BE A LEADER….OF LEADERS!Training for High-Tech Sales Managers
Manjit Moses DanielVice President, International BusinessNewport Corporation
January 2011
Contents
Training Objectives
Tools for Success
Leadership Skills
Refresher on Sales Techniques
Advanced Sales Management
Is there a purpose for the Training?
“Life is like a parachute jump-you have to get it right the first time” – E Roosevelt
Happiness is usually what we all strive for - what makes you happy? At home? At work? Do you know yourself well and with honesty?
Does success breed happiness or does happiness breed success for you?
“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on others” – Jackie Robinson Can you be happy without making others happy? What is the legacy you want
to leave? Will others want to follow what you believe and learn from you? Does belonging to something meaningful make you happy? Is it important to you to
make the groups that form your identity successful? Do you have work-life balance? Do you have a secure self-identity?
Are you willing to sacrifice? Do you have the passion for it?
Would working for a GREAT company contribute to making you happy?
Only you can provide the answers for these questions. But, if you answered YES to the last one, then you owe it to yourself to ask the next question
What can YOU do to make YOUR COMPANY a great company?
Why is this training important?
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change” – Darwin
This is true of companies too. Will you be part of this change? Will you strive to drive continuous improvement?
“If you want things to stay the same, everything must change” – from “The Leopard” by Lampedusa The companies at the top of an industry and the Fortune 500 companies
change every decade because market conditions change
Become a COACH and mentor your team All of you manage people or manage distributors TEACH them “to fish and hunt” so that you don’t need to feed
them Multiply the effects of your leadership greatly by developing other
leaders
BE A LEADER OF LEADERS!
What are the training objectives?
Mea culpa….we all can do better! 80/20 principle – let’s work on the 20% that will have the biggest impact on our
influence individually. It is different for each of us Continuous improvement is a key to getting better….training is vital
Pick the courses and schools that you will benefit from – don’t wait for others to tell you what you need to learn
You have to establish your own scorecard for success Long-term profitable business growth and personal growth of individuals on my
team are two metrics I use to measure the value I provide Success happens when opportunity meets preparation – have a plan and
enjoy the planning process “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail” – John Wooden All plans fall apart in battle and becoming a champion depends on what you do
once you get knocked down. Will you stand up and keep fighting?
How can you make a meaningful contribution?
Become a top-gun salesperson, 21st-century sales manager AND a leader who develops other
leaders!
Contents
Training Objectives
Tools for Success
Leadership Skills
Refresher on Sales Techniques
Advanced Sales Management
What should we learn first? Balancing “Personal Needs” of people with “Practical Needs” of the
business As a parent, we want our kids to grow to be well-adjusted adults with good
values and morals with the skills to be successful. But, on a daily basis, it is more important to make them happy and feel loved
Managing a team is no different as long-term strategic goals must be achieved while ensuring the team members are fulfilled on a daily basis
Walking in the shoes of others “Don’t assume your way is best. Be open to other cultures and leadership
styles and don’t “take over” Achieve results with integrity and in a manner that shows personal regard for
the people with whom you work Consistency to get “buy-in” and foster loyalty
“You can’t get too much done in life if you work only on the days you feel good” – Jerry West
TRUST is the glue that holds an organization together – trust is not possible without character “No man can climb beyond the limitations of his character” – T Roosevelt Leading by Example is the #1 trait identified in leadership polls
CHARACTER MATTERS!INTEGRITY, DISCIPLINE, STRONG WORK ETHIC & COMMITMENT
What is needed for a successful company?
Develop a MISSION to give the company a purpose, a VISION to make the path tangible and a STRATEGY to give focus
Recruit a great TEAM with all the complementary skills needed and a core of strong leaders and managers
Build a consistent, believable and defendable BRAND Align the company’s structure and culture to take advantage of
opportunities – be MARKET-DRIVEN and CHANGE when needed
Fix what is broken and establish world-class PROCESSES, CONTROLS and OPERATIONS
Develop a portfolio of TECHNOLOGY capabilities and successful PRODUCTS
Strive for long-term CUSTOMER satisfaction BALANCE the needs of employees, managers, customers,
partners and shareholders
QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP will determine a company’s future!
What are the skills needed to be effective?
