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’s is

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8.5 qualities of a sales leader. How many do you have? by Jeffrey Gitomer

6

The Busy Person’s Pages 4

A conversation with Linda Richardson 8

Top Sales Article of the Month announced– Plus the ten nominees for June 14

The right use of logic and emotion in sales by Gerhard Gschwandtner 10

2 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

Whoooosh! Did you hear that? It was the sound of Q1 and Q2 rushing past.

How are you doing against quota YTD? Actually, that was a trick question, because we alreadyknow: Around 52% of you are not where you should be, which means you not only have to getinto gear and hit those Q3 & Q4 numbers, you also have to make up that short-fall. Who said thatwe only bring you good news?

Well, we can assure you that we at Top Sales Associates are here to support you in any way wecan: Over at Top Sales World amongst the host of resources there for you, we publish a brand newsales tip every day from a team of top sales experts: We also post a brand new interview everyweek, and Linda Richardson and her team are there to offer advice on your most pressing salesissues.

If you are a sales leader, you absolutely must acquaint yourself with Top Sales Management,where you will find everything you need to make you successful … articles, “How to” guides,interviews, sales team development sessions etc. You not only owe it to yourself, but you also oweit to your team to become the best manager you can be!

And so on to this month’s magazine: We have four superb articles from Jeffrey Gitomer, GerhardGschwandtner, Joanne Black and Paul McCord. Linda Richardson is interviewing Dave Kurlan.Jonathan Farrington is asking if we need a cull of salespeople in his regular “JF Uncut” column,plus we announce this month’s “Top Sales Article of the Month”

So you see, we do care, and we really do want you to be in the “winner’s enclosure” come theend of the year.

The Admin Team

PS: Whoops, almost forgot, the “guvnor” has just launched his new consultancy, so you betterkeep him happy by popping over and taking a look – Jonathan Farrington & Associates – Thanks!

Welcome

Top Sales Highlightsfrom the past four weeks ... in case you missed them

24TSH

How to hit your numbers and become asales superstar by Joanne Black

17

Focus OnKen Thoreson 18

Is it time to get rid of a few salespeople? by Jonathan Farrington 20Process: can success really be justmechanical? by Paul McCord

22

Come and Discover Us �

contents

Editors: Jonathan Farrington & Linda RichardsonJF@jfcorporation.comDesign: Bill Jeckellsbill.jeckells@topgraphicsguy.comPublished by: The JF Corporation Communications House26 York Street London W1U 6PZ

3Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

★ Top Sales BlogsHERE ��

★ Latest Top Sales Book HERE ��

★ Top Sales HardtalkInterviewEvery Wednesday.HERE ��

★ Top Sales TipsEvery single day.HERE ��

★ Top 10 Sales ArticlesHERE ��

★ And so much more …. Top Sales World HERE ��

July 2012

Take me to your leader. If you have one. Are you a leader? Do you aspire tobe one? Are you a true leader or a leader in name (or title) only? Leadership isthe true challenge for the next decade. Entrepreneurial ... Read More�

OurPartners

4 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

The BusyPerson’s PagesThe BusyPerson’s PagesHere is what you will find in this month’s edition.

5Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

8.5 qualities of a sales leader. How many do you have? by Jeffrey Gitomer

Dave Kurlan is founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, anassessment company, and Kurlan & Associates, a sales force developmentfirm. Through OMG he gets to look at the good, the bad ... Read More�

A conversation with Dave Kurlanby Linda Richardson

Where do the articles come from? Each month we select the very best salesarticles from the major article sites, which have been written by top salesgurus from around the world. We cull through till we find ... Read More�

Top Sales Article of the Month announced – Plus the ten nominees for June

Batter up! Baseball season is in full swing here in the United States. It’s timeto get your sales prospects on base. Baseball is a long season with 162 gamesper team over approximately 30 weeks. . It’s probably the ... Read More�

How to hit your numbers and become a salessuperstar by Joanne Black

Acumen Management Group Ltd. “operationalizes” sales managementsystems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the freshzone of predictable revenue. During the past 14 years ... Read More�

Focus OnKen Thoreson

“So Jonathan, are there too many salespeople in the world?” That’s not reallya question one expects to be confronted with at a private dinner party.Unfortunately, like those poor medical practitioners who ... Read More�

Is it time to get rid of a few salespeople? by Jonathan Farrington

Today you hear some version of the same message almost everywhere youturn: “What makes a company successful is process . . . . [successfulcompanies] find a formula that works.” “You simply ... Read More�

Process: can success really be just mechanical? by Paul McCord

Enjoy the latest Top Sales Hardtalk Interviews and recent blogs from TopSales World plus Recent “How To” Guides, Sales Team DevelopmentSessions and Sales Management Issues Interviews ... Read More�

Top Sales Highlightsfrom the past four weeks ... in case you missed them

TSHSelling is a transfer of energy that comes from two sources: logic andemotions. Guess what has more influence over a buyer's actions? To explorethis further, let's review some of the logical elements that ... Read More�

The right use of logic and emotion in sales by Gerhard Gschwandtner

you, or do they HAVE to listento you?

