They were tired of being treated like middle class citizens by their prospects, clients, employers and peers.

There has been nothing more satisfying than enjoying the new level of prestige the Sales Coaching business offers them. They instantly experience a respect and admiration by everyone they meet after they have been trained by us to become a Sales Coach. The prestige, the lifestyle, the luxury - its all very rewarding.

--------------------------------------------What Is It Like To

Work With Me As Your Coach?

Customize a program around your needs and goals. Share with you new skills and approaches that will be most natural and effective for you. Create together plans for success based on your strengths. Develop approaches that honor your values. Coach and support you to be your best, mentor you, help you focus, make important changes, and take action to exceed all of your goals.

How My Coaching Programs Are Different

Customized Around You & Your Goals

We will design the coaching partnership around your specific goals and challenges. You help design the partnership with me and I will support you in every way possible. I will support you to achieve your desired results faster. Whether your goals are related to business, sales, career, life, or a combination, I will coach you to be your best and maximize your results.

On-Going Support, Focus & Accountability

Consistent application and reinforcement of new approaches and strategies. I will provide you the right amount of accountability that will work best for you. People are much more likely to meet goals and commitments when they know they have anaccountability partner. You will also learn how to be accountable to yourself.

Sounding Board, Objectivity & Commitment

I am professionally trained to help act as a "lighting rod" for your ideas. When you reflect on challenges or goals, I will be there to support you and help ensure proper actions take place for you to achieve your desired results. I will provide an outside and objective viewpoint. I will challenge you to focus on your most important goals, to stay true to your values, and to make positive changes quickly.

Professionally Trained Coach

I am a graduate from the leading International Coach Federation Training Program and trained in Behavioral Science.

I help people maximize their potential, take action, make important changes in behavior, and achieve breakthrough results. Most people have the best intentions, but it does not always translate into actual changes in behavior. As a professional coach, I have gone through extensive training to learn how to most effectively translate your intentions into reality.

What is Sales Coaching?

Today most businesses' (large and small) first exposure to 'bottom-line' coaching (other than executive coaching for senior management), is the introduction of sales coaching. Performance sales coaching is relatively easy to introduce, control and monitor, and generates immediate measurable results Coaching in sales is working on an individual basis to make step-by-step, measurable improvements to performance and motivation. Coaching can reach the parts other training methods can't. In sales coaching the coach can also share the sales manager's burden, freeing his time to achieve company targets and objectives. Meanwhile, the coach works with the team to unlock their potential, provide support and guidance to resolve issues and facilitate inter-team communication.

Sales Skills Coaching:

Sales is a high skill, high demand job. Being on top in sales means having success in a balanced life without stress. Sales Skills coaching provides focused sales strategies for you and your team. It can also reveal if low sales are the result of current sales strategies and company goals that are inconsistent with one another, or if you require sales management training. An effective sales strategy comes not just from sales activities, but also from how you approach potential clients. If you want to sell consistently and increase your revenues, you may have to refine the way you engage clients throughout the entire sales process. That's where Sales Coaching also comes in. To achieve success, a sales person needs: - Advanced Selling Skills and Inner Resources. Knowing how to sell is not enough. Success comes from within. The salesperson needs to: build the internal resources to succeed; eliminate the roadblocks to success; eliminate procrastination, fear, guilt, stress and replace them with confidence and resourcefulness. Sales Training combined with Coaching can provide ways to enhance performance and maintain a balanced life. Personal Coaching: True success always includes matters of the heart and matters of the spirit. Customized coaching power sessions as you need them, either over the phone or face to face can enhance success in all parts of life. They are short, highly focused sessions ranging from fifteen minutes to one hour. Whether the problem is building a strategy or building the inner resources to be more effective, these sessions can make changes fast.

Coaching sessions should be custom designed to fit your organization -- high end sales or the basics, be it: personal development to build personal resources or to eliminate roadblocks advanced goal-setting or balanced life

Group Coaching: Professional sales is a high performance job. You have to be in top form to win. These group sessions get you there and help keep you there ie: at least ten - half day or one day workshops over twelve months allowing the participants to practice what they have learnt in the training and personal coaching sessions.

Some results with Sales Skills Coaching can include: Clarify sales objectives into manageable, realistic goals. Refine existing strategies and/or create new strategies. Develop new sales skills. Discuss specific challenges for individuals or an entire sales team. Eliminate unrealistic barriers that may be preventing you from success. Prioritize activities into revenue-generating activities. Remove the roadblocks to success Clarify goals that are achievable Build the confidence to win Eliminate procrastination Practice advanced selling techniques that improve your productivity Learn advanced rapport building secrets Learn the power of language

The 3 Steps to establishing a successful Sales Coaching Program:

People First, the organization should examine the personnel available to complete the coaching project. Coaching is much more than a series of learning sessions and requires a specific skills set as well as an experienced, credentialed team. Some of the "people" questions your organization should ask are: Does your staff have the required technical and coaching project management knowledge/skills and time to complete the project? Do you have a committed, trained and well-briefed development team with defined roles? Do you have full support from all corporate stakeholders?

Process Successful coaching development requires a proven, efficient process for "resourcing" the appropriate practices and protocols. This process must include time for analysis, design, user testing, review, and revision. Without carefully designing a process that includes these and other necessary steps, you significantly decrease your chances of coaching success. Some of the "process" questions your organization should ask are: Do you have a realistic project schedule? Do you have a detailed project blueprint? Do you have a clear list of project requirements?

