Comments on: Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet?

By: Sales Process 2010, Are You Positioned To Perform? | Partners in EXCELLENCE Blog -- Making A Difference

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:56:10 +0000

[...] It’s disappointing, but not surprising. My friend, Dave Stein wrote an interesting perspective, Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet? [...]

By: Dave Stein

Dave Stein — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:37:50 +0000

Thanks, Dan. Would you clarify which one is “poison?”

By: Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion

Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:56:07 +0000

Not bad for being on a plane Dave …..But seriously, your words are spot on. There are definitive reasons why some businesses still excelled last year despite the odds…..Good stuff Dave.

By: Dan McDade

Dan McDade — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:51:22 +0000

Sales reps are driven by control, credit and compensation. About 20% of the individual sales reps on most sales forces are real hunters. Of these, one is poison and has spoiled the water for real change. Here are two things to do that could help this quarter: Stack rank the sales force on the basis of REAL PERFORMANCE (not supposed pipeline) achieved in 2009. Move the bottom 20% up or out. This one action will increase performance from bottom to top. I know, you think you are already doing this – do me a favor and check again. Next, take the middle (60%) and micro-manage their pipeline. Let them know that your evaluation of them will be based on movement toward closure on currently documented pipeline – not new pipeline that “looks good” after a disappointing quarter. In most complex selling situation there will be no more than 20 – 30 accounts per rep to review. This is not a Monday morning group hug activity. This is a “what are you going to sell this sales cycle and you are going to get shot if you under OR over exceed the number by a substantial margin (take sand bagging out of the equation because it kills your company.

Thanks for your thoughts and I hope this helps someone.