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customer retention

What An MBA Didn’t Teach You About Sales

The sales profession is challenging. You need to work hard at it to succeed. You need to learn from the best. You need to improve your skills continuously. If you think you can sell since you are a hit at parties and have a lot of friends, you may soon find that you are a failure as a salesperson. Blunt truth:

because the sales profession is so hard, you have to focus on doing everything in sales very well, or you will be considered a failure.

I call this blog, Skinned Knees because I try to relate all of the learning that I have done over the past 4+ decades (while skinning my knees in the learning process).

I hope that you learn from my mistakes so that your business will grow!

Designing Sales Compensation Plans That Drive Performance

The success of any sales-driven organization in the business-to-business (B2B) space hinges on the sales team’s compensation plan. Over my four decades in B2B sales, I’ve observed that nothing influences the performance of sales personnel more directly than the design and implementation of their compensation plans. Compensation is not merely about rewarding sales achievements but crafting a strategy aligning individual salespeople’s goals with the company’s broader objectives.

A well-structured compensation plan acts as both a motivator and a guide. It compels sales teams not only to meet but exceed their targets, fostering an environment where continuous improvement is not just encouraged but becomes a natural byproduct of the system. For small business CEOs, understanding this dynamic is critical for sustaining and driving growth. Sales compensation is more than just a cost; it’s an investment in the company’s future.

In any sales environment, whether the market is brimming with potential or tightly contested, the compensation plan must be a living document that evolves in response to market conditions, company goals, and team performance. With this adaptability, companies can avoid stagnation or regression in their market positions. As businesses strive to scale and adapt, constructing a compensation plan that genuinely drives the right behaviors becomes all the more pertinent.

To delve deeper into this vital subject, CEOs should consider the immediate impacts of their compensation strategies and their long-term implications on sales culture and employee retention. For those ready to explore the intricacies of effective sales compensation and ensure their strategies are well-suited to their specific business contexts, I am here to lend my expertise. With extensive experience tailoring compensation plans to enhance sales productivity and company profitability, I invite you to reach out for further guidance on crafting a plan that meets and exceeds your strategic goals. You can set a time to talk to me using my link above Book Appointment With Sean.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – Maximizing Customer Relationships: Insights from Chris Goade – E90

Join Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey in another insightful episode of “Two Tall Guys Talking Sales.” This week, they welcome back Chris Goade from 360 Consulting in Dallas. Chris dives deep into the importance of customer retention and intentional engagement strategies. Discover how to transform average customers into great ones and learn practical techniques to elevate your sales game.

Key Topics Discussed

  1. Defining Ideal Customers: Chris emphasizes the need for businesses to understand and define what makes a great customer, moving beyond just high revenue.
  2. Intentional Customer Interactions: Pre-call planning and intentionality in customer meetings are important to foster deeper relationships and uncover more business opportunities.
  3. Handling Customer Problems: How addressing and solving problems can turn challenging customers into loyal advocates.
  4. Roadmapping Conversations: Strategies for sales leaders to guide their teams in having structured, meaningful conversations with clients.
  5. Growing Existing Customers: Real-world examples of how focusing on existing customers can lead to significant business growth without new customer acquisition.
  6. Salesperson Development: Techniques to help salespeople grow comfortable with engaging higher-level executives and having more strategic business conversations.
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Boosting Business Performance: Integrating Sales and Marketing Efforts

The symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing is more crucial than ever. This dynamic duo drives the revenue generation engine, which is especially crucial when businesses are keen to set a positive trajectory. Marketing’s influence cannot be understated. It often shapes the business’s success months in advance. Strategies implemented by marketing today can significantly impact revenue streams later in the year. Therefore, it’s essential for sales and marketing to align and integrate their processes to… Boosting Business Performance: Integrating Sales and Marketing Efforts