Sales Management For Dummies

Sales Management For Dummies

Released October 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119094227

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Book description

Guide your sales force to its fullest potential

With a proven sales management and execution process, Sales Management For Dummies aids organizations and individuals in reaching the highest levels of success. Although selling products or services is a central part of any sales job, there's much more to it. With this fun and accessible guide, you'll go beyond the basics of sales to learn how to anticipate clients' needs, develop psychologist-like insight, and so much more.

Because few people go to school to earn degrees in selling, sales talent is developed in the field. Unfortunately, most training efforts fail to reach their objectives, in large part because of the absence of any kind of reinforcement or coaching. This book is your one-stop guide to managing an existing or start-up sales force to succeed in every area of sales—from prospecting to closing.

  • Shows you how to reach your fullest potential in sales

  • Helps you effectively inspire great performance form any sales force

  • Demonstrates how to prospect, recruit, and increase your organization's income and success

  • Teaches you how to manage sales teams to greatness

    • If you're one of the millions of salespeople or sales managers worldwide looking for a fast, easy, and effective way to get the most out of your sales force, the tried-and-true guidance presented inside sets you up for success.

    Table of contents

      1. Cover
      2. Introduction
        1. About This Book
        2. Foolish Assumptions
        3. Icons Used in This Book
        4. Beyond the Book
        5. Where to Go from Here
      3. Part I: Welcome to the World of Sales Management
        1. Chapter 1: You’re a Sales Manager — Now What?
          1. Understanding Your Role as a Sales Manager
          2. Transitioning from Salesperson to Sales Manager
          3. Assessing Your Current Team
          4. Establishing Your Management Style
        2. Chapter 2: So You Got the Job, Now What Do You Do?
          1. Understanding Your Role as Sales Manager
          2. Establishing Your Own Management Style
          3. Displaying the Characteristics of a Successful Leader
        3. Chapter 3: Establishing Good Working Relationships across Departments
          1. Communicating Effectively as a Sales Manager
          2. Listening Carefully and Asking Questions
          3. Navigating Personalities at Work
          4. Writing like a Manager
          5. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Email
      4. Part II: Building the Team
        1. Chapter 4: Who’s On First: Building Your Best Team
          1. Evaluating Your Current Sales Team
          2. Key Elements of a Successful Salesperson
        2. Chapter 5: Adding New Players to the Team
          1. Recruiting New Sales Talent
          2. Interviewing Candidates
          3. Avoiding the So-Called Professional Interviewees
          4. Knowing When to Make the Offer
        3. Chapter 6: Hiring and Onboarding New Staff
          1. Hiring Your Next Superstar
          2. Onboarding: An Annoying Word But an Important Process
          3. Designing a Winning Onboarding Packet
        4. Chapter 7: Defining Your Sales Process and Training Your Team
          1. Mapping the Path from Prospect to Customer: Defining Your Sales Process
          2. Training Your Team on Planning and Prospecting
          3. Presentation Is Everything
          4. Teaching “Asking for the Sale”
          5. Training Your Team in Finalizing the Sale
          6. Training Your Team to Request Referrals
          7. Knowing the Product
          8. Making the Most of Sales Technology
      5. Part III: Training and Development
        1. Chapter 8: Defining Your Expectations
          1. Defining Your Expectations in Writing
          2. Setting Up the Guardrails: Providing Regular Guidance
          3. Developing an Incentive Program that Works
        2. Chapter 9: Ongoing Training and Helping Your Salespeople Grow
          1. Recognizing the Value of Ongoing Training
          2. Keeping the Fire Burning: Providing Ongoing Training and Development
          3. Spring Training: Planning an Annual Professional Development Event
          4. Bringing in an Outside Trainer
          5. When Less Is Actually More: Avoiding Burnout among Team Members
        3. Chapter 10: Creating and Running an Effective Sales Meeting
          1. Developing a Sales Meeting Calendar
          2. Conducting a Sales Meeting
          3. Avoiding the Pitfalls: What Not to Do
          4. Leave ’Em Wanting More
      6. Part IV: Sales Meetings and Key Performance Indicators
        1. Chapter 11: Measuring What Matters: Key Performance Indicators
          1. The Big Three KPIs
          2. Looking at other Measurable Matrices
          3. Using CRM Software
          4. Looking at the Ultimate Performance Indicator
        2. Chapter 12: Assessing Performance: Keeping Score and Celebrating Wins
          1. Talking about the Money: Sales Forecasts, Budgets, and Goals
          2. Avoiding Complacency: Competition Is Good!
          3. Delivering Effective Praise
        3. Chapter 13: Addressing Poor Performance: Counseling and Critiquing Effectively
          1. Identifying the Cause of Poor Performance
          2. Giving Regular Performance Reviews
          3. Putting It in Writing: When to Issue a Written Warning
      7. Part V: Now You’re Managing
        1. Chapter 14: Inspiring Your Superstars: Managing Your Best People
          1. Managing from the Top Down
          2. Not Treating Everyone the Same But Not Treating Anyone Differently
          3. Creating a Winning Environment
          4. Remembering that Everyone Needs Attention
        2. Chapter 15: Making Cuts: When It’s Time to Let Someone Go
          1. Making the Decision to Fire Someone
          2. Choosing Your Moment Carefully
          3. Keeping It Professional
        3. Chapter 16: Managing for the Future: Developing Careers of Future Leaders
          1. Managing Future Leaders
          2. Identifying the Three Types of People in Every Organization
          3. Building Yourself Out of a Job: Grooming Your Replacement
          4. Selecting Your Replacement
      8. Part VI: The Part of Tens
        1. Chapter 17: Ten Traits of a Successful Sales Manager
          1. Having the Heart of a Teacher
          2. Having the Curiosity of a Student
          3. Exhibiting Fairness
          4. Understanding Empathy
          5. Being a Good Listener
          6. Remaining Humble
          7. Living with Integrity
          8. Being Accessible
          9. Possessing a Positive Attitude
          10. Embracing Change
        2. Chapter 18: Ten Things that Destroy Your Credibility
          1. Being Dishonest
          2. Acting Like a Know-It-All
          3. Showing Favoritism
          4. Failing to Follow Through
          5. Placing Blame
          6. Taking Too Much Credit
          7. Procrastinating
          8. Changing Commissions Unjustly
          9. Sharing Privileged Information
          10. Showing a Lack of Concern
        3. Chapter 19: Ten Signs of a Struggling Salesperson
          1. Failing to Make Required Calls
          2. Frequent Tardiness
          3. Placing Blame
          4. Disappearing during Work Hours
          5. Lack of Participation
          6. Falling Customer Satisfaction
          7. Deteriorating Physical Appearance
          8. Increasingly Negative Attitude
          9. Noticeable Lack of Motivation
          10. Taking an Abnormal Amount of Time Off
        4. Chapter 20: Top Ten Apps for a Busy Manager
          1. Evernote
          2. Any.do
          3. Audible
          4. Downcast
          5. E-Readers
          6. Pocket
          7. Customer Relationship Manager Apps
          8. Scanner Pro
          9. Calendars 5
          10. WAZE
      9. About the Author
      10. Cheat Sheet
      11. Advertisement Page
      12. Connect with Dummies
      13. End User License Agreement

    Product information

    • Title: Sales Management For Dummies
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: October 2015
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9781119094227