Do you have a proven, written training development process for the key players?

Parts Finally, do you have all the technical parts and pieces to make your coaching effort actually work? Successful coaching requires a complex mix of proven validated assessment instruments, coaching tools and techniques, and support back-up. Without these, the best-designed coaching program can become dead on arrival. Some of the "parts" questions that your organization should ask are: Do you have the coaching technical infrastructure to meet your coaching requirements? Do your end users/coaches have access to the necessary technical information and hardware? Does your coaching program manager and team have the necessary coaching project management and measurement tools? Is 'technical coaching support' available to the program manager and coaches?

- How to be a successful Sales Coach:

1. Put yourself in the position of each individual team member. Be prepared to see and understand the world from their perspective 2. Listen actively. Understand what is 'true for them', what motivates and interests them, what bores or demotivates them 3. Be prepared to make changes to your own style and approach as a result of what you learn. 4. Remember these three words: - respect, empathy and objectivity. Bring these to your coaching sessions - every time 5. Book diary time and a special meeting room for each coaching session. Ensure there are no interruptions. 6. Let the coachee do 80% of the talking, prompted by your carefully considered questions 7. Use open questions to understand, probe, challenge and develop ideas. Use closed questions to pin down agreement and next actions 8. Identify specific areas for change and agree how the salesperson will modify their behaviour. 9. Create a clear and definitive development plan to build on strengths and address developmental needs 10. Establish agreed upon metrics to measure the 3 P's: personal, professional and performance growth.

-Some Case Studies in SALES PERFORMANCE using BEHAVIORAL-BASED

COACHING:

-Case Study 1: MidWest Finance Group

The Senior Managers of the MidWest Finance Group responsible for the sales and marketing teams within the organisation were assisted in designing a coaching programme which would enable them: to adopt a 'Transformational Leadership' approach; be more 'Emotionally Literate' to the consequences of their leadership style; improve their cross functional effectiveness -as a team and individually; to develop an awareness of their team members behavioural style and strengths, and address areas which may be causing them to under-perform. The programme employed team and one-to-one coaching sessions. Prior to the workshops, the participants underwent individual assessment and took part in a 360 Degree Appraisal. This data help define the structure of the programme and provided benchmark information which was used to guage the results of the overall programme as well as individual changes in performance and behaviour.

The programme was conducted over a twelve month period commencing with an education programme on performance coaching. All results were statisically measured and directly correlated back to bottomline performance/productivity gains. The programme met all set goals and has since been adopted as the core platform for ongoing management and staff training development.

-Case Study 2: Premium Insurance

Background: In a continually changing market, regularly evaluating and improving employee performance and productivity has become more than an administrative detail - it is now a key business strategy. Today most businesses (large and small) first exposure to 'bottom-line' coaching (other than executive coaching for senior management) is the introduction of performance coaching in their sales departments. Performance sales coaching is relatively easy to introduce, control and monitor, and generates immediate measurable results A new breed of performance coaching development systems promises to solve many of the problems of training-based review systems and support best practices that result in greater productivity and employee satisfaction. These systems lead managers through the performance review process of measuring key behavioral aspects that critically impact upon the successful execution of professional skills. Importantly, it helps them with the most difficult part of a review - putting their assessments and action plans into a development vehicle that works. This just-in-time approach via regular one-to-one or small group coaching/learning is widely regarded as more effective than traditional occasional "classroom" training. It ultimately results in greater productivity because managers become coaches as they work with employees on developing the skill sets most in need of growing. By giving managers HR expertise and coaching tools to help them track and evaluate performance, the coaching-based performance management system removes many of the barriers that have traditionally undermined the ongoing development of their people. Coaching based development programs also enable organizations to: audit their human capital base; measure operational performance to provide the platform for ongoing improvement; and gain an understanding of employee value for ongoing strategic modeling and planning Example: Premium Insurance, a leading player in the motor insurance market, needed to improve its internal processes, skills and service levels in order to compete effectively. Premium wanted results that would be lasting and realized quickly. Working closely to the brief as co-developed with the in-house project management team, an external Coaching Group devised an innovative approach that resulted in the complete redesign of Premium's Customer Strategy. It introduced a Sales Agent Performance Management Development schedule. The group's program of consultation with management and the agents themselves resulted in a system which automatically produced weekly agent skills reports, and which summarized individual performance on an agreed set of defined performance indicators. Team leaders and agents alike could now see on a weekly basis not only how they performed on key outcome measurements, such as sales calls handled, schedule adherence, policies sold, sales conversion rate, cross-selling of other products - but more significantly, the Team leaders could now easily identify and monitor the behavioral strengths and weaknesses of each agent in the execution of their sales skills and use this as a basis for individual behavioral coaching. The system also facilitated the introduction of a fair and motivating performance-based reward system based on the Weekly Skills Report. The experience so far with the system has been that: staff morale has improved as agents have more visibility and control over their performance; sales performance has radically improved - with average weekly sales up by 50%.

-Case Study 3:
Background:

Fast-Track Pharmaceutical Sales Results

The pharmaceutical sales division of one of the worlds largest healthcare organizations discovered that successful sales strategies are not simply some magical mix of sales savvy and landing the right territory. Behavior-based coaching methods provided this organization with the platform to consistently achieving targeted results. Situation The large sales force of this globally competitive pharmaceutical division faced multiple business issues, one of which was wide variance in individual sales representative, director and division management performance. Because the performance disparity was so great profitable opportunities were being bypassed because neither management, nor sales personnel were able to operate to their fullest potentials. Management wanted to know how to raise poor performance to average, how to make average performance exceptional, and how to continually develop and inspire top performers. The goal was how to create an ongoing cycle of improvement until every individual reached and sustained optimal performance levels.

Behavioral-Based Coaching -Solution Implemented Assessment help pinpoint the behaviors over which reps and managers had control, and those which actually had a real impact on securing the sale and extending the sales relationship for each particular situation. A set of customized sales techniques that acknowledged such factors were established. Coaches accompanied sales reps and managers on field trips and were able to pinpoint best practices and observe customer environments. Salespeople learned to delineate and then practice those activities that added greatest value for the customer. At the same time, sales managers learned the activities that encompassed necessary coaching, development, and support of critical behaviors. After using a new set of enhanced personal skills, one sales representative stated, Im working just as hard, but Im now focusing on the things that I can influence: the critical actions that drive results. Some Results of the Behavioral-Based Coaching Program Following implementation of behavior-based coaching, this group was voted best sales division in the organization for the past two years. All groups that implemented behavior-based coaching methods improved. One division went from being 52nd out of 55 in sales of a key product, to 1st. Sales managers evolved from critics to coaches; and subsequently, culture evolved from that of subordinating to supportive. Sales representatives identified factors of control via behavior action plans and, consequently, realized influence over individual accountability. Sales representatives built action plans to sign-up Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. Their plans included key behaviors, how to track progress, and the rewards for meeting their goal. The sign-up rate went from 20% to 80% within one year. Strategic selling defined customer-centric sales techniques and value-added, long-term sales/customer relationships. Territorial realities were managed with customized and thus profitable sales approaches.

Need Sales Coaching? Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Sales Coach

Are you looking to hire a sales coach to improve your career, leadership, life, business and sales results? Well, Im going to tell you right now that there are many sales coaches in the field and it is hard to know where to start, or what to look for when hiring a coach. There are highly qualified sales coaches like myself and then there are others who just jumped on the sales coaching bandwagon so they can profit from you even though they have not proven themselves to be worthy of getting you as a client. Knowing this, how can you find the best sales coach for you and your organization? Simply ask the 10 questions below. Here Are My Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Sales Coach So You Can Achieve Breakthrough Results: 1. What is your personal track record of success in sales? I was ranked #1 sales performer in the U.S. for 4 years at two global Fortune 500 Companies. I generated over $135 Million in Sales Revenue. I know what it takes to become a top sales professional. This is not true for many sales coaches as they do not have the credentials of being a #1 performer in a large organization multiple times. And, many sales coaches do not have extensive experience building, developing and managing sales forces. But what if those are your goals? See the concern? If they have not walked the walk, and proven they know what it takes to achieve great sales results, how can you expect them to know what it takes to achieve extraordinary results? Now, it can be hard to find a sales coachs past sales performance on his or her website or on LinkedIn, so be sure to ask or do your own online research and find out. 2. Will you customize your sales coaching programs around my particular needs and goals? Many sales coaching programs simply place all individuals and businesses into the exact same sales coaching process. In effect, each business or individual is taught in a training format that starts with certain skills or techniques and moves on to the next set of techniques. They do not take into consideration the immediate challenges at hand, nor do they focus on customizing the

program around the strengths of the individual or organization, while identifying and addressing weaknesses. Before you hire a sales coach, ask how they customize their sales coaching program. If they dont have some good examples to share, run fast, or face receiving cookie-cutter coaching which will greatly impede your results. 3. What is your general sales philosophy? Sales coaches often have a very traditional perspective when it comes to sales and selling. This results in the coach teaching you to persuade, push, be very aggressive, and to forcefully change the mind of others. This will make both you and the prospective client feel uncomfortable. This will automatically lead to lost sales. Many of the old persuasive selling techniques really are a thing of the past. They dont work. Yet, many sales coaches are still teaching the same stuff. If you want to increase your sales potential then you need a sales coach who understands how to create a genuine, natural, customized sales philosophy for each individual they coach. If they dont, watch out. 4. What professional coach training do you have? You may find a sales coach who has a respectful sales background like me. But, in many cases theyll have very little, if any professional coaching training. There is a big difference between calling oneself a coach, and having 100s of hours of face-to-face coaching training. If they do not have this training, you may not receive all the support you need around motivation, focus, changing your mind set, accountability, and being able to support you towards success in your entire life. If you hire a sales coach who does not have professional training, do not expect the same results. You will not be supported holistically around all the intangibles that help people reach extraordinary results. 5. Do you offer monthly programs? Many sales coaching programs involve a 6 month or longer commitment or a large upfront investment just to get started. Be careful, because if you dont see the results you want with your sales coach, you are stuck. Look for a coach who offers flexibility. Including, month-tomonth programs or packages that enable you to minimize your upfront risk as you initiate your partnership with the sales coach. When working with a top-level expert sales coach, you should quickly see results. Then you make the decision to invest in the coaching, versus being trapped in a long-term agreement with a coach who is not an ideal fit for you. 6. What experience do you have managing or leading a sales force? Often a sales coach may have experience selling, but they will have little or no experience actually managing, developing and leading sales teams. If you are a business owner who is focused on building and developing your sale team, then you need a sales coach who has something of value to offer. 7. How did you end up becoming a sales coach? Find out if the sales coach made the conscious choice to become a coach for the right reasons, or if they burned out of corporate America or fell into the position as a back up because they lost a job. You want a coach who loves coaching, sales and changing lives. Look for a coach with

