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When Recruiting for Sales People, Know How to Separate Salespeople Vs. Order Takers

Are your best producers sales people or order takers? Which one do you need and can you tell the difference? Would you call the person at the coffee shop a sales person or an order taker? They manage a business exchange between customers and the store (sales), and yet they primarily take orders. Is the clerk who up sells a sales person, or still an order taker? This type of sales confusion can make it difficult to seek and hire the appropriate sales professional. It’s often challenging for an employer to differentiate the roles, and also challenging for reps to properly label themselves. Know what you need – sales vs order taking, (and what you’re getting), before you hire.

Order Taker
The order taker waits for contact from the buyer and the buyer dictates the sale. They respond to RFP’s and react to requests. The order taker is controlled by the customer, and sells in the now. He is adept at describing product features and how the purchase can benefit the buyer. They are advocates for the customer and what the customer demands. The order taker doesn’t actually have to sell; instead they survive on “low hanging fruit.” Their goal is to close the deal and move on to the next call. Marketing a well-known brand in a healthy economy can result in a large income for the order taker.

Salesperson
A salesperson hunts for prospects. He is focused on his customers needs and develops a relationship. The customer is engaged in the sales process and the rep influences the buy. A salesperson has a sales strategy, often selling 6 -12 months in advance. He plans for the future of the customer and the company, looking beyond the here and now. Low-hanging fruit is not perceived as the main course, but rather sales “gravy”. It’s appreciated as an easy win, not a sustainable way to make goal. The salesperson is constantly prospecting, and a top performer will earn a large income in any economy.

Know the difference between an order taker and an order maker. Determine the type of calls and leads you are receiving before you decide on which type of professional to hire. Many order takers pose as salespeople, so make sure you have
a thorough vetting process. A good salesperson can change the course of your business while an order taker chooses the path of least resistance. There is a place and a role for both professions in the sales field, but hiring the wrong talent can
prove disappointing and costly.

 

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

Hiring Start-Up Sales Reps

Start-up sales repsSales people always face objections. Selling for a start up means facing objections and a tremendous amount of resistance. The customer is unfamiliar with the business and has no reason to trust you. You have few (if any) references, no proven merchandise, reputation, or extended track record. The product is usually more expensive and buyers perceive working with you as a risk. In the beginning customers don’t want to speak to a sales person who may not be intimately familiar with the product or service or have the authority to make commitments, so the founder tackles this sales challenge. As the company grows and develops so does the sales department.

Very few early stage companies are started by salespeople, which means very few early stage founders understand sales. Start up sales is evangelical sales. Your reps need to educate the customer about something new and different, and convince them there is a need for the product. Your seller needs to be able to have your clients take a leap of faith.

Tips for hiring start-up sales reps:

This specialized selling requires a specialized rep. Your sales recruiting process must be top notch, should include the use of sales candidate assessments and interview scripts. Startups can’t afford to waste money or make hiring mistakes. Top sales producers from brand name employers are often romanced for the job. The thought is that experienced sales reps will bring in sales quickly and easily. That decision is often costly. Superstars from marquee employees don’t encounter the type of resistance that start ups face. In this environment they will fail. They are accustomed to selling mature products with strong reputations (not to mention they are used to healthy marketing budgets and support staff that a start up is unlikely to have). I learned this the hard way, early in my career when I hired a seasoned rep into one of my startups. One evening, shortly after hiring him, we met in the hallway and he asked me if the office manager had gone home because he needed her to fax a proposal to a prospect. He didn’t know how to use the fax. I knew right then, that I had made a mistake and that he wouldn’t survive in our company.

When you have market share and a proven product, look for your superstar. To get it all started you need a maverick.

The maverick is a breed of salesperson that views challenges as opportunities. They function with little internal help and support. They aren’t sensitive to risk and they can inspire customers. They are fearless! They will expand your pipeline of leads, handle customer relations and create sales proposals while the founder focuses on building the product and running the company.

