Search

West Caldwell NJ CA (SPX) Jan 18, 2022 When you are trying to sell solar solutions to people and to businesses, it is vital that you know exactly how best [...]

How do you put together a winning team? The question is asked in all facets of life--sports, business, education, government, even in marriage and families. Leaders are asked to raise [...]

Tom Hopkins is having another unbelievable day. Just ask him. 'I tell people in sales that you can be having the worst day of your life, but no one has [...]

'What gets measured, gets done--what gets measured and rewarded gets done even better.' This is the consistent mantra underpinning all variable reward programs, with sales commissions being perhaps the most [...]

As matches go, this one was near perfect: a chance meeting of a freelance writer always on the lookout a commission-only salesman constantly looking for a lead. We met over [...]

'You can tell a lot about what you're up against in a sales pitch by the way they serve you coffee,' John Deal mumbles to me, as the others in [...]

This study examines the influence of sales management control (outcome based, behavior based, and knowledge based) on the innovativeness of sales departments. Using data from Japanese sales departments, the results indicate that sales departments tend to be innovative when salespeople are evaluated based on their behavior and knowledge rather than on outcome. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. 10.2753/PSS0885-3134290402

Ever see that old musical comedy, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying? The lyrics to the opening song include this verse: 'How to ... select whom to lunch [...]

Attitude and actions go a long way in today's selling environment. That's what the pros will tell you. Salespeople who aren't constantly honing their knowledge and skills risk becoming relics. [...]

Byline: Jamie LaReau The year is 2030, and the 10,000-square-foot showrooms of the past are relics. So are many of the staffers who once worked in those showrooms. Those who [...]

The noncommittal committal 'We'll think it over and get back to you'--is a sales rep's equivalent of the spinning circle of death for Windows users. Something good could happen, but [...]

Getting a prospective customer to agree to an initial meeting is a battle in and of itself. What happens going forward depends in large part on that first meeting. Meetings [...]

Zak Slayback, a millennial entrepreneur and communicator who focuses on issues of education, innovation and social change, says phone calls in business are used too willy-nilly (our term, not his), [...]

I've been pondering an email I recently received. In it, the young salesperson described his most pressing challenge: The sales roller coaster. When things go well, he's up, emotionally, and […]

One of the most intriguing issues that surfaces when working in organizations is the lack of effort to align sales and marketing. There are numerous companies that have sales and […]

The vast majority of sales teams today work without a plan. In a basically hit-or-miss environment, it's amazing when they actually land sales contracts. Even when a sales force is […]

Far and away the most commonly-asked question from those considering a franchise is 'How much money can I make?' Historically, only a minority of franchise companies provided any information in [...]

The last major study of sales performance variance explained by salespeople attributes was by Churchill et al. (1985). They examined the effect of role, skills, motivation, personal factors, aptitude, and organizational/environmental factors on sales performance--factors that have dominated the sales performance area. About the same time, Weitz, Sujan, and Sujan (1986) introduced the concepts of salespeople's knowledge structures. Considerable work on the relationship of the dements of knowledge structures and performance can be found in the literature. In this research note, we determine the degree to which sales performance can be explained by knowledge structure variables, a heretofore unexplored area. If knowledge structure variables explain more variance than traditional variables, then this paper would be a call to further research in this area. In examining this research question in a retail context, we find that knowledge structure variables explain 50.2 percent of the variance in sales performance. We also find that variance explained by knowledge structures is significantly different based on gender. The impact of knowledge structures on performance was higher for men than for women. The models using education demonstrated smaller differences.

Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. Actually, the first automobile was designed in 1769 and was powered by steam. The first gasoline-powered car was built about 18 years before […]

Different steps to engage the Sales organization in the forecasting process are outlined. For the salespeople to fully understand the value of forecasts, there should be a strong relationship between the forecaster and the Sales organization.

As we celebrate the silver anniversary of this journal, it is time to assess the development of sales as a profession. This paper uses the sociology of work literature to develop six criteria society uses in making the attribution of a work group as a profession. Sales is then examined on each of those six dimensions. It is concluded that our discipline meets or exceeds four of the requirements, has mixed results on one construct, and falls short on another criterion. Progress will require the development and enforcement of an ethical code. A strong professional association for all salespeople across all industries could also be very useful in this regard. Future use of technology by salespeople will also impact client views of sales as a profession., As we prepare to celebrate the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, it is appropriate to assess the state of our discipline. [...]