If you are one, or want to beone, check out these 8.5qualities of “what it takes” tobe an effective leader:

1. Maintain a positive attitude.Be solution oriented-actionoriented-people oriented. A leader’senthusiasm is contagious. If you gettoo close, you can catch a seriouscase of success.

2. See change as anopportunity.

Change is certain. Followers tend toresist change. It is the mark of aleader to welcome change and takeadvantage of the opportunity itpresents.

3. Deploy courage.Douglas MacArthur said, “Courageis just fear that holds out a littlelonger.” Good advice. GeorgePatton said, “I don’t take counselfrom my fears.” Good advice.Leaders choose courage.

4. Take a risk.The biggest risk is to never take one.One of the hallmarks of success isthe willingness to risk. Leaders aredetermined to win or try again.

5. Listen.Listen with the intent to understand.Leaders listen to learn. Yourprospects know their needs, and theyknow what’s happening on the frontlines of their business. Just listen.

6. Communicate.Leaders set the example for open

communication. They use theirheads, say what they feel, and speakfrom their heart, not from theirpolicy.

7. Delegate and empower.Leaders share responsibility. Theydon’t dictate. They set examples forothers to follow. Leaders encouragegrowth in others by challengingthem to take new responsibility,encouraging them to succeed, andsupporting them if they fail. Leadersunderstand that mistakes are lessonson the way to success.

8. Understand others, yourself,and your situation.

Leaders understand the importanceof an open, inquisitive mind. Aconstant quest for knowledge bringsgreater understanding.

8.5 Commitment.Commitment is the catalyst thatmakes all the other leadership

qualities a reality. Daily rededicationto commitment is the differencebetween leaders and would-beleaders.

Rate yourself between one and tenin those 8.5 areas. If your score isunder 80 (highest possible 90), youneed help.

Whether you lead your company,lead your sales team, or lead yourpeers-how you employ andimplement your leadership skills willdetermine your leadership success.

If you’re a business owner. You wearmany hats. So many owners fail torealize their first job and biggestresponsibility is in sales. How youlead the sales team determines howthe rest of the business fares.

If you’re a sales manager. Lead, don’tmanage. Your hands-on support andencouragement is often thedifference between exceeding yoursales goal and finding a new job.

If you’re an aspiring leader. Startsmall. Lead a group or committee.Do whatever is necessary to make ita winner. Do it again, until it beginsto feel natural. Respect the power ofleadership-and the power of thepeople you seek to lead.

There is one rule that isuniversally applicable. This rule,when followed, makes great leaders.Unfortunately, this rule is employedthe least: Lead by EXAMPLE.

Want more tips? Find them in myLittle Book of Leadership. �

There is one rule thatis universally

applicable. This rule,when followed,

makes great leaders.Unfortunately, this

rule is employed theleast: Lead by

EXAMPLE.

Leadership is the true challenge forthe next decade. Entrepreneurial

ventures are starting in record

numbers, competition is stiffer thanever, customers are demandingmore, and profit margins are

thinning. All of these trends createleadership opportunities.

Do your people follow you oravoid you? Do your people respondto your assignments? Do yourpeople complete their tasks? Ontime? Are the meetings you leadstructured, supportive, andencouraging?

Where do leaders come from?Everywhere. Some have naturalaptitude and environmentaladvantages, but all leaders must learnthe fundamental skills if they wantto gain or maintain their position. Ifyou’re having a hard time following,you might try leading.

Here are a few leadershipchallenges to ponder:� Are you tired of being a

follower?� If you want to lead, where do

you start?� Are leaders born or made?� What is the best way to become

an effective leader?� What are the leadership skills

you need to develop?� Do your people want to listen to

Take me to your leader. If you have one. Are you aleader? Do you aspire to be one? Are you a trueleader or a leader in name (or title) only?

This article was written by Jeffrey Gitomer.

To find out more about Jeffrey, visit:www.gitomer.com

8.5 qualities ofa sales leader.How many do you have?

6 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012 7Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

emphasized that whilst there arehuge gaps in closing and huge gapsin hunting, it is the consultativeskills side that is a difference maker.

