Industry Magazine Get JACK'D Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 4

Ask Jack INSIGHTS FROM THE EXPERT 1. How Do I Develop A Growth Plan For The Sales Organization? happens. We no longer hear about “motivating” the salesperson. We no longer hear about the lack of work effort. My bias is to have the salesperson work as close as possible to “at risk/commission only.” All too often I hear about it not being acceptable in a country or an industry. This is a cop-out. Find a way to match the payout with the rewards, and all should be happy as long as they are willing to work and the talent is there. If not, why hire them? Steven Covey said it best: “Begin with the end in mind.” The first thing we have to wrestle down is what is it we are attempting to build. Some call that vision. Let’s say you have an $8 million company that has a vision of growing to $20 million. Figure out the progression of how many years/months it will realistically take to get to $20 million. Along the way, additional new sales hires will be necessary, based on your experience of what is a legitimate load for a salesperson to carry. Additionally, be sure to build in the needed timeline for adequate training rather than rushing the salespeople into the field to “sell,” when in reality, we are rushing them to “fail.” 6. How About Compensating The Sales Manager? Again, alignment is the key. However, I believe a base salary of some amount is appropriate. The “at risk” portion should be the greater amount by far and should be directly tied to the results of the sales team. If the Sales Manager is not willing to bet on the company or his- or herself, you have the wrong person. 2. How Does A Small Firm Rationalize Hiring A Sales Manager When The Sales Team Is Small? REQUEST YOUR Again, a part of the answer is similar to the above answer, which is dependent on the overall vision and timing of the planned growth. The rationalization basically comes down to this—if you are serious about the growth plans, then the Sales Manager will make it happen by growing the sales team in quantity and qual- ity. If you hire the right Sales Managers and pay them appropri- ately, they should pay for themselves in less than a year with the increased business the sales team generates. FREE BOOK An executive’s guide to finding, keeping, and growing the best. 3. How Does One Go About Converting An Inside Salesperson To An Outside Salesperson? Generally speaking, it’s not advisable. Nor is going in the opposite direction! Inside salespeople are typically “farmers,” and their profile does not work in the field proactively gaining customers. Outside sales is typically best done by a “hunter,” and this profile doesn’t work well in a reactive mode. Note—this move can occasionally work, but I wouldn’t chance it. Go with the better odds! VISIT TalenTrust.com/Jack 4. When Is It Time To Entertain Getting An Assistant? Yesterday! Figure out the high payoff activities (HPAs) and stay solely focused there. Calculate your hourly rate, and anything that can be done by someone else at less of a rate should be flipped accordingly. Model the Masters (Top Performers) and you will discover the presence of assistant(s). If you wait to hire until you become a top Producer, you will never get there. This is an “If you want A-players on your team, your company must spend as much time and effort attracting and retaining talented employees as it does on finding and keeping clients.” —Jack Daly investment that has great ROI. Do it now. 5. Advice On Compensating Salespeople? My favorite word here is “alignment.” When the comp of the salespeople is aligned with that of the ownership, then the magic 4