When hiring a maverick, sell the journey, but don’t pretend it will be easy. It won’t. Finding someone who has already succeeded with an early stage company increases your chance for success. Get the whole team involved with the hiring, because you will all be working closely together. And be very clear about your expectations up front. You are not hiring a business developer that will be an ambassador for your business. You are hiring someone who will generate sales and you will be tracking their activity, funnel and opportunities closely and you will be holding them accountable to a quota even though there is no precedent for sales in your company.

Startup sales people are evangelists, hustlers and relationship builders all in one. Find them and don’t let them get away.

To your success!

Photo Credit: thefoodgroup via Compfight cc

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

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Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

Sales Trends from 2012 CSO Insights: Sales Rep Performance

How does your sales rep performance compare with the rep performance of 1,500 other firms spanning numerous industries? CSO Insights conducts an annual study to assess the strength of the sales world and the 2012 report includes an analysis of the 10 key trends of Sales Rep Performance. Check out where you are and what you still need to do to increase your Rep Performance!

  1. Sales Force Turnover – Turnover remained at an all time low of 25.5%. Involuntary turnover (let-go or fired) represented 12.8% and voluntary turnover (rep leaves) 12.7%. At this time companies are spending less time filling those open positions. However, the 2004/2005 studies showed that when the economy recovered, voluntary turnover increased significantly. Prepare for the economic upturn. Your competitors will start hiring again, potentially poaching your reps. Now is the time to manage your exposure for voluntary turnover, as well as plan for your future growth.
  2. Time Spent on Lead Generation – The time reps need to invest in researching accounts and generating leads, has decreased from 24.1% to 19.4%. Salespeople can now find accurate and relevant information from sales intelligence information provided by their employer. The Internet also helps a great deal.
  3. Conversion of Leads to Opportunities – 48.8% of firms surveyed had leads convert to opportunity greater than 50% of the time, compared to 41.7% a year earlier. This increase in conversions correlates with the increased use of sales intelligence, resulting in better leads.
  4. Win Rates – For the first time in three years, win rates have increased. Actual rates of closed opportunities increased to 48.3%, compared to 46.4% a year prior. This increase occurred as both the rates of “losses” and “no decisions” decreased.
  5. Average Deal Size – 2011 did see a rise in the size of deals pitched, however the rise was minimal. It is anticipated that 2012 will see another increase in average deal size.
  6. Formal Process Adoption – More companies adopted formal sales process standards. Of the firms surveyed, 48.7% of the firms utilize a “Level 3, Formal Process” or “Level 4, Dynamic Process.” Sales can identify and adapt to change more quickly, when all reps are doing thing consistently.
  7. CRM Mobile Access – Having access to data quickly and easily is essential when closing deals, and 46.9% of firms surveyed support CRM applications on smart phones. In addition to the Smartphone technology, 40.4% report that tablets are being used by reps.
  8. CRM 2.0 Utilization – The use of Lead Generation Management, Sales Analytics, Sales Intelligence, Sales Collaboration, Sales Knowledge Management, and Incentive Management tools continue to increase.
  9. Ramp-Up Time – Ramp-up time for a new hire is more than 10 months, according to 39.3% of the firms surveyed. This extended length training time continues to be a concern for companies.
  10. Training – 50% of the firms believe that better training, and more of it, is needed in the areas of customer marketplace and purchase justification. Product training is a less critical category with 74.3% of respondents meeting or exceeding training expectations.

Overall these are positive indicators for the sales profession.

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

Sales Management Trends: An Aging Workforce

According to the 2010 US Census, almost a quarter of the population is aged 45 to 64 years old. The median age in more than seven states is 40 years old. Some consider sales a young person’s sport. Salespeople work long hours, travel extensively and have a considerable amount of pressure. What is the impact on sales teams with an aging population?

Salespeople over 50 may seem less desirable to some managers. Fears abound regarding hiring someone “older”. Misperceptions include that senior salespeople are un-trainable and not tech savvy, that they are burnt out, and won’t work hard. The same could be said for a rep at any age. Benefits that a mature rep can offer include entry to C-level executives, a large book of contacts and valuable work experience, especially where complex sales are concerned.