Develop relationships and be customer-centric Build robust processes that don’t need constant
intervention and constantly drive for improvement Involve all employees in quality and encourage
team-work Set up metrics for achieving objectives and monitor
progress Follow good rules of communication and respect
differences and diversity – see guidelines The way you communicate advertises who you are
Understand your role and be responsible for your own success. Help others when needed
Work on satisfying the personal needs of others Dignity, Respect, Understanding, Trust, Self-esteem,
Empathy, Support
Guidelines for good communication Answer every e-mail or phone call within 24-36 hour
If you leave a telephone voice mail message for someone, please let them know what the issue is Leave your cell phone on quiet/vibrate mode when you are in a meeting
“The customer is King”. If you can’t respond now tell him/her and find someone who can and make sure that person does it and closes the loop
Follow good email protocol Limit the number of people copied who need to know. Put in a meaningful subject so recipient can
grasp the essence. Indicate priority and confidentiality appropriately by using those option flags in Outlook Make it clear who must take action and who is copied for info only. Make it clear who you want to
reply to you or to others listed. If you want to reply only to a sub-set of people copied on an email, send an email to all copied stating
that you will respond only to the people needed so that the group knows that action is being taken If someone sends an email with an attachment, please preserve the attachment
when you send a response – “forward” the response to addressees and don’t “reply all”
If someone asks you to do something and you can’t do it now, tell him/her when you can and notify him/her when it is done
Make sure documents and spreadsheets you send out are in an easy-to-print format
If you are assigning an action to someone else, designate a time of completion and let the other person know this deadline
Think about courtesy in communication even when you disagree or are having a discussion on a tough business issue with someone. In the long-term, you will be more successful if you are able to maintain good relationships
Contents
Training Objectives
Tools for Success
Leadership Skills
Refresher on Sales Techniques
Advanced Sales Management
Leadership Skills Leadership Ability determines a person’s level of
effectiveness Vision, Intuition, People skills, Planning/Strategic skills, Ability
to deliver results Degree of Influence is a true measure of leadership
Character depth, relationships/networks, knowledge, experience, ability, past success
Leaders are learners and improve constantly “I know what I don’t know” is a good start to learning Personal growth is absolutely necessary to becoming a better
leader Chart the course and don’t just steer the ship
Examine conditions before making commitments. Be objective and recognize weaknesses and minimize self-deception
Leadership Skills (contd.) Add Value by Serving Others
Aspire to have a positive impact on others and measure by how far you help others advance
If you treat employees and customers right and listen to them carefully, profits will follow
A leader gives up the “ability to abuse” as his attitude affects the atmosphere of the team
“The handshake of the host affects the taste of the roast” – Ben Franklin Trust is the foundation of leadership
Get known for being fair, consistent and for meeting commitments People naturally follow leaders whom they perceive to be better
leaders than themselves Look around at the caliber of people who choose to spend time with you or
to follow you on their own free will. Do you want this to be a better group? You cannot attract a better group unless you become a good leader. You have
to develop your character to become a stronger leader. There is no short cut to building a strong team that you can lead
People tend to attract others who tend to be similar. This may lead to rigid thinking. Try to fill your inner circle with more diversity
You might not get the choice to choose whom you lead
Leadership Skills (contd.) Leaders develop good intuition over time and this helps them to
be decisive Most decisions have to be made when 40%-50% of information is
available if it is to be timely Data needs to be processed into information through a good
filter Do not over-analyze to a resolution much greater than the
accuracy
You cannot move people to action until you connect with them by emotion – the heart comes first before the head “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much
you care. Leaders are dealers in hope” – John Maxwell People follow Leaders and not Causes
Secure Leaders empower others
“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from
meddling with them while they do it” – T Roosevelt
Leadership Skills (contd.)
