The Accidental Sales Manager

Key skills to make sales managers better developers of salespeople Get out of the firefighting business and into the business of developing the people who develop your profits. Successful salespeople rightfully become sales managers because of superior sales records. Yet too often these sales stars get stuck doing their old sales job while also trying to juggle their manager role, and too often companies neglect to train their sales managers how to excel as managers. That's the "sales management trap," and it's exactly what The Accidental Sales Manager addresses and solves. Full of helpful steps you can apply immediately?whether you're training a sales manager, or are one yourself?this practical guide reveals step-by-step methods sales managers can use to both learn their jobs and lead their teams. Get tactics to stop burning time and exhausting yourself, while taking effective actions to use time better as a leader Discover how to integrate learning into leading and make sales meetings an active conversation on what works and what doesn't Author has a previous bestseller, The Accidental Salesperson Don't get caught in the "sales management trap" or, if you're in it, get the tools you need to escape it. Get The Accidental Sales Manager and lead your team to do what you do best: make sales, drive profits, and get winning results.

•Do you tackle several different roles including sales manager? •Does managing the sales team feel awkward? •Do you want to achieve better sales results? If you answered YES then you face the same struggle as many other small business owners—you can successfully manage the rest of the company, but when it comes to the sales team, you feel like your efforts are coming up short. Suzanne Paling, sales management consultant, urges you to stop struggling, and teaches you what you need to know to start succeeding.

Sales may have chosen you--and you’ve suddenly found yourself in a profession you’re not fully prepared for. Learn how to navigate your career effectively with this invaluable resource. Sales training expert and author Chris Lytle offers advice and inspiration new salespeople might have missed when they skipped the career-planning stage--and provides the tools you need to fast-track your sales success. Filled with money-generating strategies, humorous yet instructive anecdotes, thought-provoking axioms, and powerful tools, The Accidental Salesperson includes guidance on: selling to people who don't have time to meet, differentiating between information seekers and genuine prospects, using social media and other online tools, and building relationships competitors can't steal. Lively, entertaining, and mercifully free of the dull theories, manipulative methods, and high-pressure tactics of most sales books--the fully updated second edition of The Accidental Salesperson guides you through every aspect of selling to customers in today’s marketplace.

This is the book every sales manager wishes they had—before they accepted the job. The advice within acts as a 24/7 coach for beleaguered sales leaders dealing with perplexing dilemmas. Sales leaders (managers, directors, and vice presidents) advocate for and often succeed in getting sales training for their reps, but when they request sales management training for themselves, the answer is often no. This lack of formal instruction lowers their chances of success. Drawn from the author’s experiences as a sales manager, sales management consultant, and coach, The Sales Leader’s Problem Solver offers guidance on solving common but difficult issues with the salesperson who: Sells inconsistently. Cheats on sales contests. Doesn’t enter data in the CRM. Calls only on the largest or easiest clients. Won’t prospect for new business. By providing a consistent format to follow, Suzanne Paling will help any sales leader level-headedly deal with any challenge by: Clarifying the issue. Creating a plan. Presenting a solution to executives. Discussing the issue with the rep(s) in question.The Sales Leader’s Problem Solver is a powerful tool that will help new and experienced sales managers lead their teams and develop their reputations as fair, effective, no-nonsense problem solvers.

Boost sales results by zeroing in on the metrics that matter most “Sales may be an art, but sales management is a science. Cracking the Sales Management Code reveals that science and gives practical steps to identify the metrics you must measure to manage toward success.” —Arthur Dorfman, National Vice President, SAP “Cracking the Sales Management Code is a must-read for anyone who wants to bring his or her sales management team into the 21st century.” —Mike Nathe, Senior Vice President, Essilor Laboratories of America “The authors correctly assert that the proliferation of management reporting has created a false sense of control for sales executives. Real control is derived from clear direction to the field—and this book tells how do to that in an easy-to-understand, actionable manner.” —Michael R. Jenkins, Signature Client Vice President, AT&T Global Enterprise Solutions “There are things that can be managed in a sales force, and there are things that cannot. Too often sales management doesn’t see the difference. This book is invaluable because it reveals the manageable activities that actually drive sales results.” —John Davis, Vice President, St. Jude Medical “Cracking the Sales Management Code is one of the most important resources available on effective sales management. . . . It should be required reading for every sales leader.” —Bob Kelly, Chairman, The Sales Management Association “A must-read for managers who want to have a greater impact on sales force performance.” —James Lattin, Robert A. Magowan Professor of Marketing, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University “This book offers a solution to close the gap between sales processes and business results. It shows a new way to think critically about the strategies and tactics necessary to move a sales team from good to great!” —Anita Abjornson, Sales Management Effectiveness, Abbott Laboratories About the Book: There are literally thousands of books on selling, coaching, and leadership, but what about the particulars of managing a sales force? Where are the frameworks, metrics, and best practices to help you succeed? Based on extensive research into how world-class companies measure and manage their sales forces, Cracking the Sales Management Code is the first operating manual for sales management. In it you will discover: The five critical processes that drive sales performance How to choose the right processes for your own team The three levels of sales metrics you must collect Which metrics you can “manage” and which ones you can’t How to prioritize conflicting sales objectives How to align seller activities with business results How to use CRM to improve the impact of coaching As Neil Rackham writes in the foreword: “There’s an acute shortage of good books on the specifics of sales management. Cracking the Sales Management Code is about the practical specifics of sales management in the new era, and it fills a void.” Cracking the Sales Management Code fills that void by providing foundational knowledge about how the sales force works. It reveals the gears and levers that actually control sales results. It adds clarity to things that you intuitively know and provides insight into things that you don’t. It will change the way you manage your sellers from day to day, as well as the results you get from year to year.

