Millions of dollars have been spent investigating and pursuing ways to grow sales, and no wonder; after all, sales are the lifeblood of any organization. Yet only a handful of companies have been able to grow their sales steadily not just in good times, but in lean times, too, and in the face of ferocious competition. A careful study of the vast majority of companies that have been less successful than these few superstars shows that they fall prey to a number of common mistakes. By contrast, the few that have consistently grown their sales have succeeded because they have found ways to avoid these same traps. | The Five Most Dangerous Issues Facing Sales Directors Today, and How to Guarantee a Permanent Improvement in Sales Results Sponsored by The Sales Activator® Results speak louder than words Written & Produced by: Nikki Owen Managing Director, Trainique Ltd Andy Miller Vice President, Think Training Inc. Contributors: Brian Lambert CRSP, President, United Professional Sales Association Pavita Walker Director, Organization and Leadership Development, Barclays Group Giles Watkins Global Competence and Learning Manager, Shell Lubricants Jonathan Ledwidge Director, Learning and Development, Financial Markets, ABN AMRO Bank James Seaton Vice President of Development, Think Training Inc. Vic Conant President, Nightingale Conant ContentsContents Introduction 3 Summary of research findings conducted by Nightingale Conant 4 Issue 1: A Poorly Defined Sales Process, which Dilutes Sales Revenues 7 Issue 2: Lack of Essential Skills, which Leads to Below Average Performance and Consequently Below Average Sales Results 12 Issue 3: Failing to Focus Salespeople’s Activity, which Reduces Efficiency and Consequently Reduces Results 17 Issue 4: Allowing Self-Limiting Beliefs to Constrain Salespeople’s Performance, which Limits Sales Results 20 Issue 5: Failing to Choose and Develop a Sales Leadership Team that Nurtures and Develops their Salespeople’s Potential, which Decreases Sales Results 23 Summary 27 The Sales Activator® 28 Nikki Owen Biography 29 ©TRAINIQUE LTD AND THINK TRAINING INC. 2004 2 IntroductionIntroduction To most Sales illions of dollars have been spent Directors, the investigating and pursuing ways to grow attainment of a Msales, and no wonder; after all, sales are the lifeblood of any organization. Yet only a permanent increase handful of companies have been able to grow in sales revenues their sales steadily not just in good times, but in must seem like the lean times, too, and in the face of ferocious search for eternal competition. A careful .