Leaders compete VERY hard and find a way to lead the team to victory “You cannot win without good athletes, but you can lose
with them. Coaching matters” – Lou Holtz A unified vision brings a team together to win Have a vision for the team. Make the whole better than
the parts
When to lead is as important as what to do Timing is everything – right action at the right time Activity is not necessarily accomplishment
Leaders who develop leaders impact people beyond their reach and amplify success
Contents Training Objectives
Tools for Success
Leadership Skills
Refresher on Sales Techniques
Advanced Sales Management
Top-Gun Sales Techniques Sales is a process - learn it well and practice it with discipline
Good training courses - Strategic Selling and Consultative Selling principles
Large Account Management Process (LAMP) for OEM Account Managers Strategic selling – right place, right people, right time
Find out all the influencers (users, technical, economic) and their motivations. Don’t forget the economic buyer. Develop a coach
Analyze your position with all influencers – strengths, weaknesses and action plans
Blue-sheet analysis (Miller-Heimann training) may be needed for complex sales situations
Always ask why? What does a customer REALLY need? Don’t just listen to what they say
Assess your chance of winning an order at all times – think about why you may win it, why a competitor might win it, what do you need to do to increase your chances, what help do you need to solicit
A lost order should never be a SURPRISE. You should know why you will win or why will lose an order if you have done proper discovery
Overcome or go around gate-keepers who prevent you from exploring an account
The Price you get will depend on the Value you create
Sales Funnel
Prospect
Qualify
Cover theBases
Close Order
Above the Funnel
In the Funnel
Best Few
•Do you work on all aspects of the sales funnel?
•All salespeople hate to prospect – but the best ones have it as one of their top priorities •Sales Managers have to ensure prospecting is done•Can you quickly find the 10% of leads that will likely yield results?
Top-Gun Sales Techniques (contd.)
Are you using the limited direct-customer face time you get effectively? We have two ears and one mouth. Be a sincere ACTIVE LISTENER This is the only time you can do good OPPORTUNITY DISCOVERY
For OEM, spend a lot of time targeting the right customers. Think about who is the “ideal customer” for our company Understand the entire account fully and align the right people at all levels
Establish credibility first for yourself and the company Develop your gut instincts and intuition
Based on analysis of prior experience. Learn from failures of others too Consultative selling – become the customer’s external asset and
provide value as an external consultant who solves the customer’s problems and not a seller of products
Change your style depending on the “buyer’s style” Try to make it a win-win for you and the customer
Provide a “win” for each “buyer” and not just the customer’s organization
Relating - Personal Styles
No matter what you are – start here
25% of customers are like you Likeable, easy to talk to Easy to trust You could be friends
50% are not like you, but okay Easy professional relationship
25% are impossible! Stay cool, professional Don’t judge Use TEAM-SELLING and get help
Intuitive
Analytical
Expressive
Extrovert
Observative
Introvert
Driver
Amiable
Consultative Selling Process
Each sale is considered a project that must be managed through the Sales Funnel There is a beginning, middle and end There are recognizable phases within the sale
Consultative Selling Four Phases Dealing with Barriers Attitude
OPPORTUNITY DISCOVERY is a key!
Relating
DiscoveringAdvo
catin
gSu
ppor
ting
No Trust
No NeedNo Hel
pNo
Satis
fact
ion
Problem
SolvingAttitud
e
Start HERE and continue clockwise!!
Drive through the Levels in the Sales Funnel
Opportunity Discovery Technical/General
Find out technical specifications or the details of the problem that needs to be solved? Are these final requirements – if not, when can final specifications of requirements be provided?
What is the research application or alternately, what product are you manufacturing for which you need a solution? Is it for Product development use or Production use? Where are they in their industry’s value chain?
Why do you need this solution? Is this a new requirement or a reorder or modification of an existing solution that you have? If this is not new, what are you using currently? Is that our product, in-house designed product or a competitor’s product? How long have you been using current product and why do you want to change?
Budget Is there a budget already approved or will you have to apply for a budget? How much is the approved budget? If you
have to apply for a budget, what is the process and how long will it take? Why are you spending the money? Is it to do research, increase production capacity and/or to increase process
efficiency? Is it contingent on receiving further customer orders? If so, can you provide details, at least on the timing of receiving your end-customer’s order?
When will you know for sure about your budget approval and when is the earliest you can spend the budget? Is there a date by which you have to spend the money? Is there some acceptable range for spending or is there a fixed budget?
Timing When is the deadline to receive a quotation? When will the decision to buy or not to buy be made? What drives this
timing? When will the vendor selection be made? What drives this timing? How much more time will it take to place an order?
Decision-makers Who is the end-user? Who is the technical decision-maker? Who is the economic buyer?
