This past week we had the chance to help a growing company start building out it's sales force. Up till now they had none, they had grown organically yet they realized that with the right person they would be able to accelerate that growth.

But they had no experience hiring sales people and as a somewhat smaller company the risk associated with hiring the wrong person was magnified. So we implemented our STAR recruiting program for them to guarantee that a  top performer is identified and eliminate that risk. We create the right ad, we screen the candidates using our assessment, we grill them on the phone interview and narrow it down to the final few for an in person interview. We had completed the first phases and the CEO joined us this week for the in person interview. When we sat down and talked after the last candidate left the CEO had a dilemma. It is a dilemma we hear quite often when we help recruit - " I can't decide because they are all so good!".

The next thing that happened is he started to think about the impact on his business if he was able to hire two. He could double his revenue in 2010. When was the last time you had that type of hiring dilemma? Sales people are notoriously difficult to find and identify and hire but time and again we are able to do that. Sounds like the kind of dilemma everyone would like to have.

On another note this economy provides some excellent timing as far as getting real talent. If you are debating or thinking about getting some "feet on the street" then it is probably something you should prioritize if you want to exploit that in your favor.

One of our key people - Mike Thornton shared a picture with us earlier this week of his brother. His brother is currently serving in Iraq and the picture he had sent was of him at the bottom of a Ziggurat. Iraq is full of rubble and ruins but very little remains of what was once a great empire.

Babylon had hanging gardens - a Ziggurat with trees, plants and water feature. It had bridges and causeways and a huge wall that had gates decorated with blue tiles. But today almost nothing remains - other than a few piles of rubble and a few ruins.

So no matter how great you were yesterday or what you did in the 80's or 90's and how fast you were growing in 07 - none of that matters. Many businesses have just a pile of rubble left as a result of these recent conditions. Nothing even worth rebuilding. Are you building a sales legacy that can last? That means lasting through good and bad. Are you building something that is in a constant state of improvement and growth? are you building something that will stay ahead of the competition? Babylon was a beautiful city but it is gone. They were conquered, cities abandoned and forgotten.

Perhaps you are wondering " is my sales organization strong enough? Are my people growing?" If you are then let me know because we can help you find out.

Alexander the Great awoke before the sun rose and watched the light hit what was going to be the battlefield that day. He was of course outnumbered and this first major battle against Darius would either become a defining moment or the end of his career - Guagamela!

Watching the Battle field at dawn uncovered every nuance of the terrain - he saw valleys and hills and understood his position better and that of his enemy. He realized that what looked like a simple approach was difficult and what looked difficult was not so bad. This understanding , this knowledge was to provide a distinct advantage on the day to come.

His opponent also arose early, not as early as Alexander , but Darius used his time to bathe and dress and then took a quick look at a sketch of the battlefield with his Generals - notice the difference?

Quite often we hear that it is too early to evaluate the sales force. We hear that the "timing isn't good right now". Sometimes there are changes or initiatives going on and that is why a CEO might say he wants to wait. The irony is that the very reasons that are often offered are the exact things we feel make the timing perfect: Here are some examples of the perfect time to start looking at a sales team.

• I am in the middle of strategic planning for 2010.
• I have a lot going on (therefore no time)
• I just fired my Vp of Sales.
• I just Hired a Vp of Sales.
• I want my new Vp to get a handle on things first.
• We are in a real downturn.
• We are booming.
• I want to get all my people aligned first.

Do you get the point. The evaluation process adds light to this terrain and helps you make the right decision not the wrong one. It is never too early, the earlier you start the more nuance you get to see (like Alexander) So in our world these "reasons" become just excuses that are used to disguise the real reasons for not doing something. Fear, Pride, Overwhelmed or incapable.

I would welcome comments from the other side as to why someone would put off an action that traditionally has demonstrated at least a 15:1 return on investment. Please enlighten me? Why and When does acting like Darius win over the behavior of Alexander?

Sir Horatio Nelson is known for delivering a number of naval defeats to Napoleons forces. Often outnumbered Nelson was always resourceful and innovative - he would simply find a way to get it done! He was extremely courageous and patriotic, he lost his arm and his eye and finally his life fighting for his country. That is a really brief introduction to who he was, but why am I bringing him up?

In spite of these strengths there were a number of interesting flaws that plagued his illustrious career. First of all he suffered from sea sickness his entire life. Imagine that, a sailor that spent his entire career at sea battled with sea sickness.

His personal life was a little bit of a mess. He was involved in a few scandalous affairs and socially speaking he offended quite a few people that he probably shouldn't have.

