Colleen’s Blog

Have you noticed the number of personable business owners who can’t manage to get their sales results to a level that they are happy with? They understand their industry and are likable as well, yet their prospects always seem to brush them aside for their competitors. Does this sound familiar? Many salespeople today seem to believe that the influx of new communication technologies that have arrived over the past 5-10 years are insignificant and meaningless to their selling. Nothing could be further from the truth. Too many salespeople still rely on their smile, firm handshake or charm to get them more sales. Chances are, they aren’t happy with their results.

Are you looking to create a bigger impact on potential employers? Do you want to stand out as a candidate? I often provide sales tips and advice for salespeople who are already well-established in their roles or companies. However, the sales world is ever-changing, fluid, and subject to adaptations as time goes on. When you need a change and begin searching for new sales employment, it’s important to stand out as a candidate. After all, let’s be honest, salespeople these days are a dime-a-dozen. Sadly, most resumes are mechanical, robotic descriptions of previous employment and activities. To truly make a statement, you need to focus on results.

Have you ever put together a sales strategy which you believed to be near flawless, only to see it fail in the long run? In my 12 years of consulting, I have rarely (and I mean rarely!) come across a seriously flawed sales strategy. However, I have come across many (and I mean many!) sales strategies which ultimately fail. So, what’s the missing link? If most sales strategies are sound and concrete, why do so few of them make a lasting impact? The key is in the execution. That’s right, most sales strategies don’t fall apart because they are bad strategies, they fail when they are put into action and implemented! I once had a sales VP complain to me about her failed sales strategy. When I asked her about the implementation of this particular strategy, she admitted that she had never really looked into how it was actioned. In fact, she hadn’t even presented the strategy to the sales reps who were expected to create success with it...seriously! Here are a few steps to ensure that your sales strategy achieves success beyond it’s conception.

As you know, one of the best ways to learn is by making mistakes. Another (and much more preferable) way to learn is by learning from the mistakes of others. There are some great sales lessons to be learned in what NOT to do if you ever want to be a successful leader. I want to share with you an experience I had with a start up company a few years ago. Pay close attention to this leader’s mistakes, and make adjustments if you feel as though your approach is even remotely similar. At the time of our interaction, the company was less than six months old. They had hired a marketing rep who was then transferred to sales because the team leader felt she was good at building rapport. Another sales rep was hired shortly after, and at the time, no sales had been made. Here are a few of the expectations that the leader had set for the reps: