Mike Weinberg: Blunt Truth Re: Sales Mgt, Sales Culture, Moving up to Management, Episode 013

Hard Way MBA

You wrote New Sales. Simplified. and it is on my shelf (or often in my bag) as one of the best sales books ever written and you followed it up with Sales Management. Simplified. Having talked to you before about the writing process and all of the effort that goes into a book, I was a little surprised you followed it up with another book. Why write and promote another book? * Didn't want to write it. * Mike admits he was wrong when he got into consulting. Bottoms up doesn't really work to change the sales world. * Leadership and managment needs a mirror held up to their own issues. Which of the other Blunt Truths from the front lines do you see as most damaging / pervasive? * Spending your time in silly ways... * Avoid high value leadership activities * Companies are sometimes cluelss. Too many expectations for non-sales related activity. In Sales Management. Simplified. You outline 16 significant problems you often see in sales management today. I think my favorite is Ch. 11, An Anti-sales Culture Disengages the Heart of the Sales Team. Can you explain what you mean by Anti-sales culture? It's more important to understand what a great sales culture looks like. The Anti-sales culture is simply the antithesis of these traits: * Pro sales. High accountability. * Comp plans aligned with goals * Meetings that are brutal but fun. * The boss knows you. * Practice hard in sales team meetings. Role play on steroids. Peter Drucker said 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast' so before we move on from this idea of culture let's talk about your simple framework where you address sales management and culture first. As a front line sales manager, what are my first steps (after reading Sales Management. Simplified.) for creating a positive sales culture? * Come to grips with the reality that your new job is nothing like your old job. * Individual contributors should be selfish. As a manager, focus on your priorities is for the sales person. * Sales managers make heroes, don't become them. You must be open, available, remove obsticals, make them successful. Everyone wants a piece of you. You must get grounded and identify the high value activity. 1. 1:1 meetings - accountability & coaching 2. sales team meetings 3. Field work - get into the meetings with your salesperson You have two books out there now. New Sales and Sales Management. As an individual contributor, working on the New Sales, what can I do to best position myself to step into a sales management role? * Be very sure you want that job. Top sales produces may not want it and may not do well with it. * Study leadership and get around good leaders * Leadership Challenge Your favorite books: In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters Open Book Management, Jack Stack Lets Get Real or Lets Not Play, Mahan Kahlsa