Category Archives: Feature

Which Sales Management Style is Yours?

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Five Sales Managers’ Styles

I’ve trained B2B sales forces for 30 years. In that time, I’ve had ample opportunity to interact with literally thousands of sales managers. The position is often the least well-organized in the entire sales department. Job descriptions are sketchy if they even exist. Expectations for the position range from non-existent to fuzzy and general (“make sales go up”). Very few have ever been trained in the best practices of their position. They are, for the most part, left on their own to define the job as they see fit.

This leads to a wide variety of … Read the rest

As Leaders, We Need Believers, Not Buy‑Ins on Our Team

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Today I want to focus on the difference between having believers on your team (not just buy-in from staff) to succeed.

In a recent prep call with a client for an upcoming keynote, we were discussing the need for belief over buy-in as a leader. I’ve written at length about this in my latest book, Serve Up Coach Down. During chit-chat, this leader identified the need for employees and leaders in the middle (LIMs) to believe in tasks that they perform on a daily basis. Why? He needed them to have a true desire to serve the organization’s customers … Read the rest

Prospecting Is a Mental Game, an Activity Game, and an Outcome Game

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Prospecting is a game that too many salespeople have already lost because they’re mentally unprepared.

A Mental Game

I want you to be successful at prospecting, and I’m going to tell you 10 things to get your head in the game.

1. Prep the day before.

You can’t go into anything mentally prepared if you have no idea what you’re getting into.

Who are the contacts I’m going to be calling?
What are my expectations?

If you wait till that morning, you’re going to waste so much valuable time just getting ready.

2. Set the expectations.

It’s not your job … Read the rest

Your First Conversation With a Prospect

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I was recently in a sales meeting for a company that I just started working with. One of the subjects that came up was how to handle the first interaction with the prospect.

By first interaction, I’m referring to the first conversation with someone who seems to have some interest and has decided to at least give you a few minutes of their time. In sales meetings, I’ll usually ask if someone has an example of what they do in that situation and if they could share it with the group. In this case, Wayne volunteered. He’s a veteran at … Read the rest

Increase Sales by Classifying Customers

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The primary goal of any sales organization is to continually increase sales. Every customer, no matter how large or small, is important and must be properly serviced, but not all customers are equal. How do you use your sales time most efficiently? One way is by classifying customers.

In most cases, 80 percent of your sales are generated from 20 percent of your customers. To properly classify customers, the sales potential for every customer must be evaluated. Customer classification should be done every year because a customer’s volume and their potential to grow is not constant. Customers can move from … Read the rest

Overcoming Sales Objections

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Most sales pros don’t like dealing with objections, and there are several reasons why.

Some objections come across like rejections, and that simply doesn’t feel good. Most of us fear rejection at some level. Other objections could signal that we’ll lose the deal, and we only get paid if we close deals. Still other objections are tricky — they’re just plain difficult to respond to in a calm, convincing way.

Whatever your reason for disliking objections, the first step in overcoming them is to not fear them or dread them. Objections are not necessarily bad things. They are a normal … Read the rest

Retired Rep Spreads the Word

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While Bob Gillen claims that he retired in 2008, that really doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, the former independent manufacturers’ rep explains that today he intends to devote efforts to spreading the word about who and what a rep is.

In a recent conversation with Agency Sales, Gillen, who for years ran the single-person Gillen Associates in Raleigh, North Carolina, explains, “Now I’d like to do something different. I’d like to conduct seminars in a free venue focused on the career of being a manufacturers’ rep. I’m thinking of something like two-year community colleges, public libraries, churches, … Read the rest

The Single‑Person Agency and “Ghosting”

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Several reps who participated in a MANAchat devoted to the single-person agency reported that they were being faced with “ghosting” by prospective and existing principals. For the uninitiated, ghosting is a colloquial term that refers to abruptly cutting off contact with someone without giving that person any warning or explanation for doing so.

Here’s how one of those reps faced with that experience explained his dilemma: “I’ve had four or five experiences recently where I’m interviewing with a principal. We go over each other’s wants and needs, and I get excited about the prospect of working with them. They promise … Read the rest

The “Timing” Excuse That Kills Sales and Business

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Monday, January 2, 2023, was the perfect day to make some sales calls.

Because January 1st was on a Sunday, most businesses were closed to give employees an “official” day off from work. The closed companies included most of the ones I do sales training for. That made Monday, January 2nd the perfect day to test the sales reps I train, in particular, the ones I had coaching calls with that day.

I have different ways to test sales reps to see which ones are committed and have their head in the game and which ones don’t. One way I … Read the rest

Stop Telling and Start Asking Clients What They Need

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I want to address something I frequently observe when I give sales workshops or sales-related keynotes. Too often sales professionals focus on telling clients about their products/services instead of putting the effort in to find out their actual needs and then working to meet them. These days especially, we’ve got to go the extra mile to maintain and attract our clientele. There is no room for inefficiencies, so let’s chat about the right sales strategies to employ, shall we?

Here’s Why Your Sales Strategy of Solely Telling Clients About Your Offerings Is Ineffective

Recently, I had the honor of being … Read the rest

How Top Salespeople Win the Day

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Top performers just do things differently. They have a very succinct strategy because the only day we can truly impact is today. Yesterday has passed, and tomorrow is yet to come. Today is for making a difference.

1. Attitude

Top performers don’t moan and groan when Monday rolls around. They’re excited, and seek to make Mondays absolutely successful.

Monday is without a doubt, the best day of the week because it sets the tone for the week. Top performers have an attitude of success and expectation of being able to influence and impact other people.

2. Routine

Have a routine … Read the rest

Goals: Tracking Commission Progress

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I have delivered three goal-setting workshops for sales teams this week alone.

I talk a lot about goals this time of year because goal-setting is essential for sales success. But there’s one thing you must do after setting your annual goals to make success possible: tracking.

Even if you’re thoughtful and deliberate when setting your goals, if you’re like most sales professionals, you don’t accomplish all of them. There are a number of reasons why you might fall short, but one of the most common ones I see is a lack of goal tracking.

Tracking is the magic ingredient that … Read the rest

Building Positive Relationships With Rep Principals

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Part II: Building for the Long Term

An independent manufacturers’ representative must maintain strong relationships with the principals they represent to be successful and profitable. Part one covered the first four tactics a rep should always remember: Agree on a fair contract, maintain regular communication, the rep‑principal relationship, and treat the customer service group as a customer. This article will cover the remaining four.

Follow Company Procedures

This concept can present a challenge for a rep, particularly if some company procedures are out of line with the procedures and principles of the rep’s organization. Following company procedures is part of … Read the rest

Do Your People Know Your Company?

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Can they present and sell the company?

For most of you reading this, your firm has four to 10 outside salespeople. At one time or another, each of these salespeople must present your rep firm. How well do they do this?

My experience is that most salespeople would get a “C” grade or worse. Most salespeople regardless of industry are neither trained nor capable of making a high-quality presentation of their rep firm.

Why is this important? First of all, the salespeople are the product that the manufacturer is buying. In the rep business, the only product is the sales … Read the rest

Are You a Victim of Infobesity?

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In truth, we all are at times. As the name implies, infobesity is being unable to make decisions because you have too much information to consider. This challenge is nothing new. Social scientists were talking about information overload 50 years ago. Because of the “marvels” of digital technology, we now have it on steroids. Infobesity is the snazzy new term for it.

As you, every time I search for information on the Internet, Google takes .6 seconds to provide me with 4 billion possible links. This is part of the reason that 90 percent of people never look past the … Read the rest

Aquest “Waits” for No One

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Talk to Phil Roland, who opened the doors to his rep firm a good 36 years ago, and before you know it, you’ve received a healthy dose of enthusiasm, confidence, and an appreciation for the necessity to embrace change. In effect, perhaps his agency’s company philosophy is best incorporated in the following: “‘Wait’ is a four-letter word we do not tolerate; we constantly push ourselves, our principals, and our customers. We are not for everyone — we are an ‘acquired taste.’”

Roland founded Aquest in 1986 as a natural outgrowth of his always wanting to work for himself. “Following an … Read the rest

ALOTO Members Share Experiences

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When members of “A League of Their Own” (ALOTO), MANA’s Special Interest Group for women manufacturers’ representatives, virtually got together late last year, several of their shared areas of concern clearly mirrored those that are heard from the association’s general population. Interestingly, in response to the question, “Is there anything different about being a female vs. a male manufacturers’ rep?” one of the most common observations made by members of the group was, “I don’t notice any difference in being a female agency owner. There are no situations where we are treated any differently, and I have no problems getting … Read the rest

Building Positive Relationships With Rep Principals

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Part I: Tactics to Bring You Closer

An independent manufacturers’ representative must maintain strong relationships with the principals they represent to be successful and profitable. This relationship is critically important with primary principals whose product sales represent a large share of a rep’s business, yet it is also important to build relationships with those secondary, smaller manufacturers, whose products are complementary to the primary principals.

A strategy for building these principal relationships needs to be developed and maintained.

To be smart, any independent manufacturers’ representative should always remember the following tactics:

  • Agree on a fair contract.
  • Maintain regular communication.
  • Rep-principal
… Read the rest

How to Become a Top-Performing Salesperson

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Anybody can become a top-performing salesperson.

It’s not what you sell. It’s the why and the how you sell that makes it happen.

First, why do you sell? Because you’re helping customers achieve things that they didn’t think were possible. Next, your how is the process that you use. Let’s dive in on both.

1. Mindset

This is why I wrote the book, A Mind for Sales, because it’s all focused around your mindset in terms of being able to achieve because you know you can.

If you doubt yourself going into a transaction, your customers will doubt you … Read the rest

Keys to Cultivating Meaningful Friendships

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Humans are social creatures. We crave companionship and belonging. Friendship is part of the human experience and can be one of the most rewarding aspects of life.