So it goes with sales people - often they can have a pretty dominant weakness and still succeed if their desire and commitment is strong enough. At times a sales performer will have social or personal issues but once again if they have the skills and desire to succeed in sales they often do. The lesson is this - too often we select sales people based on the wrong criteria - imagine it is 1804 and you need to pick an admiral to fight off a combined French and Spanish fleet. Nelson shows up, one eye, one arm and lets you know he often gets sea sick. What are you going to do? Would you Hire Him?

Don't forget the Athenians! Three times a day Persian King Darius would have a servant whisper those words to him. He was in control of a huge empire, there were many conflicts going on but he wanted to guarantee that that when the timing was right he remembered to take vengeance on the Greeks. Of course he tried to later and failed. Darius was a little crazy but none of that matters - what matters here is the lesson in affirmations.

Eventually we will do what we have been listening to, positive or negative, stupid or wise.

So right now your sales people are hearing things over and over again, what is that affirming for them? As a sales person what are you doing to counteract that? As a manager what are you offering as a positive affirmation to your people? More importantly what does your example show?

For example if your sales people are consistently hearing that the economy is soft and the timing is bad to spend money that is one thing - but if your actions re-enforce that by you also cutting back and not spending money. especially on tools to strengthen your sales team....well you have just validated the negative affirmation!

So be careful and make sure the affirmations and actions are leading you to success not failure.

During World War I the allies found themselves in one of the most notorious stalemates in history. Two opposing armies locked in trench warfare - fighting furiously over literal inches of ground. The root cause of this problem first came to light 50 years earlier in the civil war - the technology of firearms and cannons had surpassed the techniques employed by the infantry. One might have expected the military to have learned and developed new methods over those years however they did not.

Two men had a solution during World War I that would solve the problem and break the gridlock. We call it the tank today. Although their design was available at the beginning of the war it took years for the allies to even try the strange weapon and when they finally did it worked amazingly well. They added more, the gridlock was broken and the war was over.

So the confusing part is this. When William Tritton and Walter Wilson were trying to sell their tank to the allied commanders the timing was perfect. The need was there. There was plenty of pain. The product was a perfect solution to the problem. They were able to demonstrate it's effectiveness. The tank fit in nicely with the overall vision and mission i.e. winning the war. So what was the problem? Why not move forward and save millions of lives?

Interestingly we sometimes see the same issues today. We present a solution, we offer a reference, the timing is right, there is compelling reason to do something is there and an effective solution offered but people don't act. Sometimes people are not capable, qualified or committed enough to make the right decision. The military leadership in World War I was far removed from the front. They were fond of their old antiquated methods. They were not about to listen to two engineers. They were not agents of change - they were resistors of change.

However the real reason was identified by Winston Churchill years later. He of course suffered his own military debacle in the Dardanelles Campaign. He put the blame on a lack of humility. Don't allow a lack of humility stop you from doing what is right for your business. There are areas where we all need help - failing to recognize those is foolish. Yet I consistently speak with  CEO's who will say they need help on the sales front, but the sales leadership will say no we don't and get offended. We talk with CEO's who trust a VP to head not only sales but marketing and business development as well - and they don't need help?

So if you are struggling with finding a new years resolution here is one for you - just be humble in 2010.

Well --  it is the time of year when we reflect and learn. How was 2009 for you?  It is also the time of year when we look forward and plan for the year ahead.  How will 2010 be for you?

As you scanned through the television stations over the last few days it was pretty common to see photo galleries of leaders and celebrities that were lost over the past year.  Quite often we get nostalgic about their roles, personality and accomplishments.  Of course nobody wants to be cynical at a funeral and therefore sometimes the "rose colored glasses" view is appropriate.

But in business you cannot afford to be "nostalgic" or have an unrealistic view of the past.  This is important because the future can only be changed by having a clear understanding of what lies ahead.

Throughout history people have looked back at the "good old days" but in reality those times were often rife with an entirely different set of problems than the present.  Often when we are asked to help a sales organization we can see what needs to be fixed immediately.  We can make a recommendation that will work because we have seen it work before.  We can realistically help you go from 5 to 10 million regardless of the economy - why?  Because we have no sentimentality about your business.  Our Father didn't found it.  We didn't build it from the ground up. We are not burdened by an in-depth understanding of the technology, etc, etc.

Can you think of a  better time than January to take a good, objective look at your growth strategy for 2010?

During the civil war General Robert E Lee lost his most talented general - Stonewall Jackson - to friendly fire.  He spoke of this loss as being equivalent to losing his right arm. Of course he had other Generals but none that were as competent and heroic.  We could say that not every General was "General" material.