whom you connect with. Look for a sales coach who truly cares about your success and loves the work he or she does. If you do not sense a great deal of passion in their voice when they describe how they became a sales coach, talk to another coach. 8. How else can you support me to achieve my goals? The sales coach you are thinking about hiring may know how to sell, but does this sales coach lack the necessary skills to provide the support you need when it comes to mindset, motivation, focus, productivity, effectiveness, and discipline. Teaching and sharing new skills is just one small piece of effective sales coaching. When an expert sales coach can support a client with all the intangibles, far greater results are possible. Pay attention to how they answer this question and ask for examples. 9. Can you show me new and innovative ways to increase sales? If the sales coach is not aware of how to use social media, blogs, website marketing, SEO, AdWords, effective article writing and publication, LinkedIn and other similar tools to grow their own business, how can they help you to grow yours? Technology is always changing and there are ways to use it to increase your sales results. Find a sales coach who is using these tools on a daily basis to grow their sales coaching business. Find a sales coach who can show you how to generate leads, contact new prospects and network effectively in the modern era of sales. If they dont use these tools, keep on looking. 10. Do you have a coach? I dont know if I have ever been asked this by a prospective sales coaching client, but I share the information freely. I work with a coach. I get a tremendous amount out of it and I am convinced of the value of coaching. How can you be a coach, but say you dont need a coach yourself? Even the most successful people in the world have coaches to stay on top and reach even higher levels of success. As soon as you stop learning, growing, improving and developing, what kind of an example are you showing for your own clients? Find a sales coach who has a coach, believes in coaching, uses coaching to continue to become a better coach, a better entrepreneur, and a better person. Find someone who inspires you to do more and doesnt just coach you, but leads by example. If they dont have a coach, just ask them why. This is an important question to ask and Im guessing you will decide to move on pretty fast after they say they dont need a coach or dont have one. Find a sales coach who is right for you by asking these questions. Look for a sales coach who truly cares about you and your success. Make sure the sales coach you select takes the time to get to know you, your sales goals and challenges. Follow these tips and you will ensure you partner up with the right sales coach for you to achieve amazing sales results.

Are you frustrated with your sales results? Is your sales team not performing at the level necessary to grow your company? Do you struggle to find the right sales process to attract new clients? Do you dislike selling, but know it needs to be done to create a thriving business? Ever wish sales could be natural, fun, and enjoyable? Do you feel like you are working too hard for the results you are seeing?

Do you want to maximize the production of your sales force? Do you want to be the #1 sales performer or sales leader in your entire organization? Would you like to exceed all sales goals and expectations?

Here are 10 attributes of a great sales manager: 1) Passion. This is also one of the top qualities of a master closer and the only one that cant be taught. Without a passion for the home building industry, its impossible to lead and inspire a team, Tarullo says. 2) Integrity. Combined with passion, these are the two most important qualities for a sales manager. They need that core, Tarullo says. If they dont have those, they shouldnt be in sales management. 3) Positive attitude. Its up to a builders leadership to put smiles on the faces of the sales team and set the tone for the company. 4) Coaching. Seventy percent of a sales managers time should be spent coaching, either in groups or one on one, Tarullo says. Any sales manager who says the workload doesnt allow that kind of time with the staff needs to examine how the day is being spent and ditch or delegate any activity that doesnt affect lead generation or conversion. 5) Leadership by example. The sales manager should be out on the sales floor with his people, says Jim Capaldi, director of sales for the Ventura division of Standard Pacific Homes and author of The Ultimate New Home Sales Success Manual. Thats where youre most productive. Lead by example, make them accountable, push them, and get them out of their comfort zone. 6) Loyalty. Sales managers need to go to bat for their sales team members, says Debbie Dompke, sales manager for Chicago-based Lexington Homes. Let them know youre on their side, she says. When they know youre sincere, its amazing the work ethic youll get in return. 7) Availability. Dallas-based sales trainer Bob Hafer says paperwork has to be done, but it cant be used as an excuse to not do the tough stuff. Its easier than dealing with people, to be sure, he says, adding, Administrative tasks never talk back to you. When he was a sales manager, he got to work at 7 a.m. and spent two hours on paperwork before the phone started ringing. Then, when the sales centers opened, he was available to work with his sales teams in the field. 8) Motivation. This includes encouragement and recognition. Dompke says she does this in so many wayscontests, games, dancing, singing, dressing up. You laugh together and play together. 9) Continuous learning. Doctors, accountants, attorneys, and other professionals keep learning their whole lives in order to keep their skills up to date. Sales managers need to do likewise. When you dont grow, Capaldi says, you leave the door open for someone else. 10) Listening and communication. This is an underpinning for most of the other qualities. You cant be a good coach or motivator if youre not a good communicator; and you cant continuously learn, lead by example, or demonstrate loyalty without being a good listener.

Years ago, the sales managers job was about paper management, organization, and managing the interest lists, Capaldi says. Now, its about keeping the sales team accountable, motivated, and focused on the basics of selling. I always preach to people that real estate sales is the hardest job to be good at and the easiest job to fail at. And Tarullo feels that the sales managers job is the key to that success. I think its the toughest job in the business because you have to wear so many different hats, she says. You need to be a disciplinarian but also a coach and a motivator.

) Being Creatively Persistent. Theres a fine line between persistence and pushiness, and a smart sales professional knows how to toe that line. When good salespeople hit a wall unreturned phone calls, no response to e-mails they dont give up easily, but they dont make pests of themselves, either. Such a person will find ways to reconnect before an opportunity withers away. Its not just a matter of leaving call after call in his contacts voice mail. In order to connect, hell talk with the gatekeeper, the executive assistant, and others in the organization. He may call or even show up in person at odd hours, like 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., or even make phone calls on a Saturday morning. When great sales people reach a sales stall, they approach the situation from a new angle. For example, one sales person was trying to reach an organizations VP of Sales for months, with no response. So he bought notepads made to look just like a $100 bill and wrote a note to the VP reading, Lets turn this into real money for you and your sales team! He crumpled it up, threw it into an oversized envelope, and mailed it to him. The client got a laugh, called him back and got his business after a great meeting that really got a good dialogue going. 2) Being Passionate. Persistence and passion typically go hand in hand. A good salesperson is passionate that is, he truly believes in his solution. Hes hungry, motivated and competitive. This sales rep is a doer, not just a talker. He doesnt blame the economy, or competitors lower pricing, or waste time whining about possible weaknesses in his product compared to the competition. Hes got great ideas, and theyre measurable by the number and quality of his activities. Passionate salespeople create their own opportunities instead of waiting around for them! 3) Prospecting for New Business. The key is for salespeople to actively seek out new business relationships rather than limiting their sales efforts to a dwindling customer base. Leveraging and strengthening an existing customer base is important, to be sure, but its all too easy to become complacent and keep calling on the same customers. Sometimes the relationship has run its course. In an economic climate like the one weve been in recently, a once promising customer may now be in dire straits, possibly due to mergers and downsizing, so the salespersons timing is off. Hes better off investing his time and efforts on fresh new opportunities. Good salespeople are always looking to develop new business relationships, not waiting until their current well runs dry.

4) Planning Before the Call. Great sales people always bring value on every call. They plan and strategize their key accounts. A lot of sales reps like to show up and throw up. Depending on the complexity of the account, up to 50% of the outcome of a major sales call is determined before even one word is exchanged. Good salespeople are thinking about multiple plans. In fact, theyve already figured out Plans A, B and C before they even walk in the door. Checking the customers Web site is a good start, but great salespeople go further. Theyve done their homework, having read trade publications, talked to insiders about industry trends, researched industry blogs such as Technorati for more insider information, news of competitive threats, and political and internal issues. They keep up with issues and obstacles that can negate or catapult an opportunity. Thats why its vital for salespeople to become business advisors to their customers someone who can provide value-added information to drive opportunities forward. 5) Developing New Relationships in Established Accounts. When a salesperson wins an account and develops good rapport with a buyer, he tends to gravitate towards that relationship, becoming protective of it. But when he does, he might fall into the trap of being too cautious. He may fear that if he digs too deep in trying to build new relationships, hell step on his contacts toes or offend him some other way. The sales rep may think, If Im going to reach out for other business relationships when I already have this relationship in place, this person will help open doors for me. But when his contact says, Oh, you dont need to contact anyone here but me, thats a red flag signaling that he really should be reaching out to others in the organization. Relationships can turn on a dime. Even if a sales rep thinks hes got it made with a particular account, if he suddenly loses this business relationship, hell find himself starting from scratch. Therefore, its so important to leverage existing relationships and insist on gaining access to other decision makers and influencers. As a result you and your customers will continue to grow. 6) Asking Great Questions to Uncover Buying Needs. Most salespeople have the best intentions, but without realizing it, theyre often doing more talking than listening. Asking the right questions allows you to qualify if there is an opportunity to pursue, and if so, how pressing is the prospects need? Who is involved? How are decisions made? Whats the unique criteria your prospect looks for in a vendor relationship? What are the underlying motivations? What kind of budget do they have to invest with you? A great sales rep shows genuine interest and listens, but asking and listening go hand-in-hand. 7) Selling Value. What if a good salesperson takes pride in his premium product or service, only to be told his price is too high? Not necessarily a problem if hes already asked great questions of all the right people in the organization and done his homework. By then, the sales rep understands his customers needs and issues, and where the customer wants to go. Because the sales rep understands, hes easily able to justify why the customer needs to make that initial investment in the reps solution over competitive choices.