A question customers often ask:“Is the transformation of underperformerspossible?” I expected more of aresounding “yes” from Dave, but hewas justifiably more measured. Hesaid “usually” and explained that itdepends on the skills-levels of thesales team and the factoring in ofthe length of the sales cycle. Hepointed out that the ability to turnunderperformers around varies forevery company and industry. Heexplained that if the sales cycle isrelatively short and the skill gap ofunderperformers is not huge, theunderperformers can usually besaved in 8 to 12 months with aperformance plan and coaching.However, when the sales cycle islonger and the skill gap is deeper, itis more of a challenge to develop(save) the underperformers

While the profile has beenevolving for the past 20 years Davenoted that it is the recent dramatic

change in buyer behavior which hascreated four significant changes:

� The Work Ethic has changed.The eight hour workday for asalesperson is gone. He sees theneed to work three times harderto achieve the same results andto “live, eat, and breath thebusiness you are in.”

� REAL Consultative Skills areessential. Dave believes that justa few years ago a salespersoncould come into a territory withrelationship skills, industryknowledge, transactional skills,experience, be known in theterritory and succeed. Not sotoday. Although consultativeselling has been around for along time Dave’s data showsthat most salespeople are stillengaged in transactional selling.

� Salespeople must come withBusiness Social Networking Skills.The days of salespeople beingcomputer illiterate are gone.Developing up-to-datecomputer skills and takingadvantage of cutting edge salestools is not an option. Whilethis is not an issue for a youngergeneration of salespeople,many of the more experiencedsalespeople have not fullyembraced technology but mustdo so or be left behind.

� Build Business Acumen. Daveacknowledge this is a difficultarea to assess and it could be thenext frontier for assessment.But without industry andbusiness and deep customerknowledge salespeople will notbe able to bring value at thelevel necessary to meet the newdemands of their sophisticatedcustomers.

It is impossible to talk about theperformance of the sales teamwithout considering theperformance of the salesmanagers. The biggest changeOMG is seeing in salesmanagement is the huge move tocoaching which has become theprimary role of sales managers.The challenge of coaching is twofold: sales managers must have askill set that enables them todevelop the skills of theirsalespeople and the coaching skillsto change behavior and reinforcethe sales process.

I asked Dave what salespeoplecould do to be in the ranks of theexcellent 6%. His advice: “Reallythink about how selling has changedand how your buyers have changed.Think about how consultative you areand don’t take for granted you areconsultative. Understand that theprofile of a successful salespersoncontinues to evolve and be open andready to change how you sell.” �

The challenge ofcoaching is two fold:sales managers musthave a skill set that

enables them todevelop the skills of

their salespeopleand the coaching

skills to changebehavior and

reinforce the salesprocess.

When he works with CEOs - theusual decisions makers for his

sales organization assessment work -if they so much as mention thewords “getting consensus from theirteams” he is quite direct in tellingthem they won’t get it. Why? Becausethe data he collects on theorganization’s current capabilitiesand the analysis he provides is often

perceived as threatening by salesleadership. As he described thesituation, I was reminded of thesong, Don’t You Bring Me No Bad Newsfrom the musical “The Wiz”. Buthiding bad news doesn’t change it,and Dave illustrates that facing it can.

Unfortunately, the news is often“dark and gloomy” but the brightside emerges for companies that geta clear data driven picture of whytheir sales team is performing theway they are, and how much betterthey will perform once the skill gapsare filled and the right people are inplace.

For twenty years OMG has beeninnovating, and its data is based onthe evaluation of 600,000salespeople. In their engagementsOMG answers the top 10 to 20business questions their customershave not been able to answer such as“What impact is sales management havingon the performance of my salesforce?”

“Can the sales organization execute itsstrategy?” “Can a particular groupexecute?” “Can they be saved?” “Whatwill it take to save them?” OMGprovide all the answers backed upwith black and white data and it’s theanswers to these questions thatoften disappoint the leaders!

One piece of data that mightsurprise you is the breakdown ofhow sales people are performing:only a scant 6% of salespeople areevaluated as excellent, 20% aregood, and a staggering 74% are notmaking the grade.

When I asked Dave what insightswe can glean from the data as to whyso many salespeople areunderperforming he didn’t hesitatein attributing underperformance toa lack of consultative skills. The datashows that on average thesalespeople they evaluate have only21% of the attributes of aconsultative skills set. Dave

8 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

6%, 20%, 74% —where are you?A Conversation with Dave Kurlan by Linda Richardson

Top of Mind

Dave Kurlan is founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, anassessment company, and Kurlan & Associates, a sales force developmentfirm. Through OMG he gets to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of whatis happening within sales organizations worldwide everyday.

Linda Richardson is the Founder andChairwoman of Richardson, the global salesperformance company and is responsiblefor product and sales strategy.www.richardson.com

9Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

percent by words, 38 percent bytone of voice, and 55 percentnonverbally. Since most insidesalespeople use the telephone astheir main connection with thebuyer, how we say what we say (toneof voice) has five times moreemotional impact than what we say(the actual words).