Have you ever thought about the best strategy for cultivating meaningful friendships? I have spent the majority of my career learning about people. This study has primarily focused on understanding what motivates people and how we most effectively connect. It occurred to me that there should be a set of guidelines for establishing and maintaining meaningful friendships. My hope is that this list helps you build deeper and more meaningful friendships or at … Read the rest

How to Massively Increase Your Business

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There’s an idea I share during my speeches that massively increases the business of everyone who follows it. It is not for the faint of heart and it takes some work, but it will significantly grow your business if you’re willing to do it.

Many of you are going to groan, wince, swear, or do all three when you hear this. Few people will be willing to do it. Please don’t be fooled by its simplicity: after all, most problems have simple solutions, we as humans just like to complicate them so we have an excuse for a lack of … Read the rest

Prospecting Is the Lifeblood of Sales

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Prospecting is the lifeblood of sales and is generally the most important thing a sales professional does. Success or failure in sales can usually be traced — one way or another — back to prospecting.

Given how important prospecting is to sales success, I tend to worry about sales pros this time of year. Why? Because they get too busy to prospect, or at least they think they’re too busy to prospect. When you’re super busy, it’s easy to put off prospecting. If you do that, you’ll pay the price a couple of months later.

Top producers consider prospecting to … Read the rest

This Is the Worst Sales Mistake Ever

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I love watching sports — my oh my, do I love it; there’s rarely a dull moment on TV. I was recently watching an international track and field meet where countries from all around the world compete. I got particularly drawn into the sprint relay. While watching it, I noticed the firm parallel between dropping the baton and making the worst sales mistake ever.

Allow me to explain.

The Mantra for the Worst Sales Mistake

Picture this, you’re racing down the track, baton in hand, your team member’s arms are outstretched waiting; the crowd is screaming your name. Then it … Read the rest

Rep Gains Freedom He Sought

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When he opened his agency doors 20 years ago, Steve VanDenBerg was hardly a stranger to the world of reps. As he recalls, “For several years, I was involved in inside sales for electronic distribution. I regularly met with reps and knew several older people who were reps. What was intriguing about what they did for a living was the fact they could go out there with complete freedom and do something they were interested in. I found that the reps I dealt with were free spirits who built their own customer base.”

Following that initial attraction, today VanDenBerg finds … Read the rest

MANAcast Examines Line Card Profitability

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At the outset of his presentation during a MANAcast devoted to the subject of Line Card Profitability Analysis, MANA President/CEO Charley Cohon used the analogy of Olympic rowers to make a point.

According to Cohon, “Manufacturers’ representative firms have a lot in common with Olympic rowers. Just to qualify to compete we have to be fast, agile and impressive performers.

“But when it comes to line card profitability analysis, some of us forget what Olympic rowers know: To be winners, you have to take the boat out of the water regularly to clean and wax the bottom. And before the … Read the rest

Build a “Fortress Rep Firm”

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There are so many things that can cause trouble for a rep firm — there is no way to list all of them or to be smart enough to provide solutions. This article points out a few major threats and suggests solutions.

The Goal — Build a Fortress Rep Firm

From the answering of the phone at a rep firm to the communications with each principal, every single person working for the rep firm must be a part of the fortress.

Nothing is more important than making sure everyone — receptionist, janitor, lowest person on the customer service team — … Read the rest

The Talk — Part 3

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This talk will be a little different than the talk about the birds and the bees. This talk is for young adults entering the world on their own. It might also be a good reset for adults struggling to find their place in the world. I have often reflected on my life in an effort to better understand how I arrived at my current station.

Financial Intelligence

There is no secret to becoming wealthy and there is no magic to it either. However, there is a trillion-dollar industry focused on convincing us otherwise. The financial industry wants your money to … Read the rest

Competing With Other Suppliers Who Have a Lower Price

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Question: How do you make inroads with a prospect who is happy with another supplier who is providing a similar product at a lower price? The product is of lower quality but is perceived as the same.

Answer: Sounds like a tough nut to crack. Let’s think about this together. The first question I have is this: Is the potential of the account worth the large expenditure of time and effort that it will probably take to make progress in it?

Some accounts just aren’t worth it. It’s okay to make a cold-blooded business decision not to pursue some accounts … Read the rest

How to Keep Your Sales Simple

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This is not the time of year to boil the ocean.

Really, there’s no time of the year to boil the ocean. It’s time to keep your activities and processes simple. So what works best if simplicity is the name of the game? Check out these eight strategies.

1. Sell Urgency

Urgency works. Your customers have situations and things they need to accomplish this year. Make it easy for them to do business with you.

They may have money that they need to spend. Help them spend it! They may need to put what you offer in place before moving … Read the rest

A Successful Sales Representative Must Manage Time

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A successful sales representative must be an efficient manager of time, whether they are a direct hire or an independent manufacturers’ representative. Time is a sales representative’s major asset, so they must optimize their time to be a sales leader. Efficient time management requires planning.

An efficient time management system begins with an Annual Marketing Plan that includes broad objectives that are in tune and coordinated with a corporate plan. Using this broad plan, the time management system then incorporates prioritized daily, weekly and monthly planning lists. Each list has a similar format with the daily list having the most … Read the rest