Best Practices

Consider factors beyond compensation when sales are slow
The lack of a good compensation plan rarely is the only issue when sales are slumping. Other factors can include a lack of adequate training, poor management practices, or a lack of structure in written or spoken policies. DaveKahle.com (9/4)

Know number of calls a sale will take
If sales reps don't have an exact number of calls in mind that it will take to close a sale, they're on the wrong track, this article says. Set specific goals for each call when using a multiple-call strategy, and limit yourself to only a certain number. Selling Power (free registration) (9/4)

Management

Attributes of born leaders
Look at more than a person's education and experience to determine who really has "leadership potential." Pay attention to an individual employee's ability to never stop learning or to teach and develop leadership in others. CEO Strategist (9/11)

Customer Relations

Virtual contact centers streamline service, encourage efficiency
Virtual customer service centers, in which agents are placed at multiple locations but managed as a single entity, help reduce costs and streamline operations. By sharing all calls across the entire pool of agents, there is a reduction of the stress that can come with having to handle too many negative calls. CRM Daily (8/29)

Training and Presentation

Learn benefits of organized calendar
Train yourself to use a calendar to organize your to-do tasks, daily meetings and various appointments to increase productivity. Start by excluding any information that isn't time- or date-specific, and be sure to include data that you may need to quickly reference, such as addresses and phone numbers. Manage Smarter (9/6)

Closing the Deal

Marketing, sales must work together
"Although the precise roles and responsibilities of Marketing may differ from company to company," says MarketingProfs.com president Roy Young, "your marching orders are the same: Help Sales produce more with less."

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Move the distributor-supplier relationship from dysfunctional to effective

It takes a long time to develop good distributor-supplier relationships, but it only takes a short time to destroy them. "Working at Cross-Purposes" from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence examines what drives these relationships, how often they go bad and why. Both partners can learn to avoid the economic and other consequences of a relationship turning sour by correcting emerging problems before they become critical.

Weekly Poll

Did you lose much sleep when starting up your business?
 Yes, but now I rest easy.
 Yes, I lost sleep during the start-up phase and still do now.
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