Sales Question:


Answer:

Depends on what your definition of "team meeting" is as well as what are you attempting to accomplish with a sales meeting. One of the fastest ways to kill sales motivation is to have a pointless meeting that drains your inside sales teams energy and enthusiasm.

Sales Team Meetings Should Have Goals / Objectives

Best meetings I've been to are the ones where we are working on perfecting a specific sales skill. So rather than listen to the manager try and come up with a new way to say the same old thing they've already said in the past (multiple times), it was focused on skill building. Something we would actually benefit from. Immediately.

Role-Playing

Having break-out sessions where inside sales reps had to role-play with their peers while being critiqued (in a positive, not critical way) is going to be far more effective at generating new business than will a typical sales meeting where the sales reps are being "talked to". (Just make sure they are role-playing the right sales techniques... last thing you want them to do is reinforce bad sales practices)

One-On-One Sales Meetings

When it comes to reviewing ones sales numbers, goals, short-comings, expectations and objectives, I feel one-on-one meetings are more respectful and produce better results. Sales people need to have thick skin and deal with rejection but wise sales managers will know what conversations need to be held in private.

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner & 2013 SellingPower Top Sales Training Company Contender)
888-264-0562 ext. 1

SALES QUESTION:

Answer:

This happens to EVERY SALESPERSON at least once. The real question is, will you let the loss of this deal cause you to lose even more sales?

The bigger danger is allowing that one deal to cause you to continue your losing streak by dwelling on it. I know its tough… especially if you really needed that commission to make those extra bills / recent unexpected expenses go away.

But you are at a crossroads… You either deal with it or you let it consume you and allow it to steal other deals from you.

Turning LOSS into a GAIN

Here’s what I’ve found to be the best way to handle the mental anguish of losing a deal...

Own it. Make no excuses. Take responsibility.

Once you do that, ask yourself:


If you start the blame game and make excuses as to why you lost the deal, you’ll never correct the behavior that caused you to miss out on that commission and the sting of the loss will linger much longer than you want it to.

Accepting responsibility and self analyzing what went right and what could of or should have been done differently allows you to accept it and move on. It also makes you a better sales person. One who will be better prepared the next time you run into a similar scenario.

In fact, mistakes are one of the greatest teaching aides out there. But only if you are willing to take ownership of them.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)