The Hidden Obstacle to Improving Sales Performance: Systems Thinking

Last week’s blog post, “Why Is It So Hard to Create Improvements in the Sales Department?” listed six examples of companies who tried and failed to improve sales results. All shared the same root cause. Read more

The Last Thing a Fish Discovers is Water

Last week’s blog post “Why People Are NOT Your Most Important Asset” created some strong reaction.

Here is an example: Michael, I was recently fired from my sales job, because I wasn’t on the road “cold calling” enough … Instead, I had been working to set up Google alerts for research as well as trigger events that Jill Konrath (www.sellingtobigcompanies.com) refers to. I was trying to set up an automated way of attracting and nurturing contacts through email, phone follow up, etc. They told me I was being fired for not doing the sales. It is frustrating enough to be told to do things you know don’t work any more. But, to get fired for trying something you know could work! It is just incredible. Your article touched all those things that companies still either don’t understand or don’t want to do…Do the research, create the value … all they want is more cold calls or send that proposal out … You pointed out the reasons why the sales process is messed up and how it needs to improve … that the whole company must organize around researching the market, creating value, etc. It must deal with the “whole process,” not just what salespeople do. It really gave me hope that maybe some of the old ways will be flushed out with this recession. By the way, I got lucky: I start a new job in two weeks. But I’ll be careful not to bring these new ideas to my new employer too soon…I need a job… Bob Smith (not his real name)

The exact same thing has happened to me, Bob. More than once, actually. Many employers today are stamping Read more

Can Your Marketing and Selling Process Be Improved?

Michael J. Webb, Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. Originally published in Marketing Times Spring 2005 (pdf of this article) Process improvement has revolutionized manufacturing over the past two decades, but is only now coming Read more

The Secret Reason Your Company’s Sales Process is Not Working, and What You Can Do to Fix It Now

Recently, in the boardroom of a major corporation, my friend Steve was recommending the roll-out of a sales negotiation program from Think! Inc., an internationally-recognized business negotiation training and consulting firm. The company’s Senior V.P. of Sales was there, along with his directors of sales operations, CRM, sales training, plus Read more

Internal Negotiations: A Battle the Sales VP Cannot Fight Alone

A consultant I know is struggling to help his client, a sales vice president. “We’ve got one hell of a problem with internal negotiations,” the sales V.P. said. He saw it as his number one problem, preventing him from making his numbers. My friend Read more

A Must Read for Marketing/Sales/QA Managers, and Also for Senior Executives and MBA Students

The following was posted on Amazon yesterday by a CEO in California:

Most CEOs/COOs/CFOs would agree:

1. Marketing/Sales is both an art and a black box, or even a black hole as it seems to be a continuous cash guzzler.
2. Sometimes CEOs feel they are captives to the Sales VP because even though they are not happy with their sales performance, firing and replacing them with new ones is not a sure win.
3. Marketing campaigns are like shooting in the dark. If you don’t shoot, you will not catch anything. But if you keep shooting in the dark, pretty soon the bullets will run out. Most CEOs feel their Marketing VPs are “addicted” to all those fancy marketing programs without assured ROI.
4. VP/Marketing and VP/Sales are like a divorced couple. The best way to pacify them is to keep them separate forever. But how can CEOs afford to do that?

Systems Thinking in Sales and Marketing

Systems Thinking Guru Russell Ackoff once said that the System cannot detect its own problem and it Read more