Sure, the customer can pick other options, but theres always the implication that if he were to do so, the risk would be too great. Lets say the customer went with a lower-priced computer system of lower quality. A glitch in the customers computer system causes it to crash, bringing everything in the company to a standstill for the rest of the day. That could cost the customer thousands of dollars, easily wiping out what he saved when he bought that cheap system. Or lets say a delivery to the customers customer was a day late. Thatll not only cost the customer big bucks, it could cost the salesperson a client! Good sales reps thrive on selling value because the additional investment in choosing a premium service fully outweighs the potential cost of doing business with a cheaper but inferior alternative. A sales person in our study shared the following example. A doctor was looking to invest in an expensive piece of radiographic equipment for surgery on patients with spine issues. Treatment with this device costs $2,000 per patient. The doctor ended up spending a good $37,000 on the device, about 25% more than what the competition was offering. However, if hed bought equipment of lesser quality, and that inferior machine went down for even one day, it would mean the difference between the doctor helping 12 patients (his typical per-day average) vs. being unable to help any patients! Do the math: 12 patients times $2,000 = $24,000! So you see, equipment that performs well saves money (and in this case, patients) in the long run. 8) Getting Customers to Commit. Salespeople must make customers commit to achieving some form of closure, some kind of outcome to each sales call. Even if the salesperson doesnt get an agreement on an order right away because multiple steps are required, thats okay. This salesperson knows he wont be satisfied with just leaving some literature and promising a follow-up call. He always has a purpose, a call to action. It could be as simple as the sales rep scheduling a follow-up meeting with other parties, or an appointment to return to demonstrate a product or service to the customer, or bringing the customer and his boss to visit and evaluate the salespersons facility whatever it takes for the sales rep to encourage customers to continue the sales process by getting them to invest time and or resources, demonstrating a willingness to keep the sale moving forward.

10 Principles of Great Sales Leaders By Keith Rosen, MCC The 2005 Top 500 companies share its sales principles Congratulations to those companies listed in this year's Qualified Remodeler Magazine Top 500 Industry Leaders. While the ability to generate such high volume is a tremendous accomplishment, what can we learn from them? What about their selling strategy and the efforts that made their companies so successful? After all, bigger isn't always better and more volume doesn't always equate to more profitability. However, they must be doing something better than the rest to be able to post these numbers.

I've had the privilege and fortunate opportunity to talk to some of these leaders of high-volume companies; the owners, CEOs and vice presidents of sales. Many of them were gracious enough to open up the hood of their finely tuned engine so that I can see what makes them perform at optimum efficiency and potential. Granted, I hit a few interesting bumps during my interviewing process. Several wanted to remain anonymous. Some would only provide limited information in fear of giving away their "trade secrets." A couple of them even beat on their competition, suggesting they fudge their numbers. However, I'm happy to say that most of the companies I spoke with were more than willing to open up and share their insights with the rest of our remodeling community as to what has put them on the map; not because they post big numbers but what they've done differently or better than everyone else and the strategies they've used to secure their position as a top player. Here's a rare opportunity to look into their world: what they are doing, some pitfalls to avoid, common standards they adhere to and how these innovative leaders think that has driven their success around the area of professional selling. The following characteristics and strategies are shared by each of these Top Guns what makes them great regardless of volume. 1) Selling Philosophy The one call close is alive and well. Each of the companies I spoke with confirmed this. Now, I'm not referring to the old "model home tin man" pitch but more of the consultative approach that still gives the same result (a decision that dramatically shortens their selling cycle which saves time and money) without the manipulation or pressure that's often associated with this approach to selling. George Dunning, vice president and co-owner of Homefix Corporation is a strong advocate of this. "Our philosophy is that we'll take a 'no' as graciously as a 'yes,' but there's no better time to decide than when the facts are presented on the table and fresh in the mind of the customer." With six office locations spanning from northern Virginia to northern New Jersey, they have a solid position at No. 18 with an impressive volume of $30,062,000. Marc Leen, vice president of Mark Four Enterprises, Inc. based in Fairfield, N.J., also adheres to this philosophy. "It's more of a consultative sales approach without any high pressure. My salespeople spend the time with our customers (a minimum of one to two hours) uncovering their problems, wants and desires. This systematic approach builds value as they demonstrate our products, share company history and why they would want to do business with us." With a sales volume of $36,857,978 and a No. 9 ranking, achieving this volume of sales can't be done in a 10-minute meeting with each customer. Process Driven Think Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds who gave new meaning to the word consistency. Constant monitoring, improvement, refinement and duplication have been the building block of their success. When you have a process and you keep refining your process it rings out waste and inefficiency. "The most important part of our selling process is the inherent structured nature of it. If you follow our program, you'll be successful," says Mark Four's Marc Leen. "We have found time and time again, that those

