Acknowledgments | p. xi |
Introduction | p. 1 |
I. Planning | p. 7 |
Chapter 1 The Changing World of Sales Management | p. 9 |
What's Expected of You? | p. 14 |
Knowing the Business Realities: Situational Analysis | p. 16 |
Customer Values Benchmarking | p. 20 |
Developing Critical Objectives | p. 22 |
Chapter 2 Planning for Today and Tomorrow | p. 27 |
The Value of Planning | p. 29 |
A Snapshot of Today | p. 30 |
Scenario and Simulation Planning | p. 38 |
Determining Prioritized Corporate Objectives | p. 41 |
Clarifying Short-Term, Intermediate, and Long-Term Goals | p. 43 |
Creating Directional Statements for Your Sales Team | p. 46 |
Determining Resource Requirements and Availability | p. 48 |
Chapter 3 Crafting the Professional Sales Force | p. 53 |
Setting Out Your Goals | p. 55 |
Establishing Performance Objectives and Measurements | p. 56 |
Raising the Bar for Existing Sales Team Members | p. 65 |
Using the New Performance Standards to Hire | p. 66 |
II. Preparing | p. 69 |
Chapter 4 Finding the Talent | p. 71 |
Recruiting and Hiring Practices | p. 73 |
How to Recruit | p. 79 |
Interviewing "Best Practices" | p. 80 |
Understanding the Legal and Ethical Ramifications of Recruiting and Hiring | p. 86 |
Chapter 5 Strengthening the Sales Team | p. 91 |
The Strong Grow Stronger | p. 93 |
Linking Organizational Processes | p. 94 |
Selecting and Implementing Critical Technologies | p. 95 |
Understanding Evolving Technologies and Software | p. 96 |
Using Technology as a Point of Differentiation | p. 102 |
Effective Development and Training Initiatives | p. 103 |
Determining Strengths and Weaknesses of Individual Sales Team Members | p. 104 |
Creating Individualized Plans for Growth | p. 105 |
Getting the Sales Professional's "Buy-In" | p. 107 |
Chapter 6 Compensation Programs That Drive Superior Performance | p. 111 |
Sales Force Compensation | p. 113 |
Making Sure Your Compensation Plan Drives the Desired Objectives | p. 116 |
Weighing Compensation Plan Variations | p. 119 |
Watching for Negative Results | p. 123 |
Fine-Tuning the Plan | p. 126 |
Making the Plan Fair for Everyone | p. 128 |
III. Producing | p. 131 |
Chapter 7 Now Lead: Measuring and Managing Performance | p. 133 |
Sales Forecasting | p. 135 |
Performance Evaluations | p. 136 |
Understanding Changes in the Territories and the Marketplace That Impact Performance | p. 143 |
Recognizing Individual Challenges | p. 153 |
Identifying All Contributors to a Forecast | p. 154 |
Communicating the Results to Senior Management | p. 155 |
Chapter 8 Coaching and Counseling | p. 159 |
The Art of Coaching | p. 161 |
Coaching Skills to Improve Performance | p. 163 |
The Ride-Along or Co-Calling Coaching Session | p. 164 |
The Office Coaching Session | p. 168 |
Creating a Motivational Environment | p. 173 |
Dealing with the Difficult Times | p. 176 |
Counseling the Problem Team Member | p. 177 |
Managing Dismissals Intelligently | p. 178 |
Legal Considerations | p. 179 |
Chapter 9 Looking Toward the Future | p. 181 |
Creating Career Development Plans for Your Sales Team Members | p. 184 |
Matching the Plan to Goals | p. 184 |
Preparing for Turnover | p. 188 |
Succession and Legacy Planning | p. 189 |
Wearing the Mantle of Leadership | p. 191 |
Conclusion | p. 197 |
A Leadership Growth Plan | p. 201 |
A Checklist for Success | p. 203 |
Index | p. 207 |