What creates emotional impact isthe salesperson's ability to do thefollowing:

� Create feelings of trust andrapport

� Affirm the buyer's need for goodself-esteem

� Sense the buyer's emotions in themoment

� Show empathy � Appropriately reflect on the

buyer's emotional expressions � Adapt to the buyer's rate of

speech � Harmonize with the buyer's tone

of voice � Get in synch with the buyer's

emotional energy � Complement the buyer's moods

with uplifting statements � Give the buyer emotional space

to facilitate free associations � Draw out and address the buyer's

hidden fears � Support and enhance the buyer's

positive viewpoints � Project and maintain positive

energy throughout the call � Be authentic and spontaneous

These points describe some waysthat sellers need to meet buyers’emotional needs so that buyersbecome comfortable with sellers.This list is by no means complete,but it creates a composite image

that defines likeability.Sales trainers and sales managers

constantly remind us that selling is apeople business and that we buyfrom people we like. Guy Kawasakitells of how he met RichardBranson in Russia. They met in agreen room before a speakingengagement. When Branson askedKawasaki what airline he used, helearned that Kawasaki was loyal toUnited because he had the higheststatus there. Branson didn't uselogic to persuade Kawasaki tobecome a customer; he simplypicked up his leg and started topolish his shoes with his jacket.Kawasaki switched to VirginAmerica in a heartbeat.

It's about time that werecognized that buyers want to dealwith likeable salespeople, and it'sabout time that we give them whatthey want. At our last Sales 2.0Conference, an attendee told meabout her interest in a Sales 2.0solution that was offered by asponsor. She said, "The salesperson

in the booth perfectly understoodmy needs, and I shared our painpoints with him in great detail. Atthe end he told me that he wouldput me in touch with his company'srep in my region. That wasfrustrating, since I have to gothrough the same process all overagain." Isn't it time for buyers to beable to choose the salesperson withwhom they want to work?

With new social CRM solutionssuch as Nimble or Reachable,geographic territories will be givingway to social proximity, in whichleads are assigned to salespeoplewho have the best social connectionwith prospects.

In the not too distant future,companies will allow customers toselect a salesperson who scoreshighest in likeability. Who wouldn'twant to get a shoe shine fromRichard Branson or a direct tweetfrom Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh or aFacebook "Like" from MichaelDell?

Since most products becomecommodities faster, the ultimatecompetitive advantage is thesalesperson. In the future, smartcompanies will give buyers theability to choose salespeople, basedon what they believe is the idealmatch between professionalcompetence and emotionalintelligence. Emotional proximitycould be the ultimate competitiveadvantage. �

To explore this further, let's reviewsome of the logical elements that

can influence the outcome of a salescall:

� Product knowledge � Customer knowledge � Social information � Sales process � Diagnostic questions � Sales-ready messages or call

script � Persuasive proposals � Persuasive presentations � Call timing

Most sales training preparessalespeople to tap into the rightinformation, ask customers the rightquestions, diagnose the rightproblems, create the right solution,prepare the right proposal, and closethe sale at the right time. It allsounds wonderful during the sales-training program, and it looks greaton a whiteboard. The trouble is,when salespeople believe that theirjob consists of building aprefabricated bridge made of theright logical elements from the sellerto the buyer, those salespeople will

be disappointed 80 percent of thetime.

Zig Ziglar once said, "Logic makespeople think, and emotions make peopleact." I am convinced that the logicbridge between buyer and sellerrepresents only 20 percent of thebuying decision in a B2B setting. Iflogic was all it took to persuade abuyer, we could move the entiresales process online and eliminatethe need for salespeople, just likeAmazon did.

What Creates EmotionalImpact?

Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLAfound in his research that feelingsand attitudes are communicated 7

10 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

This article was written byGerhard Gschwandtner.

To find out more about Gerhard , visit:www.sellingpower.com

11Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

It's about time thatwe recognized thatbuyers want to deal

with likeablesalespeople, and it'sabout time that we

give them whatthey want.

Selling is a transfer of energy that comes from twosources: logic and emotions. Guess what has moreinfluence over a buyer's actions?

The right use of logicand emotion in sales The right use of logicand emotion in sales

If you find yourself in a difficult sales or salesmanagement situation, it's very likely that we have

already walked that ground. More, we have probablycreated a paved road through the jungle that you will

find easy to walk on and through to a successfuloutcome on the other side.

Collectively, we have more than 400 year’ssales experience between us: We haveserved on the boards of some of the world’smost successful corporations; we have leadsales teams of hundreds- even thousands;most of us have written best-selling books; –but most importantly, we all started out asrookie salesmen and women, and we haveworked our way up the ladder- weunderstand every aspect of selling.