The Ultimate Sales Manager Playbook provides proven principles and practices for becoming a successful sales leader. From motivation—connecting with salespeople in a way that lights a fire in their soul—to mobilization—coaching salespeople to execute sales processes at the highest levels of excellence—it’s all in The Ultimate Sales Manager Playbook. Sales managers learn how to establish trust, provide praise, build a winning sales culture, conduct effective one-on-one’s, and make their meetings matter again, or perhaps, matter for the very first time. Then they learn how to take all that and multiply it in others through hiring well and promoting wisely. The information in The Ultimate Sales Manager Playbook has been forged in the fires of decades of sales leadership. Throughout its pages, there is real, actionable content that will change sales managers, their salespeople, and both of their careers forever.

Salesmanship today comprises a wide range of activities and constitutes an integral part of management. This book presents the basic elements of the subject in a simplified and graded approach. Maintaining the features of the earlier edition, all the chapters of this edition are qualitatively updated. The examples and illustrations in the book are drawn from realistic situations which help the reader develop winning confidence.

Finally! The definitive guide to the toughest, most challenging, and most rewarding job in sales. Front Line Sales Managers have to do it all - often without anyone showing them the ropes. In addition to making your numbers your job calls upon you for: Constant coaching, training, and team building Call, pipeline, deal, territory, one-on-ones, and other reviews that drive business performance Recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding top talent Responding to shifts in the marketplace - and in your company Dealing with, turning around, or terminating problem employees Analyzing and acting upon metrics to correct performance Managing the business and executive expectations Leveraging sales systems, tools, and processes Conducting performance reviews and setting expectations And more All this and making the numbers! Sales Manager Survival Guide addresses each of these issues, and many others, clearly, honestly, and in-depth. Drawing upon decades of experience in sales, sales management, and sales executive positions from small companies to giant corporations, David Brock gives you invaluable insight, wisdom, and above all practical guidance in how to handle the wide array of challenges and responsibilities you'll face as a Front Line Sales Manager. If you're a sales manager, or want to become one, this book shows you how to survive-and thrive. And if you want to be a great sales manager, this book shares the secrets, tools, and best practices to help you climb to the top-and beyond. "This is THE go-to resource for sales management!" Mike Weinberg, author of Sales Management Simplified

Sales training doesn’t develop sales champions. Managers do. The secret to developing a team of high performers isn’t more training but better coaching. When managers effectively coach their people around best practices, core competencies and the inner game of coaching that develops the champion attitude, it makes your training stick. With Keith Rosen’s coaching methodology and proven L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™ used by the world’s top organizations, you’ll get your sales and management teams to perform better - fast. Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions is your playbook to creating a thriving coaching culture and building a team of top producers. This book is packed with case studies, a 30 Day Turnaround Strategy for underperformers, a library of coaching templates and scripts, as well as hundreds of powerful coaching questions you can use immediately to coach anyone in any situation. You will learn how to confidently facilitate powerful, engaging coaching conversations so that your team can resolve their own problems and take ownership of the solution. You’ll also discover how to leverage the true power of observation and deliver feedback that results in positive behavioral changes, so that you can successfully motivate and develop your team and each individual to reach business objectives faster. Winner of Five International Best Book Awards, Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions is your tactical, step-by-step playbook for any people manager looking to: Boost sales, productivity and personal accountability, while reducing your workload Conduct customer/pipeline reviews that improve forecast accuracy, customer retention and uncover new selling opportunities Achieve a long term ROI from coaching by ensuring it’s woven into your daily rhythm of business Design, launch and sustain a successful internal coaching program Turn-around underperformers in 30 days or less Build deeper trust and handle difficult conversations by creating alignment around each person’s goals and your objectives Coach and retain your top performers Collaborate more powerfully and communicate like a world-class leader Training develops salespeople. Coaching develops sales champions. Your new competitive edge.

It could happen today. You are called into the office, and the boss tells you that due to unforeseen circumstances, starting today you will be in charge of a team, a project, an office, a committee, or a business unit. Without any warning (or preparation on your part) you've become an accidental leader. If you have been thrust into a position of sudden responsibility, you need The Accidental Leader. This book is a first aid kit that gives you the information and inspiration you need to Know what you bring to the challenge— your pluses and minuses Define success and achieve it Get other people on your side Overcome your natural shortcomings Get organized— right now See through the apparent system to the culture within Direct people and get them to act The Accidental Leader is your lifeline to leadership success. It is filled with practical answers to the many leadership questions that you will face.