sales management competencies

  • Why Coaching Causes Some Sales Managers to Hold On for Dear Life

    • March 4, 2019
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Over the past few months I’ve been coaching 30 sales leaders from 3 companies and while most are trying their hardest to do everything I recommend, apply everything they learn, and coach as instructed, there are several that don’t follow through and fail to move the needle for their teams.  A few don’t want to be coached.  A few don’t think they need to be coached.  A few are too proud to be coached.  A couple are too mentally challenged to be coached.

    Avoidance aside, there are six scientifically proven reasons for their struggles and I’ll share them with you here.

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  • Top 13 Requirements to Help You Soar as a Sales Manager

    • January 17, 2019
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    In my last article I shared the top 8 requirements for becoming a great salesperson.  Wow, did that resonate with people and there was a great discussion about it on LinkedIn.  In addition to that, I received a number of emails asking, what are the requirements for becoming a great sales manager?

    I’ll share those in a moment but first, since they were so popular, a few more “do you remember the first time” questions:

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  • The Latest Data Shows That Sales Managers Are Even Worse Than I Thought

    • June 18, 2018
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Today we’re diving into sales management and specifically, the Sales Management Coaching Competency. What you read will surely disappoint and shock you and might even cause you to puke in disgust.

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  • Harvard Business Review Blog Off Target on Sales Greatness

    • March 5, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This recent article in the Harvard Business Review Blog was as far off target as any I have ever debunked.  Steve Martin lists 7 characteristics that he says differentiate great sales forces from good ones.  His seven are:

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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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  • 13 Most Important Tools for Coaching Salespeople

    • November 11, 2009
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    This is the 1st in the series of the Top 10 Kurlan Sales Management Functions.

    #1 – COACHING

    In its simplest form, sales coaching consists of the following two activities:

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