JFA is a genuinely global consultingcompany, delivering leading-edge salesteam development solutions to all sixcontinents, via a team of top sales expertsand a network of global partners. You canvisit our solutions area here

Our team of Associates has been carefullychosen, and each of them brings a uniqueelement of expertise and experience inspecific sales disciplines, which allows us topresent “best-of-breed” training, coaching,mentoring, and advice across the fullspectrum of sales team activity. You canmeet the team here

Equally, our Partners are selected after arigorous qualification procedure, to ensurethat they have the very high levels ofcommitment and skills necessary tomaintain the standards of excellence weadhere to.

Philosophy

At JFA, we take an analytical approach tosales team and sales leadershipdevelopment, and we work with a verysimple formula:

Attitude + Skills + Process + Knowledge =Success

Our reasoning is this: Attitude is fundamentalto any achievement, because individuals

with the right attitude are far more likely toembrace the essential skills, recognize thecontrol that process brings and have thedesire to continually expand theirknowledge.

Skills are the ‘tools of the trade’ and have tobe developed on an ongoing basis. Theyalso need to be specific, because too muchtime and money can be wasted over-burdening frontline sales professionals withinappropriate and irrelevant skills, withoutany identifiable plan for their futurerequirements.

Process brings organization, efficiency andcontrol - both for the individual and formanagement.

Effective, process provides objectiveanalysis and indicators, which can bebenchmarked and accurately measured.

Then, there is of course a need to build inknowledge, and that must includeknowledge of products, industry, marketsectors, competitors, business, owncompany and last but not least, self.

It is rare for a sales team to have all four ofthese elements in place, but those that dohave discovered the “Sales Holy Grail” -Sustained sales growth achieved efficiently,reliably and by design.

Our primary objective from day one, hasbeen to redefine the parameters governingorganizational growth and work with ourclients to develop commercial excellence.

Whatever your requirement, we probablyhave a world-class solution.

You will find us here –Jonathan Farrington & Associates

Should Discounting be a Sales Strategy?Each week I get at least one person asking meif they should reduce their price as a way toincrease sales.

By Mark Hunter on eyesonsales �

Why doing the right thing is always theright thingIt is not always easy to do the right thing. Attimes it can be hard to know what the ...

By Dan Waldschmidt on eyesonsales �

Business Networking and Sex There have been a lot of books written aboutbusiness networking and referral marketing.I’ve written quite a few of these myself.

By Ivan Misner on salesopedia �

Why is Qualifying a Prospect So #%&@Hard? If you read my ebook Why is Selling So#%&@ Hard?, you already know that a ...

By Tony Cole on salesopedia �

Create a Selling Culture Everyone at your company is in sales. Theperson answering the phones is in charge offirst impressions.

By Colleen Stanley on topsalesmanagement.com �

What is the value? Where is the value?Who perceives the value?You have been making value perceptions andvalue judgments your entire life.

By Jeffrey Gitomer on eyesonsales �

Is Integrity a Sales Strategy?I was speaking to a group of professional salespeople in Johannesburg, South Africa, on thesubject of integrity in business.

By Dave Kahle on eyesonsales �

Let me tell you a story...Sales people are educators. The typicalsalesperson spends a lot of time learning abouthis/her company, and its products/services.

By Adrian Davis on salesopedia �

The Magic of Dialogue When I think of magic, the first images thatcome to my mind are magicians with playingcards, hats, rabbits and sawing pretty ...

By Kevin Eikenberry on topsalesmanagement �

Multi-tasking: Crazy Busy, or JustCrazy? I often observe sales and service professionalswho are so busy and who believe that ...

By Nancy Bleeke on topsalesmanagement.com �

We want to thank the following sites for supporting Top 10 Sales Articles:

15Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

● Salesopedia ● Eyes on Sales ● Sales Gravy ● Ezine Articles ● ChangingMinds ● RainToday

Authors: To be considered for Top 10 Sales Articles, please submit your articles to the above sites, which are theonly ones we select from. We do not accept any articles directly.

The June Nominations

Where do the articles come from? Each month we select the very best salesarticles from the major article sites, which have been written by top sales gurusfrom around the world. We cull through till we find the 10 best pieces of salesadvice – which we then share with you. The monthly winners compete for theTop Sales Article of the Year Award in December.

14 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

Top Sales Articleof the MonthAnnounced

Top Sales Articleof the MonthAnnounced

The May Winner“Searching for Excellence”- 4 tips for improving your

sales team’s success

By Colleen Francis on: Top Sales Management ��

Batter up! Baseball season is in fullswing here in the United States.

It’s time to get your sales prospectson base.

Baseball is a long season with162 games per team overapproximately 30 weeks. It’sprobably the only sport where youcan be 30 percent successful and stillbe considered a star with amultimillion-dollar contract.

