Sales-Management-Advise

[pmbguy]

Sales-Management-Advise

Before we get going, it would be unbecoming of me not to let you good gentlemen know a bit about what is going on in my life. My business has not been doing so well for the last few years and as such I have accepted a position in a large corporate. I am blessed with this opportunity (In 5/6 years I will, in one way or another, get back to business...).

May I humbly ask those in the know to advice me accordingly.

I appreciate your response in advance

[DanE]

Hi pmbguy,

Sorry to hear about the business but happy to hear you have made a plan.
What sort of advice are you looking for? Sales Management is wide...


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[pmbguy]

Hi Dan

It is a sales manager position in the office automation industry, starting tomorrow. I have read all the usual stuff on the internet regarding sales management and I am just looking for some extra advice, interesting and different ways to motivate sales staff, ways to get leads etc. Or just really anything that you think may be helpful.

[Dave A]

Best crash course training on sales management I've attended is by Richard Mulvey.

[Justloadit]

Some years back, I had the prospect of being bought over by a holding company, and one of the duties I would be entrusted to was to manage a technical team.

I was crapping in my pants, as I would now have Doctors and PHDs and scientist reporting to me and in no way was I part of that league. Anyway that deal fell through so I was not able to apply a plan that I had worked out.

What I had had decided was to have a one on one meeting with each individual member of the team, getting some background on them and would try and get what made them tick. This information would then be applied when a motivational session would be required in the future. The next question would be for them to tell me what they thought was wrong in the organization, and followed by what they would to to correct these problems.

Once I had interviewed each member and digested all the information acquired, I would then implement a plan using all the information based on what my mandate from upper management.

It is interesting to realise that in many cases, the interenal staff have the answers to actually resolve many of the issues that companies are experiencing.

[pmbguy]

Thanks guys

I am happy to report that my first day went well, now I have to spend the next few hours learning product specs etc.

Justloadit - I am with you 100%... What makes them tick?

Dave - thanks for the link. After my training I am definitely going to go on as many of these type courses as possible.

[IanF]

Hi Dan

It is a sales manager position in the office automation industry, starting tomorrow. I have read all the usual stuff on the internet regarding sales management and I am just looking for some extra advice, interesting and different ways to motivate sales staff, ways to get leads etc. Or just really anything that you think may be helpful.

What is the most productive feature of your machines scanning to replace filing? Printing 2 documents per page?
Make a list of the top issues to the customers and get your team to use that as a carrot, not costs.

[Mike C]

Working in an hierarchical structure can be complicated at times. You have received good advice for your management of others. Some advice that was given to me when I moved into such a structure was "don't try and second-guess your boss".

Sometimes it is very difficult - especially when you think that his/her request is frivoulous or a waste of time - but I think that it was sound advice. When you have been running your own show for a number of years it involves quite a mind-shift to accept orders and carry them on down the line.