[salespeople] who stray [from the program] are not going to be successful. It continually gets better as we revamp, revise and refine it in relation to the current conditions of the marketplace." 3) Value Proposition These sales leaders realize that to be successful, you need to sell on value not on price. As such, they are willing to walk away from a sale if it's not in everyone's best interest. They know the costs incurred to "taking whatever sale they can get." Murray Gross, president of U.S. Home Systems, Inc. based in Lewisville, Texas, generated an incredible $87,497,527 in sales making him No. 3 on QR's list. When I asked him what makes him different than the rest? "We're lucky," he said and then continued, "Of course, our affiliation as an SFI (sell, furnish, install) with Home Depot doesn't hurt." With 36 branches, luck is only a small part of Mr. Gross' success equation. This relationship, combined with an intensive four-week training program for both management and salespeople has given U.S. Home Systems the edge they need that has secured their position as a leader. Dunning agrees. "We follow a philosophy that we are better off selling a high-end product and walking away from some jobs where the customer is set on spending less, than to have to deal with service issues far into the future. [We found that] most companies do not know the difference between the various window and siding products in the market and follow the old philosophy that "a vinyl window's a vinyl window!" 4) Cultures of Success Remodelers that think they're in the remodeling business are typically the ones who are left behind. Sure they do great work, but great work is a given. It is a basic assumption that has to be met in order to ensure some level of success. The fact is, the top players know they are really in the business of training, selling and marketing. A quality project or product is simply the end result of their initial efforts. Jim Franklin, president and COO of Har-Bro based in Signal Hill, Calif., promotes a culture of consistency. "Not only are our technicians trained with all necessary certification as well as being the cream of the crop, but we also only use the best equipment available. They show up at a customer's location not only being a professional but also looking like a professional." Each of Har-bro's 120 vehicles are identical, proudly displaying their company logo. Franklin is a hands-on guy whose work ethic drives him to be involved and an active owner, sending a clear and powerful message to his team which supports the culture he's created. "We're constantly working on our process and developing a great working environment of people who want to be here," he continues. "It's a delicate balance of being hands-on, delegating and holding key people accountable while allowing them the flexibly to make their own decisions." Keeping his people involved in the day to day decisions that drive the growth of his organization has clearly paid off. With annual sales of $46 million Har-Bro is holding strong at Number 6. At Mark Four Enterprises, Mr. Leen builds a culture of independence and entrepreneurship amongst his sales team. "While always a struggle, one of the most important things we've done to develop and motivate our salespeople is that we give them a unique opportunity to practically run their own business with virtually no risk. We provide them with opportunities each day to visit with homeowners who are interested in buying a great product." Mr. Leen "sets them up in business" and provides additional ways for them to bring in more sales through self-generated leads, canvassed leads and referrals.

Additionally, his sales staff needs to get in touch and visit each jobsite with an emphasis to seek out new selling opportunities. "It's a great way to build a stronger relationship with our customers. We've found that the more successful the salesperson, the more often they are doing it." Homefix raises the bar of accountability to another level. "Our sales reps are responsible for visiting every jobsite and must collect five referrals or they do not receive their paycheck on Friday." 5) Unique Offering What do you offer to stand out above the rest? Saying you offer a great product or service isn't enough. What do you do that give you the edge? Chris Cardillo is one of the 3 partners at Castle, "The Window People", Inc., based in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. When asked, "What do you feel you do better or different than everyone else?" Mr. Cardillo had a strong response; "Customer service and installation. We guarantee our products forever; no questions asked. It's a true lifetime warranty on all parts and labor." With an impressive $37,592,578 you can't argue that it works. HomeFix's George Dunning also attests to this commitment to over-delivering on value. In an industry plagued by poor workmanship, Homefix strives for 100 percent customer satisfaction through professional quality service. "We warrantee our products as well as our labor for a lifetime. This is a warranty that bypasses the manufacturer and comes directly from us." 6) Training and Support You can't learn to play great golf in a day. Sure, you may be able to learn the basics, but those basics then need to be practiced and refined if you want to improve your game. The same rules hold true for professional selling. HomeFix's Dunning states, "Structured training must precede a structured sales process." These sales leaders are training their salespeople anywhere from three weeks to four months before they even get a chance to go out and sell on their own. Gross has his salespeople go through an initial training of two weeks or more. Then another four weeks they ride along with another seasoned salesperson before they are let out on their own. They train using a planned presentation. Starting with a detailed needs analysis, his salespeople take the time to find out what each customer's unique problems and objectives are before offering the best solution. Only then do they uncover their needs do the salespeople demonstrate how their products can satisfy them. Over time, Gross has revised his training process and have successfully been able to shorten their presentation so that the salespeople are, "Spending less time in what was used to be called "the pitch" and more time in trying to find what customers are really looking for, respecting how they like to buy. And this is done through better use of questions. To ensure they are giving their salespeople the support they need to maximize each selling opportunity, Cardillo's managers at Castle, "The Window People", Inc. make certain that managers are available 24 hours a day anytime a salesperson needs help in the home. Leen added, "We focus heavily on our people and the process they use to sell, not just our customers. The reason why our salespeople are successful in our organization is because they follow our policies, programs

and systems. Sure, some newly recruited salespeople come in and say, "I can do it using my approach." If they were successful using their approach and what they were doing, then they wouldn't be working with us. The ones who are successful follow our system that's delivered and practiced throughout our training, and our system works. Shortcuts lead to failure." 7) Top Talent The product is the salesperson. After all, what are your customers really buying? Bob Schneider, president of Patio Enclosures, Inc. based in Macedonia, Ohio, maintains a solid position at No. 2 on QR's list with a whopping $103,561,841 in sales. "Ninety percent is the salesperson not the product, nor the pitch book or a piece of paper," says Schneider. "That [the product] comes after." Chris Cardillo takes the following approach to securing top talent. "As far as our employees, we offer the best [qualified] leads, hire the best people and pay the most." Jim Franklin of Har-Bro believes strongly that he has the best talent in industry. "The quality of people we have is priceless. I'm fortunate and blessed to work for them. With a solid core of branch managers, Franklin states, "We wouldn't have the success we've experienced if it wasn't for my people and I appreciate them each day." 8) Lifelong Learning At Homefix, Dunning believes that learning doesn't stop once the initial training is over. Most of the top producers would agree. "Upon passing the 'final' exam, the rep is ready to run and starts earning," says Dunning. "Each and every day we hold sales meetings at every location to follow up on their performance, which also includes role playing and background training on things not necessary for their first lead but required for success in the long haul." Where the industry average closing percentage is 21 percent, Homefix is running at close to 50 percent at some locations year to date. Bob Schneider of Patio Enclosures, Inc. is constantly holding meetings - observing and gauging feedback from both his team and his customers. Marc Leen is another advocate of continued education. "No one is beyond training. It's getting them [salespeople] to embrace getting better on a daily basis, honing in on the aspects of what they are doing that's working and what they're not doing that they need to do in order to get to the next level of achievement." Leen utilizes a variety of methods to continually develop his people including video monitoring and role playing. This is done during their sales meetings, which are not only required but mandatory. These meetings are used as a forum for constant training, retraining and reviewing daily results. 9) Technology "Those companies that turn their back on the Internet will be left in our dust," says Dunning. Homefix pulls leads from Internet sources as well as search engines for our own site. "This is the future. Most people do not want to be called on the phone but would rather be able to use e-mail as a form of communication. It's less intrusive and bothersome," he believes.