Occasionally we run into a VP of sales that is competent and heroic - looking out for what is best for the company, not an egomaniac and open to new ideas. But most of the time they are really not VP material.  All CEO's should take the time to seriously question the ability of the person in this role, after all an incompetent VP of sales could push your business right under in this economy. What might be some indicators?

Well, if your CFO didn't want to use a payroll company, an accounting firm or a bank - preferring to handle everything himself and saying something like "I've been doing this long enough to know what I'm doing" what would you think?  If your CIO refused to update your software or protect your infrastructure with the latest expertise would you be confident in him?   If your Marketing Director wanted to keep the old website and saw no need to look into newer mediums that might provide an edge - how does that work for you?   What if your VP of HR refused to use an outside company for background checks or insisted on only posting openings in the Sunday Paper; a little out of step maybe?

Yet - VP's of Sales consistently refuse help with their sales people. They don't appreciate the value of evaluating their people to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, they refuse to have someone look at them and tell them how they might improve their systems, processes or people. They are often arrogant about their skills - which are overinflated and ignore their own weaknesses.

So if you are a CEO and you are leaving it to your VP of sales to offer true leadership in this regard, chances are it won't happen. Of course there might be occasions when they are right and don't need any help - is everything perfect? Are all deals getting closed? Forecasts always come in on target?  New Business is the majority of what is closed? Turnover is in check? They have a clear picture of how to increase revenue in the coming year?  Sales is working harmoniously with the rest of your organization? Etc, Etc......

Bottom Line - a VP that refuses to look at what could be improved, a VP that thinks they know exactly what needs to happen and doesn't need any help is probably going to hurt you more than they help you.

So there are two CEO's of similar sized companies in the Boston area that I had been pursuing for some time. They had similar challenges, were about the same age running young hip companies. The interaction level had been about the same, same number of emails and calls had been placed hoping to get their attention. Same type and number of voice mail messages had been left. Then finally a few weeks ago I made contact with both of them a few days apart - I mean they actually picked up the phone!

CEO #1 said " thanks for being so persistent and not giving up on me, we really do need to talk about getting some help " ,Then he laughed and said " I was just testing you to see what you were made of, I really do wish my people worked as hard at reaching my prospects as you did at reaching me!"

CEO #2 said (shouting) " you know I have had enough of these aggressive tactics and you can't take a hint can you - I am not interested in ever doing business with you, got it!" then he hung up.

Both of these were welcome responses because like most sales people I would rather have a clear Yes or a No than a neutral response. CEO #2 was right - I don't take hints and hopefully your sales people don't either. Hints are another word for what we call a negative record collection. But what was the difference between CEO #1 and CEO #2.

The first CEO described what I was offering as "help" the 2nd as "business". The first appreciated my persistence and effort the second saw it as aggressive tactics. The first thanked me for interrupting and the second yelled at me. So let's forget about me for a minute and ask the real question - which of these two CEO's can really lead a sales force. Not number 2 and let me explain why. CEO # 2 clearly does not have a supportive buy cycle, does not appreciate persistence and carries the head trash that " it is wrong to interrupt people" and they should take "hints" aka - assume.

My prediction is this - although both companies are similar in size and scope that with or without my help the company led by CEO #1 will do better that that under CEO#2.

I will keep you posted.

In the 1950's the French fought a little known battle in Vietnam at a place called Dienbienphu. Several years earlier the Germans were fighting a resurgence outside of Stalingrad against a revitalized Soviet army. We can go back further into history and look at examples from Byzantium to Babylon and we find something happening again and again. Do you know what the common thread is?

In all the aforementioned cases the losing party was counting on some type of advanced technology to save the day and counteract the overwhelming odds. This technology they believed was so good, so advanced, so special and so unique that it would be their salvation - they were all wrong! Why?

Because there is and always will be a "human element" and unless we understand and plan for that then technology - regardless of how advanced will always be susceptible to failure. Now let's apply that lesson.

So many of the companies that we speak with believe and actually do have a great technological offering. The engineers within these organization will have you believe that this alone is enough to sell - in their minds all the sales people need to do is present and demonstrate and the product should be flying off the shelves, but like our examples they are wrong. They fail to consider the human element and sales is all about that. It comes down to one human communicating effectively with another and presenting details about product is not the right kind of communication.

Sales people have their faults - but to their credit they won't usually try and tell an engineer how to engineer something because they know it's not their space. I guess i would like to see the engineers show the sam respect and realize that - in this case - they don't know what they are doing and meddling will often lead their sales army to defeat in the field.