Why is it that so many sales and marketing organizations focus so much energy on re-working product bundles, updating sales pitches and collateral while distributing the information via the latest POS technology like laptops and iPads and think that this approach is going to lead to dramatically better sales results?

I’m sure I’ll be one of millions of bloggers writing about the Superbowl this morning, and there will be no shortage of folks singing the praises of New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Yeah, I’m from Jacksonville (some of you may remember his remarkable run here), so I have an affinity for this gentleman that started well before he signed his $21 mil contract and won his second ring. 

As with most young sales people, in the first few months of my career I struggled with what questions to ask of my prospects and in what order to ask them. On good days, I came across with at least enough confidence to garner a little respect and a minimal amount of participation by my contact. On bad days, I got three orders: get out, stay out and don’t come back.

A Rant to Call Centers from a Frustrated Customer

Let me rant for a few minutes. I know it’s not my style, but I’ve been driven to the brink by two recent call center encounters that left me wondering whether or not I was being punked. The following stories are true. The names have been changed to protect the less than innocent and, selfishly, both of these companies are excellent prospects for my company.

It’s time for you to present your solution to your prospect. You’ve qualified your opportunity, done additional research to uncover a broader base of impact on your prospect’s business with your products and services. You’ve arranged for participation in the presentation by your engineers and sales manager.

The evidence continues to mount that effective sales coaching is the single best tool to improve sales performance. In fact, a survey of more than 2,600 reps and mangers from 40 global Fortune 500 companies conducted by SEC Solutions, a leading NASDAQ sales research best practice firm, found that sales teams receiving high quality coaching are far more likely to improve their performance by up to 20%.

So, what does it take to be an organization that is known for high quality sales coaching and outstanding sales results?  It takes three things – a structured sales process, an aligned coaching process, and the time to coach effectively.

You meet with a customer to qualify your opportunity to sell your solution. Your objectives include, amongst other things, learning more about the buyer’s business, who in the organization is involved in making the decision and determining their criteria for purchase. You execute flawlessly until the very end of the call when you take a breath, your mouth opens and you ask a question no sales person ever should.

“So when would you like a proposal?”

In 34 years of selling, I have heard this question asked countless times. And I’ve seen it negatively impact many a sale.

What’s the problem?

A Sales VP for one of our clients recently asked me to spend a day in his sales branch observing what he said would be coaching sessions. “The managers will conduct one-on-one meetings with their sales people and you can give them some feedback on their coaching,” he said. Sounded like a good idea, so I agreed. I’ve always believed that a common failure on the part of most sales organizations is the lack of time spent coaching sellers to improved performance. Also, sales managers at this company had recently been introduced to a new coaching methodology and I thought it would be interesting to see what impact that coaching model was having on their efforts at this one branch.

I knew it was broken as soon as I hit the ground.  My shoulder had shifted nearly two inches on impact and now, sitting by the side of the road, I could feel my collarbone poking up from just beneath my skin and the pain was considerable.  Just a few years earlier I had begun riding as a knee problem was keeping me from my normal release of running.  By now I had become a full on cycling enthusiast; or, according to my wife, addict.  As a cyclist you learn very quickly that you fall into one of two groups - those who have crashed and this who will.  I had just graduated from the latter to the former and for the next 8 weeks I would be in a sling as the metal plate held the two disjointed pieces of what had been a single clavicle into place.

We all know the local media world has been, and is continuing to be, rocked by disruptive technology.  Less than 15 years ago the prevailing media mix for small and medium sized businesses (SMB’s) included local newspaper, yellow pages, maybe direct mail, and if their budgets were substantial, perhaps radio, television or outdoor. SMB Owners were visited by 2-3 advertising reps throughout the year that placed their ads, so their phones would ring or customers would come through their doors. To borrow lyrics from a Carly Simon song,  “It was so Easy Then.”