Let’s break down what it takes tobe a superstar. Here’s an examplefrom the movie, Bull Durham:

In baseball, what separates asuperior hitter from an averagehitter is only 30 more hits in aseason. That’s all. While a .250 hitteris considered an average ball player,a .300 hitter is considered superior.If each of them has 600 at bats in aseason, a .250 hitter will have 150hits, while the .300 hitter will have180 hits. The difference of only 30hits equates to approximately oneextra hit per week for an entirebaseball season.

What’s Your BattingAverage?

This is the same kind of analysis youneed to do for your business. Howmany additional “hits” do you needto get to reach your revenue andprofit goals? How many more

referral meetings and referral clientswill get you to your goal? Choose allof some of these metrics to manageyour referral activity:

� The number of people you askfor referrals each week

� The number of referrals youreceive

� The number of referral meetingsyou schedule

� The number of referral meetingsyou conduct

� The number of new deals youbook

� Increases in revenue� Increase in deal size� Increase in new customers� Increases in profitability

Business referrals come from

everywhere. Think about it. Identifyall the people you know (and youknow lots of people). The peopleyou know, know people. (Everyoneis part of your sales team.) Andyou don’t know who people knowuntil you ask. You might get theperfect referral from your attorney,a fellow passenger on an airplane,your fellow employees, your next-door neighbor, or even your family.You’re the missing link in yoursales success.

Ask for at least one referral week,and you’ll hit the ball out of thepark. You may not make millions ofdollars, but you might help yourclients do the same. You’ll be at leasta .300 hitter, and everyone wins.(Here’s how to ask for a referral.)

What's Your Referral I.Q.?Take the Quiz

Subscribe to Joanne's free Back inthe Black Newsletter and receiveour free No More Cold CallingReferral I.Q. Quiz. This interactivePDF presents 13 questions toaccelerate your referral business anddouble your sales velocity! Subscribeto Back in the Black. �

This article was written by Joanne Black.

To find out more about Joanne, visit:www.nomorecoldcalling.com

17Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

Up your hitting average through referrals, and upyour sales game for a winning season.

How to hit your numbers andbecome a sales superstar WWeennddyy WWeeiissss is recognized as one of the

leading authorities on lead generation, coldcalling and new business development. Hernewest e-book, TThhee CCoolldd CCaalllliinngg SSuurrvviivvaallGGuuiiddee, shares her secrets for getting face-to-face with highly qualified prospects. In fact,you’ll start setting appointments within 24hours of reading it.

YYoouu’’llll lleeaarrnn hhooww ttoo::• Identify real prospects fast• Grab your prospect’s attention in the first

few seconds• Get more appointments and more sales in

today’s tough selling environment• Overcome fear forever• And much, much more!

Free E-book! - Start Setting Appointments in the next 24 Hours

Download your freee-book hheerree �

Download a copy of Jonathan

Farrington’s revised 2012 version of

“How to Create anAchievable BusinessDevelopment Strategy”for FREE when you sign up to receive

the JF Journal. (You will then receive a

brand new “How To” guide every week

for the next 12 months).

REGISTER HERE �

During the past 14 years, ourconsulting, advisory, and

platform services have illuminated,motivated, and rejuvenated the salesefforts for organizationsthroughout North America.Kenprovides keynotes, consultingservices, training and productsdesigned to improve business and

revenue performance.The salesmanagement thought leader isrecognized as an expert in salesexecution, channel management,revenue generation, sales analysis,compensation, forecasting,recruitment, and training within thesales function.

As a speaker, Ken energizes

audiences and recharges theirpersonal commitment toprofessional excellence to helpdrive personal and organizationalchange and growth. In addition tothe 3 books based on his SalesManagement Guru series, andSuccess Simplified, co-authoredwith Stephen Covey, Ken’s manyarticles and nationally recognizedblog are excellent resources forexecutives who want to revitalizetheir organizations. He iscurrently a columnist forRedmond Channel PartnerMagazine, a publication forMicrosoft channel partners. Ken’sblog has been rated in the top 10sales blogs in the United States

Ken is a member of:� The National Speakers

Association. www.NSA.com� Founding Chair of CompTIA’s

IT Business GrowthProfessionals Community

� Founding Member of Top SalesWorld and Top Sales Managerswww.TopsSalesManagement.com

18 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

To find out more about Ken, visit: www.acumenmgmt.com

Focus On

KenThoresonAcumen Management Group Ltd.“operationalizes” sales management systems andprocesses that pull revenue out of the doldrums intothe fresh zone of predictable revenue.

That’s not really a question oneexpects to be confronted with at

a private dinner party.Unfortunately, like those poormedical practitioners who areregaled with requests for advice oneverything from ingrowing toenails,to hemorrhoids, I have kind ofaccepted that if any of my fellowguests have a beef about sales-related issues, then I am going to bein the firing line.

