Managing Major Sales

The first book on managing major sales from the bestselling author of SPIN® Selling.

Considers the management strategies, techniques and skills necessary for major sales and aims to show how these can be developed to improve sales performance, outlining alternative strategies for increasing sales effectiveness and using real-life case studies throughout.

The sudden transformation from player to coach is a dramatic one, and managers are usually expected to make the transition under their own steam. This dilemma is faced by many high-powered salespeople. A compact primer on making the difficult move from a narrow independent workstyle to a host of diverse responsibilities, this guidebook is written in a quick-grasp, conversational style perfect for the new sales manager. In clear, simple terms it shows how to:* Plan sales force operations efficiently* Implement the plan* Appraise the sales force and operations* Control operations* Communicate up and down in the organization* Recruit and maintain the sales forceFrom Selling to Managing gives the newly appointed manager everything he or she needs to be a success -- again.

Boost sales results by zeroing in on the metrics that matter most “Sales may be an art, but sales management is a science. Cracking the Sales Management Code reveals that science and gives practical steps to identify the metrics you must measure to manage toward success.” —Arthur Dorfman, National Vice President, SAP “Cracking the Sales Management Code is a must-read for anyone who wants to bring his or her sales management team into the 21st century.” —Mike Nathe, Senior Vice President, Essilor Laboratories of America “The authors correctly assert that the proliferation of management reporting has created a false sense of control for sales executives. Real control is derived from clear direction to the field—and this book tells how do to that in an easy-to-understand, actionable manner.” —Michael R. Jenkins, Signature Client Vice President, AT&T Global Enterprise Solutions “There are things that can be managed in a sales force, and there are things that cannot. Too often sales management doesn’t see the difference. This book is invaluable because it reveals the manageable activities that actually drive sales results.” —John Davis, Vice President, St. Jude Medical “Cracking the Sales Management Code is one of the most important resources available on effective sales management. . . . It should be required reading for every sales leader.” —Bob Kelly, Chairman, The Sales Management Association “A must-read for managers who want to have a greater impact on sales force performance.” —James Lattin, Robert A. Magowan Professor of Marketing, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University “This book offers a solution to close the gap between sales processes and business results. It shows a new way to think critically about the strategies and tactics necessary to move a sales team from good to great!” —Anita Abjornson, Sales Management Effectiveness, Abbott Laboratories About the Book: There are literally thousands of books on selling, coaching, and leadership, but what about the particulars of managing a sales force? Where are the frameworks, metrics, and best practices to help you succeed? Based on extensive research into how world-class companies measure and manage their sales forces, Cracking the Sales Management Code is the first operating manual for sales management. In it you will discover: The five critical processes that drive sales performance How to choose the right processes for your own team The three levels of sales metrics you must collect Which metrics you can “manage” and which ones you can’t How to prioritize conflicting sales objectives How to align seller activities with business results How to use CRM to improve the impact of coaching As Neil Rackham writes in the foreword: “There’s an acute shortage of good books on the specifics of sales management. Cracking the Sales Management Code is about the practical specifics of sales management in the new era, and it fills a void.” Cracking the Sales Management Code fills that void by providing foundational knowledge about how the sales force works. It reveals the gears and levers that actually control sales results. It adds clarity to things that you intuitively know and provides insight into things that you don’t. It will change the way you manage your sellers from day to day, as well as the results you get from year to year.

There are hundreds of books out there on sales, but 7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management is one of the few aimed directly at the most critical person in the sales organization: the sales manager. A practical, hands-on guide, the book presents an integrated approach to sales management and combines the author's experience with innovative strategies for motivating your sales force, recruiting quality sales people, and training new employees. Written by a grizzled veteran, the book reflects his success and allows you to learn from his mistakes. As Jack Wilner is fond of saying, "Nothing in this book is theoretical. It's all based on one thing and one thing only-what works!"

As the president of a major sales company and experienced sales management trainer, author William Miller provides sales managers a proven method for successfully managing both sales processes and salespeople. Packed with specific, field-tested techniques, ProActive Sales Management teaches readers how to: motivate a sales team; get their sales team to prospect and qualify; create a proactive sales culture; effectively coach and counsel up and down the sales organization; reduce reports to one sheet of paper and 10 minutes a week; forecast with up to 90 percent accuracy; and take A players to A+ levels. Today’s sales managers have to be quicker than ever, being more proactive about hiring the best performers and retaining them while multitasking with managing complex sales processes in order to close more and more deals. Packed with all new metrics and tactics for making the numbers in today’s sales environment, ProActive Sales Management is an invaluable resource for this brand of highly in-demand leaders.

The challenges facing today's sales executives and their organizations continue to grow, but so do the expectations that they will find ways to overcome them and drive consistent sales growth. There are no simple solutions to this situation, but in this thoroughly updated Second Edition of Sales Growth, experts from McKinsey & Company build on their practical blueprint for achieving this goal and explore what world-class sales executives are doing right now to find growth and capture it—as well as how they are creating the capabilities to keep growing in the future. Based on discussions with more than 200 of today's most successful global sales leaders from a wide array of organizations and industries, Sales Growth puts the experiences of these professionals in perspective and offers real-life examples of how they've overcome the challenges encountered in the quest for growth. The book, broken down into five overarching strategies for successful sales growth, shares valuable lessons on everything from how to beat the competition by looking forward, to turning deep insights into simple messages for the front line. Page by page, you'll learn how sales executives are digging deeper than ever to find untapped growth, maximizing emerging markets opportunities, and powering growth through digital sales. You'll also discover what it takes to find big growth in big data, develop the right "sales DNA" in your organization, and improve channel performance. Three new chapters look at why presales deserve more attention, how to get the most out of marketing, and how technology and outsourcing could entirely reshape the sales function. Twenty new standalone interviews have been added to those from the first edition, so there are now in-depth insights from sales leaders at Adidas, Alcoa, Allianz, American Express, BMW, Cargill, Caterpillar, Cisco, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Deutsche Bank, EMC, Essent, Google, Grainger, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intesa Sanpaolo, Itaú Unibanco, Lattice Engines, Mars, Merck, Nissan, P&G, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Salesforce, Samsung, Schneider Electric, Siemens, SWIFT, UPS, VimpelCom, Vodafone, and Würth. Their stories, as well as numerous case studies, touch on some of the most essential elements of sales, from adapting channels to meet changing customer needs to optimizing sales operations and technology, developing sales talent and capabilities, and effectively leading the way to sales growth. Engaging and informative, this timely book details proven approaches to tangible top-line growth and an improved bottom line. Created specifically for sales executives, it will put you in a better position to drive sales growth in today's competitive market.