The aging population will challenge us to maintain a balanced team. As our rainmakers age and move out of sales (or retire), we are faced with determining how to maintain a full staff with talent of all ages. With the number of sales candidates ages 25 to 40 entering the workforce growing at less than 1%, younger talent needed to round out the team will be hard to find. Negative stereotypes about sales, coupled with the shortage of younger workers, means competition will be stiff.

It’s time to embrace that aging workforce and use it to your advantage. Talent is talent and truly good sales people will work hard, utilize current technology and deliver results no matter what their age. Those heavy hitters will not be around forever though, so it is important to feed the employment pipeline with junior reps. Match the eagerness of youth with the experience of the senior. Sales training pairs well with mentoring and coaching. Most new salespeople either “learn the hard way”, or give up and move on to a different career. Keep young talent around with an excellent compensation plan, training and support.

The recipe to a great team is tricky, especially when you have a lot of one ingredient, and less of another. The key is to create something delicious without making a bad substitution at the last minute. Demographics are changing. The facts are here. Create a precise plan of the talent mix needed and how it should be combined. Prepare your staffing strategy now to prevent a mistake at a crucial moment later.

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

The Seasoned Sales Hire vs. New Blood (Requires 40 seconds to read)

How many times have you had this debate when you have an open spot on your sales team? Should you recruit a seasoned salesperson that knows his or her way around, or new blood that you can train?

We get asked this question everyday. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer and we suggest you don’t flip a coin (..which believe it or not, is how many people treat this decision) The answer lies within a combination of factors including your go to market strategy, management style, expectations, target client, and of course your budget.

An experienced salesperson may have proven she can sell in your industry and sales environment, but in reality there are probably complications that prevent her from bringing an entire book of business. She may, however, be bringing all her bad habits. The other option is a newbie. He may have raw talent, but time and training will be needed to develop skills and contacts and it may be hard to predict whether he will be successful or not. Plus an entry level person may be just figuring out what kind of a career they want …and experimenting on your dime.

Which way to go? The answer to the question always lies in your business. What does your sales plan dictate? Need immediate results? Or can you afford to train and direct someone new? Will your clients tolerate the inexperience of a green rep or will they demand senior talent? Can you afford to invest in someone who might not work out? Can you hire two entry level sales people to compete with each other, then keep the best one?

Whether you hire a junior or experienced rep, the presence of a selling methodology, and the right support will go a long way to making them superior performers.

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

Innovation in Sales Compensation Strategies

Innovation in Sales CompensationChanges in the economy have resulted in many businesses reviewing compensation expenses.  The sales commission budget – traditionally the largest cost- is often under scrutiny.

Can that expense be lowered with a new incentive calculation process? Data shows that 75% of organizations with 1,000-2,500 employees currently determine commissions using spreadsheets. This approach can lead to overpayments on bonuses and commissions, increased risk of error, loss of time, and inaccurate readings of data.

This often-complicated procedure can be simpler and more exact with the use of Incentive Compensation Management (ICM). ICM simplifies compensation management while offering a wealth of information.

Loading data into a spreadsheet is time consuming and allows for a high margin of error.  When the spreadsheet is complete, you are left with a commission amount and not much else.
Incentive Compensation Management delivers accurate payment facts, as well as direct correlations between compensation and performance.  You have the flexibility to change the plan duration (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.), re-calculate commissions with new parameters, and have multiple quotas or multiple forecasts. The most current figures from sales, finance and HR are included without the manual collection of records or modification of formulas. Data is obtained automatically combining the information quickly and accurately.

Yes, there is an expense with an ICM, but with proper use you will almost immediately experience cost savings.  Since you are no longer working with complicated spreadsheets, compensation plans can be modified easily and correctly.  With access to sales performance versus commission paid, you can monitor sales trends, quota performance, and attainment distributions using real-time dashboards and reporting. Current incentives are easily visible and sales teams are able to determine their actual and projected commissions.  Questions regarding the payout can be done through Incentive Compensation Management and communications are directed to the appropriate parties.  All inquires and responses are also traceable, allowing for transparency with the process.

