Lessons from the Last Economic Crisis for COVID-19

Lessons from the Last Economic Crisis for COVID-19

Braveheart Sales Performance turns eleven years old on March 25.  So, if you do the math you will realize that we started the company in 2009.  Smack dab in the economic aftermath of the Great Recession.  Sure, it was risky.  But it seemed less risky at the time than placing my future in the hands of executives of large companies.  And, I knew there was a need for our services.  Boy was I right.  More than I ever expected.

During the recession, it became painfully obvious that many salespeople were not skilled sellers at all.  They were merely product pushers and […]

First Comes Vacation – Then Comes Sales Slump. NOT!!!

First Comes Vacation – Then Comes Sales Slump. NOT!!!

Memorial Day is right around the corner. While the seriousness of this holiday recognizing the men and women who serve in the United States armed forces, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, should not be taken lightly, the weekend has also come to unofficially mark the start of summer.

Readying for retreat

Depending on what part of the country you live in, Memorial Day also signals that the school year is either over or will wrap up in a few weeks and vacation season will get into full swing. For those of us in sales, vacations lead to prospects vanishing […]

Why Beefing Up Commission May Not Change Behavior (& How to Fix)

Why Beefing Up Commission May Not Change Behavior (& How to Fix)

I had a great conversation with a CEO today where we were discussing the merits of refining their compensation plan. It seems the CEO was disgruntled over the fact that his salespeople were comfortable making six-figure incomes, but they weren’t pushing to really knock it out of the park. Maybe you have witnessed the same thing.

These salespeople tend to sell roughly the same amount each month to maintain a certain standard of living, but don’t put that extra effort in to make more. In some cases when this happens, you may know that they could make significantly more if they […]

Sales 2.0. What the Heck is That?

Sales 2.0. What the Heck is That?

If you are like most business leaders you have been around a bit and know the value of growing business through personal connections and referrals.  You may also understand the need to cold call when referrals don’t generate enough business.  But, how do you help a less tenured salesperson gain enough referrals?  Enter Sales 2.0, which is just a slick term for using social media for sales generating purposes.   Many company leaders disregard the use of these tools, especially in the B2B market, because they falsely lump Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn together.  It is the savvy leader who […]

Dumping the Crisis Management Burden on Sales Managers Dampens Growth

Dumping the Crisis Management Burden on Sales Managers Dampens Growth

In my last article, Crisis Management Hampers Sales Managers’ Effectiveness, I discussed the shocking amount of time that many sales managers are spending on crisis management. I conducted a rough poll of business owners regarding this topic and provided a list of possible ways that the sales manager could be spending the bulk of his or her time. Much to my disappointment, the vast majority of the business owners polled indicated that their sales managers spend the bulk of their time in crisis management. This is valuable time that they could be spending coaching and motivating their salespeople to improve […]

Motivation Alone Will NOT Predict Sales Success

Motivation Alone Will NOT Predict Sales Success

In my last article, I wrote about the fact that it is the manager’s job to help motivate their employees.  But, I do not want any misunderstanding.  Just because a person is motivated, or even highly motivated, does not indicate that they will actually be a successful salesperson.  For instance, I know of company owners who believe that if they just hire athletes, whom they deem to be highly motivated (and competitive) they will magically have success.  Oh, if it were just that easy.  Unfortunately, there are so many factors that go into predicting success with a salesperson that motivation […]

12