sales management coaching

  • The Secret to Coaching Salespeople and Why It’s So Scary 

    • September 21, 2015
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I learned that the way in which sales leaders react to the exact same material differs exponentially in accordance with the time we have to discuss it.

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  • Are Sales and Sales Management Candidates Getting Worse?

    • September 10, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    There are more sales experts, self-professed and otherwise, than ever before.  There is more free content on sales and selling than anyone could have imagined.  There are probably twice as many books on the subject than just 10 years ago.  There are categories of sales tools and CRM applications where none existed a few years ago.  Companies are spending more money on sales force evaluations, sales training, consulting, sales leadership development, sales process, infrastructure and sales recruiting services than 5 years ago.  And selling has changed more in the past 5 years than ever before.

    With all that, shouldn’t the quality of sales, sales management and sales leadership candidates be on the rise?  Yes, it should.  

    But there’s a problem.  The quality has not risen.  It seems to have worsened!

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  • Missing on the “Secrets to Developing Successful Sales Managers”

    • February 21, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    An interesting article, Secrets to Developing Successful Sales Managers, by Xactly’s CEO, Christopher Cabrera, was posted on Selling Power’s 2/19/13 blog.  I suggest that you read it first, returning to this article for the analysis.

    I thought that the first half of the article was spot on.

    I thought that the second half was as bad as the first half was good.

    Here’s why: 

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  • Top Kurlan Articles on Sales Coaching

    • December 11, 2012
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I present my Top Articles on Coaching Salespeople

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  • Effective or Easiest – Which Path Will Your Salespeople Choose?

    • November 8, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    There are always one or two crucial turning points in every sales cycle where your salespeople must choose between asking the tough question that are called for, or saying what’s comfortable for them. 

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  • Compelling Reasons for Your Salespeople to Go Mobile

    • June 14, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Good Sales Managers know how important it is for their salespeople to uncover needs.

    But it goes way beyond needs. 

    As I detail in Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball, it requires that your salespeople learn about their prospects’ compelling reasons to buy.  Not just their needs. The issues, problems and frustrations – and even the consequences – that would cause them to spend money and spend it with your company, instead of your competitor.

    But it goes well beyond compelling reasons.

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  • 5 Steps to Coaching Your Salespeople Beyond Happy Ears

    • September 29, 2009
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Today I posted this article about Diagnosing and Overcoming Happy Ears on the Baseline Selling web site.  And last week I wrote this article about Happy Ears and an empty pipeline.

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