At a time when organizational efficiency and effectiveness are of great importance, Incentive Compensation Management establishes payroll as a seamless business process.  A decrease in errors combined with an increase in productivity promise that ICM offers the highest financial return in the shortest amount of time.  Limited effort will be spent researching and resolving sales disputes, and with precise sales incentive calculation your team will exert less energy checking on their pay, and more time selling!

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

The Markets are Dropping.  Is Sales Compensation Dropping as Well?

We get a lot of questions about whether sales compensation is sagging in light of the economy. The simple answer is no, sales compensation is not dropping…for the reliable performers.

The detail behind the answer involves looking at supply and demand. The model of supply and demand is the backbone of price determination in a free market. Demand refers to the amount of product or service that is desired from buyers. Supply represents the amount of products or services provided.  The ensuing philosophy dictates that price is a reflection of supply and demand.   With high unemployment creating a large amount of candidates and low supply of jobs, it would make sense to believe that the price (salary) would be reduced as well.

In the world of retail the example might look like this.   Your favorite band is having a special concert.  Because there is a surplus of concerts, the supply and demand market has determined the acceptable ticket price among buyers is forty dollars.  So you plan on paying forty dollars.

In the job market overall, the same theory looks like this.  With employers hurting financially and receiving hundreds of applicants for a single open position, hiring managers can offer lower salaries for available jobs.   You believe you can offer a lower salary too.  It’s a buyer’s market for talent, right?  Let’s take a closer look.

You go to buy a forty-dollar ticket to the concert and you can’t find one.  While forty is the standard price for most shows, this is an exclusive performance with limited seats, so these tickets are one hundred fifty dollars.  With only a limited supply available, and demand high, the longer you wait for tickets the more expensive they will get, if you can get one at all.  Demand has increased for the tickets and so has the price.  Your choice is to pay less for a lesser show, or pay more and invest in the top performance you desire.

Hiring the best sales talent is like buying a ticket for the concert. Overall, there are plenty of salespeople to employ, just like there are many concert tickets available to purchase.  However, you don’t want “any ticket” or “any salesperson,” you want the special one, the best.

Twenty percent of all salespeople make eighty percent of all sales. Want cheap?  Bargain hunt low performers, and get yourself a down-market deal. Want gold? Dig for the top twenty percent and pay what it takes.

Don’t be fooled by the economy.  The market may be dropping, but the desire to hire talented sales performers is increasing.   Demand is high and supply is low. If you think you can offer a drop in salary, be prepared for a drop in sales.

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

The Differences Between Hiring a Sales Manager vs. Sales Producer


The top producer on your team has been pushing for a promotion and you need a new sales manager. If you promote your top person and put a team of five beneath him, will you have five more superstars? Just because someone can sell, does it mean they can manage?

The process of promoting from within is common, and easy.   You fill the position, keep your salesperson happy and move on.  You think that placing your rainmaker in a leadership position will result in the creation of more rainmakers.  Unfortunately this plan can do more harm than good.  Just because Babe Ruth can hit it out of the park, doesn’t mean he’d make a great coach.

Hiring for a sales manager takes due diligence.  The roles of salesperson vs. sales manager require a different skill set and DNA. Yes, there are some sales people who are promoted to a managerial position and excel.  However when you randomly take your best player, give him a pep talk and send him off to create new and better results, you risk jeopardizing your whole sales function.

Sales Manager Traits vs. Top Producer Traits

Sales Manager

Top Producer

Delegator

Closer

Team Builder

Money Maker

Supervisor

Independent

Manager

Ego-centric

Leader

Competitor

Trainer

Achiever

Top sales performers are independent and singularly driven.  Often they like to work outside the boundaries of the organization.   Great sales managers are the opposite.  They think of the team before the individual.  They are managers and leaders and have the skills  to think about what is best for company.

Lastly, top performers are frequently driven by money.  As managers they often believe that others have the same motivation and can’t understand why their team can’t deliver the business like they can.  Good sales managers have patience and the ability to train poor performers.  Just because they have “it”, doesn’t mean they can teach “it”.