10) Execution How many books, ideas and resources are in your office collecting dust? The fact is, there is no magic bullet, no "trade secrets," and no earth-shattering epiphanies. While we can certainly benefit from the valuable ideas and strategies that these leaders have shared, the one core characteristic that has made them an "A Player" and well entrenched in the industry is this: taking action, sticking to the basics and following through. It's their drive for consistency, not only in action but in their approach and philosophy. So, kudos to these leaders. One of my favorite articles appeared in Fortune magazine several years ago. The cover story was titled, "Why CEOs Fail." It wasn't due to not having the right people, product, strategy, sales process, marketing campaign or service. It came down to execution, implementation and follow-through. So, what are you going to do with this valuable information shared directly by the sales leaders in remodeling? Here's a riddle. There are five frogs sitting on a log. One decides to jump off. How many are left? Five; because there's a difference between deciding, knowing what to do and then doing it. While success leaves footprints, so does failure. Maybe execution really is the magic bullet. Choose your path. Take your life and career to the next level.

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Keith Rosen Executive Sales Coach, Author and Global Authority on Sales and Leadership Keith Rosen is fanatical about increasing your sales and helping you achieve what matters most. That's why almost half of the Fortune 1000 Companies and the top companies in six major industries chose Keiths sales training and management coach training solutions to drive more sales. Keith addresses the specific challenges and objectives unique to your company, then moves beyond traditional training by coaching your salespeople and managers around best practices and best thinking which develops true champions. A globally recognized authority on sales and leadership, Keith is the CEO of Profit Builders, named The Best Sales Training and Coaching Company Worldwide. Keith has written several best sellers on time management, selling, prospecting and leadership coaching, including the widely acclaimed Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, winner of Five International Best Book Awards. Often featured in the media, Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith one of the five most influential executive coaches.

What are the Qualities of a Good Sales Coach? Love, a Good Conversation and Hope. These three qualities remind me of my late friend, Selvin Dallas, who passed away on October 12, 2008. Selvin loved people. He enjoyed being in a crowd. It was obvious to everyone

around him how much he truly cared about their well being, especially when it came to helping people grow their business, sell more effectively and maximize time spent with customers. Selvin genuinely and generously invested his time in others. He was never in a hurry when it came to sharing an encouraging word with someone in need. Selvin understood the importance of investing in others when it came to delivering effective and comprehensive sales training. Selvin loved to talk. He valued a good conversation. Selvin understood the importance of connecting with new customers and finding customers through participating in a variety of social events. Selvin often filled the air with his hearty laughter. He was a master encourager. Selvin loved to develop new sales professionals and encourage them to push harder and stay the course. He demanded they close more sales and reached deep within the heart of their customers business to better understand their unique needs. He was relentless in his pursuit of strengthening and motivating others. I truly miss my dear friend. Selvins legacy reminds us to be relentless in our pursuit of strengthening and motivating others, even when its neither convenient nor popular to do so. Selvin was not only a good friend, but highly skilled in finding customers and securing new business. He looked for customers in places where most of us would not even bother to spend our time or effort. Selvin was great at maximizing his contacts. When we worked side-by-side for a season, I remember watching my good friend in action. Often times we visited accounts together to leverage one anothers strengths. When it comes to improving your sales, theres nothing like watching a more experienced professional in action. Never underestimate the power of a good mentor. Moreover, never underestimate the power of personally getting involved in developing those around you. What good is it to be the best at what you do and never invest what youve learned into the life of a younger, less experienced professional? You were created to invest in others. Intentionally infuse in others what they need to succeed. When you dont, others notice and it hurts your business. When you do, others notice and it strengthens your

business. Selvin was not afraid to ask his customers for new referrals nor was he timid in his demands for their business. He explored multiple opportunities to engage with new customers and genuinely cared about the success of their business. He was constantly involved in networking events, trade shows, community projects and sporting events to help increase his database of new contacts and potential business opportunities. He reminds us of a very important exhortation, You have to want to sell, plan to sell and integrate your sales approach within the heart and mind of your customers business. Selvin spent considerable time with his customers and learned great insights as to where they were headed and why they were headed in a particular direction? He was able to give his customers an opportunity to dream about their potential as an organization while integrating his business solution within the core of their strategy. Remember the qualities of my good friend Selvin Dallas. You will need to practice these very same qualities to connect with new customers, stand out from your competitors and close more sales. As a sales leader, your ability to capture and integrate these same qualities into your existing sales methodology will help build your team and take them to the next level in their professional development.-------