I usually begin by trying toexplain that everybody, everywhere,sells every day: Then I have toelaborate, and eventually, I findmyself defending this fineprofession, which actually, after acouple of glasses of a decentBurgundy, I can do all evening –even with my eyes closed.

But let’s take a more pragmaticapproach to the question: Are theretoo many salespeople in the world?

What we do know is that thereare too many under-performingsalespeople on the planet – about52% of the current sales populationaccording to Aberdeen’s recentreport, which I am about to digest infull – I’ll report back on the findingsshortly.

Why? That is a far more complexquestion to answer – that is to say,there are several answers.

To begin with, most companies,in most industries, find it easier tokeep hiring new salespeople, ratherthan investing in those that theyhave already: Rather than stoppingand taking stock of their currentassets, and thinking about what itwould take to get that teamoperating at optimum performancelevels, they play the numbers game,which of course is a completenonsense, and totally unjustifiablefinancially.

Let me give you an example.What % of sales leaders do youthink could accurately answer thefollowing questions about their ownteam?

� If you benchmarked your teamon an individual basis against thebest in your industry/sector howwould they fare?

� What would it take for them tobecome the very best?

� Are you able to measure theimpact of any investment youhave made in training anddeveloping the team in recentyears? – I.e. what return have youseen on that investment?

� What further development isrequired in order for them toachieve optimum performancelevels?

� If any members of the team arecurrently underachieving do youknow why and do youunderstand what will be requiredto get them back on track?

� Who in your team is capable ofmuch higher levels ofachievement, if they were toreceive appropriate coaching?

And then follow that up with:When thinking about your own salesforce:

� Do you understand theirmotivators – what is drivingthem?

� Do you have visibility of theirnumbers – year to date, forecastvs. required performance?

� Activity levels – are they workinghard and smart enough?

� Engagement – are they talking tothe right level in theirprospects/accounts?

� Messaging – are they capable ofdelivering an appropriatemessage at the right level?

� Qualification – are they onlyspending time on deals wherethey can compete and ultimatelythat they can win?

� Closing – are they constructingsuccessful campaigns and closingbusiness?

I’ll repeat the question – what % ofsales leaders could accurately answerthose questions?

Let me give you a clue, it is morethan 1% but less than 5%.

That is pretty frightening isn’t it? Secondly, H.R. are getting in the

way: They don’t mean to, butparticularly in the corporate space,they have far too much authorityand far too little experience to makethe decisions about sales teamdevelopment that they are making.

In my experience, in this criticalarea, most H.R. departments areabout as useful as a one-leggedman in an ass-kicking contest.They should stick to what they aregood at, like looking afteremployees welfare; ensuring thatthe company adheres to the mazewhich is today’s employment laws,and spending as much time aspossible at conferences and ontraining courses, to add anotherqualification to their CV. Not in

your company? You are very lucky!Finally, unlike most other

professions, there are noqualifications required to becomea professional salesman or woman:I find that very disappointing, andI am also deeply concerned thateven the super-rich corporations,who used to put their latest intakeson a solid two year program,before letting them loose on anunsuspecting audience, nowbelieve that around two weeks ofproduct training is quitesufficient.

However, those companies whohave implemented their own“academies” – including most ofmy clients – are reaping richrewards: Turnover has been reducedto virtually nil; teams are happy, andfeel valued; staff typically worklonger hours, but are also workingsmarter, and they are totallycommitted. None of that shouldcome as a surprise to any of us.When a company demonstrates itscommitment to its employees, byinvesting back into them, thoseemployees are anxious to repay thatfaith – it is a “no-brainer” anddefinitely “win-win”

How about you, are you reallyvalued by your company? Or are youone of the at least 80% of salesprofessionals who remain unqualifiedto do your job properly? �

Is it time to get rid of afew salespeople?“So Jonathan, are there too many salespeople in the world?”

To find out more about Jonathan, visit:

www.thejfblogit.co.ukwww.topsalesassociates.comwww.jonathanfarrington.com

But let’s take a morepragmatic approachto the question: Are

there too manysalespeople in the

world?

21Top Sales Associates Magazine July 201220 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

but these three are very simple,straightforward examples of wherethe cornerstone of success for themlay. In each instance theirbusiness formula helped, but itwasn’t the thing that explodedthese companies.

What made McDonald’s,McDonald’s? Was it Ronald or theHamburglar? Not at all. Was it themachine like efficiency demanded ofeach franchise and the requirementthat the food taste exactly the sameno matter what franchise onevisited? No, that came later.

McDonald’s success lay in theheart and soul of Ray Kroc. Krocwas a never tiring evangelist forMcDonald’s. He lived and breathedMcDonald’s. In a sense, Kroc forcedMcDonald’s success because hewouldn’t settle for anything less.

