Sales Management. Simplified. MP3 CD – Unabridged, March 15, 2016

First my summary, then a few comments about the book:1. Build a high-performance culture with:a. Strong sense of purposeb. Accountability for results relative to goalsc. Variable compensation that is truly earnedd. Energy/Celebratione. Peer pressure and direct feedback2. Manage your talent (4Rs)a. Right people in the right roles: Specialize your team into dedicated hunters, farmers (account managers), and sales managersb. Retain top producers: training, tools, and recognitionc. Remediate or replace underperformersd. Recruit by spending dedicated time on referrals and asking for specific during interviews, including: (i) details of a successful past deal & (ii) how they plan to approach the job3. Lead productive sales team meetings covering:a. Sales results & outstanding individual/team performanceb. Success storiesc. Best practicesd. Deal strategy brainstorminge. Training (esp. with role play)f. Business plan reviews covering: goals, strategies, proposed actions, expected obstacles, and professional developmentg. At the conclusion, have people share their biggest take-away4. Coach and mentor salespeople by:a. Conducting regular, results focused 1:1 meetings by examining (IN ORDER!)i. Results relative to quotaii. Pipeline (movement of existing opportunities; new opportunities added)iii. Activityb. Removing real obstacles (though beware of excuses)c. Spending time in the field (or in side-by-sides for inside sales) covering:i. Pre-call planning (names, personalities, & meeting expectations of prospects; call flow; expected challenges; primary meeting goal)ii. Post-call review, letting the salesperson share her take firstiii. Generally getting to know salespeople’s motivations5. Set the standard for effective sales calls. For example:a. Share the agenda and get buy-inb. Add value every time as a customer-issue-focused problem-solverc. Probe and listen (instead of leading with talking about the product) to determine if prospects are qualified and to write better proposalsd. Hold a conversation rather than give a presentatione. Crisply articulate the “sales story” in a way that is succinct, compelling, and customer-issue focusedf. Lead the customer rather than letting the customer lead you6. Additional recommendations:a. Regularly assess territory strategy to ensure salespeople are targeting the accounts the highest-potential accounts. They should have enough accounts to work, but not too many to adequately work.b. Avoid negativityc. Be selfishly productive, proactivity calendaring all priority activities and saying no to reactive, non-results-oriented tasks & meetingsd. Be careful not to avoid your high performers or focus too much on underperformerse. Demand (from finance/operations) accurate, timely, usable reports to monitor sales results and pipelineReview comment: While the book has great content, it takes work to extract it since (a) the entire first half of the book is a long rant (b) the rant continues at times in the second half (c) there is a decent amount of repetition (d) the author is, at times, overly self-promotional (e) the organizing structure (culture, talent management, and process) is somewhat loose and intertwined with a second framework (1:1s, team meetings, and field work).

I have a problem. I buy all the latest sales books. I read them, make a few notes and move on to the next. I have a sales library any sales pro would be proud of but the challenge is actually acting on the wise words written by these sales experts. (I am the same with cook books but that is another story!)This year I took action. I decided I would only read 2 sales books and put their words into action. Mike Weinberg's Sales Management Simplified is one of the books I settled on.I have been in sales for over 20 years and managing sales teams for over 10. Mike's book was a wake up call, I had been coasting! My numbers were okay but I knew I could deliver more. I read Sales Management Simplified and it was the kick up the backside I needed. I had got sloppy with regular 1:1's, was going through the motions with my team meetings. Not any more.I read Mr Weinberg's book every month, I even have it on Audible, his words inspired me to re-evaluate the way I was operating as a Sales Manager. No more coasting.Now our 1:1s happen every week, with talking points submitted by the sales person a few days before. Same with team meetings, they are interactive, fun and we learn together. I am in the field more and our 'ride-alongs' are much more structured and have become real occasions for development and learning.I manage remote sales teams so I need to be on the top of my sales game if I expect my team to deliver. I need to work smarter to inspire my sales force as they all sell from home offices and not on a bustling sales floor.I have no connection with Mike so believe me when I say that his book has helped me a) exceed tough team targets, b) develop my sales people c) given me fire in my belly and be proud to be a Sales Manager again.Let's be honest being a sales manager can be a lonely job, managing sales people and our superiors can be a tough job. Do yourself a favor, buy this book, read it, re-read it and act on it. Having Mike Weinberg in your corner will seriously improve your team results and get you passionate about the craft of sales management.

I listen to Mike. Respect him but there were not many take aways beyond the obvious. It was a great refresher and well written