Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007 - (Page 5)

Management Strategies WITH BRIAN TRACY Get Ahead with the Winning Edge n every field, including sales management, the top people usually are only a tiny bit better than the average ones, yet they are many times more effective and get far better results. Why is this? Because they have the “winning edge.” This concept is one of the more important ideas on the path to success. It says that small differences in ability often can translate into enormous differences in results. There are seven key performance areas in which your ability to think largely determines the quality of your results and the future of your career.When you focus on each of these areas, you start to develop the winning edge. I. The first job of the sales manager is to set and achieve sales quotas and business goals. To do so, both you and all who report to you must be absolutely clear about what is expected. The most important word in business success—and success in life—is the word I those prospects into customers. Here is an exercise for you and your key people: Take a sheet of paper, and at the top, write this sentence:“We achieved all of our sales goals this year because…” Complete this sentence with at least 20 answers. Get your salespeople to work with you to generate as many answers as you can. III. The third responsibility of the sales manager is to solve problems and make decisions. In life, people always rise to the level of the problems that they are able to solve.Top people solve big problems,with big-time financial rewards. IV.Your fourth responsibility is to set priorities and work on key tasks. The fact is, you have too much to do and too little time in which to do it. The only way you can get your time under control is not by doing more—but by doing fewer, more important things. Each morning, make a list of everything you have to do that day. Go over your list and number your tasks from one “The winning edge concept is one of the more important ideas in success.” “clarity.”According to time management specialists, every minute you spend in planning will save you 10 minutes in execution. Each person who reports to you must be absolutely clear not only about his goals, but the daily activities that he is expected to engage in to achieve those goals. II. The sales manager’s second responsibility is to innovate and market.You must continually seek faster,better and cheaper ways to generate prospects and convert www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com to seven.Ask yourself,“If I were called out of town for a month, what one task on this list would I be determined to complete before I left?” Make that task number one. Repeat the process with the second-most important task, and so on. V. The fifth responsibility of sales managers is to focus and concentrate—not only your own attention on your key tasks, but your salespeople on theirs. Perhaps the most powerful time management technique ever discovered is called “single-handling.” In single-handling, you identify the most valuable thing you could possibly be doing at any time, and then concentrate 100% on that task. VI. The sixth responsibility of the sales manager is to lead by example. Be a role model for your sales team. Imagine that everyone is watching everything you do, and modeling their attitudes and behaviors after yours. VII. The seventh responsibility of sales management, and the most important, is to perform and get results. In the final analysis, results are everything. Every morning, you should wake up and ask, “What results are expected of me?” When you focus the powers of your incredible mind on achieving more and better results, you develop the winning edge in your field. Brian Tracy is one of the top sales and management trainers in the world. He is president of Brian Tracy University online (www.briantracyu.com), which offers certificates in Superior Sales Management and High Performance Selling. OCTOBER 2007 SALES&MARKETING MANAGEMENT 5 http://www.briantracyu.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007

Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007 Contents Editor’s Letter Management Strategies Why Prospecting Gets No Respect Sales Strategy: Spotlight your Services Marketing: A Social Intelligence Primer Management: Steer your Team to Success Motivation/Incentives: The No-Pain Way to Gain Training: Looking for Yesterday’s Learning or Tomorrow’s? Technology: Get Trade Show Satisfaction with the Video Massage Focusing on SMB Solutions The Best Sales Force The Hottest Job Industries Overseas Aggravation Gadgets & Gear: Pen and Ink as an Art Form Books that Improve Strategic Thinking, People Skills and Sales One Foot Out the Door Work/Life: Calling in the Fitness Cavalry. Take-Aways: Bite-size Strategies to Help You Sell More, Market Smarter and Manage Better

Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007

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