Responsibilities of a sales manager include recruiting and training, budgeting, forecasting, developing compensation, coaching and ensuring the success of the team.  The responsibility of a salesperson is direct selling.

When you promote from within, you may think you are getting a sales manager.  Actually you may be getting a salesperson that wants to be a sales manager.  Your new sales manager now has to transition from closing deals to running a small business.  A leap that may be impossible to make.

Image courtesy of sscreations / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

Sales Management Trends: Less and Less Active Candidates

difficult to find and hire good salespeopleThe economy is improving. Job creation is increasing but unemployment remains high.

So why is it so difficult to find and hire good salespeople?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics (BLS), in May 2010 there were over 13 million wage and salary sales workers in the United States. The BLS also stated the number of sales jobs will grow at a rate of 7% to 13% over the next nine years, while the number of sales candidates ages 25 to 40 entering the work force will grow at less than 1%.  Finding, hiring and retaining good salespeople will become increasing difficult as time progresses.

As the economy grows and companies increase sales positions, recruiting will be one of the toughest challenges for business leaders.   No longer can you post a help wanted ad and have talented reps show up at your door.   In fact, no one may show up at your door. College-educated sales professionals with several years experience are in high demand, and most of those reps are already working.   Businesses of all sizes will be fighting for those that are available.  What has changed?  Why is it so difficult to find and hire good sales people?

Underlying Causes:

  1. Fresh graduates are less likely to join the sales profession.  Lackluster classes in sales and marketing, combined with negative stereotypes of salespeople are turning new graduates away from this profession.
  2. Unhealthy sales environment.  With the high expectations and stresses of many sales jobs, junior salespeople drop out and change careers.
  3. Not investing in sales teams.  Poor training, and a lack of career advancement, sales culture and salary, has created less than desirable sales professionals in the market.
  4. Good salespeople are employed and difficult to headhunt.  Managers take care of top performers and top performers are hesitant to leave their client portfolio (and income).

How to Find Talent:

  1. Review the recruiting budget and be prepared to pay more to find top sales performers.
  2. Consider utilizing recruiting sources to reach as many qualified candidates as possible.
  3. Protect what you already have!  When resources are tight competitors will offer your staff more money, better benefits and opportunity.  Don’t get poached!
  4. Design a recruiting and retention plan.  Protect yourself from the high cost of sales attrition.

The economy is improving and in order to maximize opportunities you need a top-notch team ready to sell.   Soon the marketplace will be flooded with available sales jobs and less than ideal candidates to fill the positions.   Build your pipeline now in order to maximize growth.

Image courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

The Importance of Thought Leadership in Sales

The sales community generally views thought leadership as a fancy name for marketing and something that is outside the purview of the sales function.

Thought leadership is indeed a fancy name, but it’s not the name that makes it important. It’s the idea of going beyond business as usual and defining your organization as innovative leader and trusted advisor. So much business advice is blah, blah, blah. Sales people can sell “the sizzle” as a thought leader but does that make it true? Promoting a personal brand as an expert can be easier than creating the actual track record of accomplishments.

Trust-based, successful professionals become known for what they know. They are the go-to individual in their industry and have the ability to work with and profit from their target markets.

On a company level this means speaking, blogging and writing, but that does not make the company a thought leader. A thought leader demonstrates new thinking and initiates new directions. With unique insights and actionable strategies you can organically grow your client base and business.

How does this impact the sales rep? Customers want to buy from reps who are smart and not simply regurgitating what the marketing department is publishing. In a world with ever sophisticated buyers, your sales reps to be more knowledgeable than your customer on your product and your market and at least as knowledgeable on the customer’s business.

Thought leadership is about having followers. With out followers you’re not a leader; you’re just someone taking a walk.

Don’t leave thought leadership to the marketing department. Leverage insight from your marketing function to increase your reps product, market and customer knowledge. Demand that your reps be engaged in their thinking. Condition them to have informed opinions and seek opportunities for all members of your sales team to showcase opinions publicly so that they are seen as innovative leaders and trusted advisors.

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Eliot Burdett

CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting
Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.

He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.

Connect:

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)