Confidence is everything when it comes to selling yourself. Knowing who you are and how you can add value is invaluable in any workplace. And it doesn't mean you are [...]

Sales rep attrition remains a vexing issue for organizations--with companies losing about one out of every three reps each year, according to The Bridge Group. Nearly half of that turnover [...]

At Allocadia, we're keen on asking the following question: Where will you focus your time in 2018--running marketing, or doing marketing? That's a question all enterprise marketing leaders must ask [...]

Planning the beginning-of-the-year sales kickoff is no small task. In addition to the basic logistics of selecting a destination, blocking rooms and finding meeting space, there's an unspoken pressure to [...]

Ann was not happy as she left the meeting with a long-term customer, or should I say, former customer. 'Ann, we have done business together for a long time,' her [...]

'Challenge your prospects and customers' has become a selling mantra in recent years, as companies look to use edgy messaging to create the urgency to change and differentiate their solutions. [...]

Most sales start with getting past a gatekeeper, whether it's a secretary or an employee whose job it is to screen or block the decision-makers from solicitations. Getting past a [...]

Q Our new client sends out briefs on a Post-it note. I know some of the best briefs can be written on just one page. But this is a Post-it [...]

Byline: Laurence Iliff When customers come in to shop at Lexus of Omaha, one of the test labs for a new sales process called Lexus Plus, salesman Jeff Bahnsen starts [...]

A high school math teacher who fielded numerous challenges from students who wanted to take a roundabout way to solving an algebra problem was quick to quip, 'Sure, you can [...]

Increasing sales productivity and driving predictable revenue is the Holy Grail for sales managers. Striving to achieve the reality has fueled the careers of sales leaders for decades, and it's [...]

'Ask questions and listen; after all, you have two ears and one mouth--use them in proportion' Selling maxims like this are coming under serious scrutiny, and to understand why, look [...]

The scripted sales presentation is as old as sales itself, but great customer interaction transcends the transactional, the scripted, the rote, says Micah Solomon, a customer experience consultant and regular [...]

Self-selected goals Even with data that shows the power of self-selected goals, sales leaders are still reluctant to turn control over to their reps in this area. In the long-term, [...]

One thing is certain in the new year, customers will continue to go online to avoid anyone with sales in their job title. A recent study by Forrester Research states [...]

The need for developing useful and meaningful typologies of sales positions has been regularly underscored in the sales force management literature. Although a number of classificational schemata have been proposed, very few of them have actually been used for research purposes or for establishing managerial practices. This paper analyzes some of the reasons for this relative lack of usage and advocates a classification scheme based on a conceptual definition of a sales position. Such a typology is proposed, empirically validated, and its practical implications are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

This article seeks to explain how - when defined and applied correctly - sales and credit quality go hand-in-hand. In addition to providing the rationale for better alignment of credit and sales, this article outlines 10 specific ways in which credit management can contribute to sales effectiveness wile maintaining sound credit decisions. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.), This article seeks to explain how - when defined and applied correctly sales and credit quality go hand-in-hand. In addition to providing the rationale for better alignment of credit and [...]

Members of the Manufacturers' Agents National Assn. share their experiences in 1995. There was a general consensus that 1995 was a good year for these sales agents. Their interpretation of a good year for their companies ranged from increased volume, introduction of new products, ability to adapt to changing business trends and other economic factors.

As soon as she feels you are trying to pin her down and lead her to your conclusion, however, the trust alarm goes off and you will likely get resistance [...]

Many companies are starting to question the motives behind the creation of an elite salesforce, which is part of the company's marketing resources. Before making substantial changes in a company's sales compensation plan, managers must first determine whether its salesforce will play an essential role in the company in the coming years. A 5-step method is presented that discusses the strategies involved in developing a compensation plan., No one's denying that salespeople need a motivating pay plan. But if your company's mastery of the total sales, service and delivery process has become more crucial of late, it's [...]

The IBM concern, WI, which is primarily a sales organization, started to use the procedure given in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria to improve its quality performance. Sales was targeted as an area which would help improve the image of the concern, and great efforts were made to enhance sales through increased marketing and establishing technical consulting services. A study of the program made by this company indicated that great attention must be paid to the sales department if quality needs to be improved.