McDonald’s successful formulawas built and perfected over time.Kroc’s drive and determination gavehim the time needed to refine andimprove the system that the originalfounders of the McDonald’sconcept had begun to devise. It tookKroc three years and a bunch ofmoney to develop his successfulprocess—a process that is still beingperfected today. If Ray Kroc hadn’thad the passion to demand success,there wouldn’t be a McDonald’s, atleast not as we know it today.

In the same manner, Mickey,Minnie, and Pluto didn’t create

Disney. Disney was more acreation of Walt Disney’s driveand passion than Mickey’spopularity. Long before Mickeywas born, Walt had to overcome lostcontracts, a former buyer of hiscartoons stealing his entire staff ofartists save one and his at that timeone original cartoon character,Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswaldmight have been lucky, but Waltwasn’t. Most would have foldedtheir tent and given up after havingeverything they’d built torn down—especially by someone they hadworked with and trusted.

But like Kroc, Walt had passionand unlimited drive. He believed inhimself and he believed that successwas right around the corner—if hejust continued to sell his passion.His dedication and drive paid off.Shortly after losing his staff andOswald, he found Mickey. AlthoughMickey was a success, he still wasn’tthe success formula that “made”Disney—Mickey gave Walt themoney and time necessary to findhis ultimate mega success formulawhich was turning cartoons intofeature length animated movies andthe spinoffs from them thatcontinue to this day.

Likewise, Colonel HarlandSanders and Kentucky FriedChicken’s success isn’t due to abusiness formula but rather to aman who believed sopassionately in his product and

his vision that retired and broke,he hit the road to sell hischicken formula to cafes andrestaurants across thecountry—and his share if theyused his secret recipe? A nickel forevery chicken they sold using it. It’shard to make a living at a nickel achicken—even in 1955.

Process is a tool for a salespersonjust as a paintbrush is a tool for anartist. Put a paintbrush in the handsof an artist with the passion anddrive of a Leonardo and it becomesan instrument to create beauty; putit in the hands of someone one whois only looking to make a buck and itis nothing more than a tool used topaint a wall.

The same is true with sales. Putan effective process in the hands ofsomeone with the passion and driveof Harland Sanders and it becomesan instrument for changing lives;put it in the hands of someone whois disconnected and only interestedin making money and it becomesnothing more than a way to make asale every once in awhile.

By all means, find a predictableand effective process; it will helpyou make sales. If you want success,you must marry that process todeep, heartfelt passion and drivebecause whether we like it or not,success isn’t mechanical; success isnothing more than the outwardexpression of one’s passion,drive, and vision. �

Success is nothingmore than the

outward expressionof one’s passion,drive, and vision.

This article was written by Paul McCord.

To find out more about Paul, visit:www.mccordandassociates.com

23Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

Today you hear some version ofthe same message almost

everywhere you turn:“What makes a company

successful is process . . . . [successfulcompanies] find a formula thatworks.”

“You simply cannot besuccessful in complex sales unlessyou have a solid process. A provenprocess is more important thananything and everything else.”

“If you want to be successful,you must concentrate on developingan effective sales process thatproduces the results you wantbecause that IS the secret ofsuccess.”

“Top producers have arepeatable process. Everyone else

has only unfounded hope.”All of the above were picked

from things I have read in just thepast week. And these are far fromthe only ones, I could go on and onwith statements in the same veinfrom recent articles and forumdiscussions.

Process is the concept dujour

Process=SuccessNo process=Fail Everyone’s on the bandwagonpromoting the current hot topic.

Now, don’t me wrong, I’m a firmbeliever in process. I have a processfor almost everything I do and I’m astrong promoter of process. I’vewritten numerous articles and twobooks that are centered on process.I firmly believe that a proven,effective, repeatable process is oneof the foundations to a successfulsales career or a successful business.

I don’t, however, think it is themost important ingredient or theone that determines whether or notone is successful.

Important, yes. Absolutely,positively, 100% critical? No, notreally.

Success in sales or business isfar more than simply turning theright mechanical knobs orpunching the right buttons.

Don’t we wish it were that easy?Simply create a formula that seemsto work and success is guaranteed.

We can all think of companieswho have a formula that works andappears to be the cornerstone oftheir success. Let’s take threeexamples that we all know:McDonald’s, Disney, and KentuckyFried Chicken. I’m taking thesebecause they are familiar toeveryone and the real reason fortheir success is easy to identify. Wecould take examples from anyindustry and any selling situation,

Paul McCord discussesthe issue of whethersuccess can really justbe mechanical.

22 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

Process: can success reallybe just mechanical?

Plus we publish a brand new sales article every day:www.topsalesmanagement.com�

25Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

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How to View CustomerComplaints Positively

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Plus don’t forget, we publish a brand new sales tip from the Top Sales Experts team every day!www.topsalesworld.com�

24 Top Sales Associates Magazine July 2012

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