture
- Goals achievement
- Pipeline mgmt
- Key activities
- Minimum standards
- Productive sales meetings
- Sales success tools
- Skills training for growth
The purpose of everything is to put great ideas into
action. |
