Sales Process Excellence Podcast

Before you can lead others, you have to lead yourself effectively, says Six Sigma expert Bill Zeeb. 20+ years as a six sigma trainer and master blackbelt led Bill to analyze specific areas where leaders fall short. He uses a structured approach for incremental improvement that takes the emotion out of the process and sets down actionable – and measurable – steps.

Where do many organizations plateau – or even see a decline – in sales? Bob Apollo, of Inflexion Point, says scalability can’t happen when sales are based on individual efforts rather than a structured approach. But that doesn’t mean Bob is a huge fan of process in sales… at least the rigid way many organizations approach it. He favors more of a flexible approach, where salespeople can react to conditions on the ground.

In this edition we have a unique opportunity to hear from sales consultant Frank Swiatek about how he's helping the local branches of a national organization to transform their sales process. Following a rigorous method, he's showing salespeople how data they collected reveals small improvements they can't see on their own.

Sales and marketing management is struggling. A study from CSO Insights has the hard evidence. They found that for the last six years, the percentage of salespeople meeting their quota is declining steadily. George Bronten, founder and CEO of Membrain, has an idea what’s causing the downward trend… and how to turn it around.

Sales teams, manufacturing plants… whole companies. Every part of every business needs effective leadership to thrive. But what makes for a good leader? Consultant and author Amir Ghannad explains how to become the type of leader that gets buy-in from employees… and inspires them to do their very best work.

Operational excellence is Joseph Paris’s specialty. With his work at consultancy Xonitek he’s all about making companies more productive, efficient, and effective. We talk about the techniques and strategies he uses to give his clients a boost, including in the sales and marketing departments.

As a company grows, your approach to sales must change, says Dave Vranicar, founder of Redwell B2B. Even the type of sales leader you hire must change. We explore the different sales systems and methodologies you must implement in order to spur continued growth as you go from startup to well-established market leader.

As believers in process improvement, we know the importance of the Voice of the Customer and the value of reliable data. In today’s conversation with Don Carli we discuss the difference between Voice of Market and Voice of Customer, and how they apply not just to products, but to engaging prospects before and during the sale. 

Many companies embrace the lean philosophy and seek business excellence. But best practices aren’t just something you can plug-and-play. And it’s not all about efficiency and cost-cutting for its own sake. Consultant and lean manufacturing expert Bill Waddell says before you do anything to your process, you have to look at how critical aspects of your operations are handled, including some you might not expect.

Bill Blair, founder and CEO of Blair Business Solutions, helps his clients work through issues with leadership development, sales coaching, employee retention, and more. Every business has its own issues, of course. But, says Bill, there is definitely a common thread he almost always sees… a misconception about what an effective sales culture looks like.

The shift from the mass production of the 20th century to just-in-time to on-demand to lean has forced companies to radically change the way they operate – and not just in manufacturing, says Nick Katko. As a CFO of several companies, consultant, and now president and owner of industry leader BMA, Nick has seen first-hand how this new approach has impacted marketing and sales and… compelled the creation of a lean approach to accounting.

It’s typical for 20% of the salespeople in an organization to be responsible for 80% of production, says Josh Pitchford, a consultant with Sandler Training. It’s also common to not recognize what sets those superstars apart… it’s a mystery even to the salespeople themselves. Josh shares strategies for distilling what top performers do into a process that everybody can follow, which results in more sales success across the board.

Burr Oak Tool, a leading manufacturer in the HVAC industry, has long implemented lean practices in their operations. But when Tim Doot arrived as a corporate VP he made sure that philosophy carried into the sales department as well. By examining data from every part of the sales process, the Burr Oak team was able to eliminate wasteful practices and identify the “best of the best” customers.

At the end of the day, sales success is about having prospects and customers trust you – and never betraying that trust. There are some obvious ways of doing that… but others that aren’t so clear says Dave DeSantis of negotiation training company Camp Systems. Dave shares his insights into the typical prospect’s decision-making process – and how a salesperson fits into that.

Pricing, contests, relationships… for years sales, departments could get away with relying on those elements to meet numbers. But in today’s super-competitive environment you have to use a more scientific approach, says Michael Darrish. Michael’s background as an IT developer made him receptive to instilling logic in sales.

Tobia La Marca is spreading the gospel of sales process excellence in Italy. As a business development rep for a tech company, Tobia has found that building structure in all his interactions with prospects – as well as seeing things from their perspective – has allowed him to create more value for his customers, his employer, and himself. We talk about the process of “guiding” prospects to the sale, as well as ways to identify those who are worth your time and effort.

Success in sales is all about personality and relationships, right? That’s part of it, says Todd Youngblood of the YPS Group. But if that’s all you have, you’re seriously limiting your potential. Todd is a big believer in a methodical approach for continuous improvement in sales – for both individuals and the rest of the sales team.

When independent consultant Rich Piech starts working with a company that’s struggling to scale up… he often finds that they have a fundamental flaw: They’ve defined “sales” the wrong way. This has a domino effect, impacting the whole company. And, no, the sales department isn’t to blame, stresses Rich. What is sales… really? And who should take part in figuring it out?

Do you know who your ideal prospect is? Are you sure? Jeff Galas, the founder of On Purpose Growth, maintains that too many companies are wasting their marketing dollars and misusing their sales force because they don’t actually know. But Jeff gives you the tools to find the right answer too… and make sure your whole team knows it too.

When things are going wrong in a business, it’s the tendency of many managers and owners to blame employees. But, says Steve Hollingsworth, principal consultant at Ottimizzi, you should focus on the processes and needed changes there, not the people stuck working in those processes. This is especially true in sales and marketing – the lifeblood of any business.