Price What are your price requirements? What drives it? Is it a fixed budget limit, perception of market-value for the required
solution, manufacturing process cost requirements, competitor’s quote, previous price paid for a similar solution? Try and find out how much latitude there is in terms of the price requirements. Will price be the primary concern (as on a
tender) or will the users have some latitude for paying more for a better solution from a preferred vendor Competition
Probe which competitors are being considered. What is the history with competitor’s solutions? How far along is the customer in the process of engaging with the competition?
What is the seller’s current position amongst the competing solutions (including in-house design) being considered? What is driving this position? Try and find out the contact’s opinion on what you can do to move up to #1 on this list
Next Steps
Contents
Training Objectives
Tools for Success
Leadership Skills
Refresher on Sales Techniques
Advanced Sales Management
Sales Manager ScorecardFOR EACH LINE, RATE YOURSELF ON SCALE OF 1-5 AND MULTIPLY BY IMPORTANCE
RATING. COMPARE AGAINST IDEAL RATING OF 325 Importance (3 is highest)
1. Skills and Experience
Right technical background through education and experience 3
Upfront and open communication and language skills; good communication discipline to respond fast; 3
Experience doing selling and/or account management of large customers (sales to account >$5-10M/yr, end-customer revenue >$300-500 million/year 3
Ability to assess people quickly and accurately 3
Attention to detail, organization and priority-setting skills 3
Ability to drive salespeople/distributors and possessing the Charisma/Initiative to get the respect and trust of experienced salespeople; ability to inspire loyalty 3
Strategic Thinking 3
Good sales skills as it relates to SCI customers and new/small OEM customers 3
Ability to sell to higher levels of management or peers in other departments ideas and/or necessity to expend resources/$ 3
Integrity 3
Ability to drive change and adapt to different markets/territories 2
Interest in field travel to sell and get input directly from customers 2
Analytical ability including good finance/forecasting skills 2
Delegation and Mentoring abilities 2
Ability to recruit and hire the right people to build a solid team 2
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Sales Manager Scorecard (contd.)
2. Motivation Importance
Results orientation and in particular, an aggressive attitude to achieve sales results 3
Interest in setting up metrics and achieving results that can be measured for own team 3
Interest in achieving team objectives set by management and company 3
Customer Satisfaction focus 3
Interest in working for company in the long-term in a dedicated fashion 2
Interest in the industry or technology areas that we are in 2
Career aspirations – are they in line with what is realistic inside the company 2
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3. Cultural Fit with Company Culture
Assess potential fit with peers, direct reports, managers, important contacts in other departments 3
Ability to work as part of a team even when hierarchies are unclear 2
Respect and courtesy for all employees 2
7
Total Points: 65
How much is your score against the ideal score of 325? Try to improve it every year. Drive your team members to improve their scores also
Advanced Sales Management
Sales Management is about setting up systems and processes to build an effective sales-force and then adapting them to align with business needs and company objectives
Continuously update your job skills and training Technical, sales management, leadership, other business skills –
functional/regional/industrial Communication – follow published guidelines Recruitment – use assessment tool
Grade A managers hire A+ managers. B grade managers hire C grade managers
Detail-orientation and Priority-setting Use Outlook tools – recurring tasks, reminders, open inbox
items, files to read folder, proper filing of emails, presentations, sales tools in a easy-to-find manner
20% of the tasks will deliver 80% of the results – set priorities Focus on long-term and strategic activities and not just daily
activities.
Advanced Sales Management (contd.)
Results-Orientation Is it aligned with the company? Sales vs. Bookings Financial metrics like costs – take charge of your own budgets and cost
structure Help the company realize profits by carefully negotiating each deal
Don’t be cheap when you don’t need to be. Treat employees well Have ways to measure customer satisfaction. Set up your own metrics as needed in addition to company metrics
Strategic and Analytical Thinking Every spreadsheet and customer contact tells a story. Be analytical
and understand each key customer, region, product line trend etc. Set up strategic/tactical/product plans and monitor progress. Set a plan
and objectives to implement in addition to the sales target Selling Internally
Figure out how to sell to your managers; use the entire team to sell to divisions and other departments
Use data – such as % probability of losing an order at different price levels when asking for a discount
Advanced Sales Management (contd.) Integrity/Ethics
Don’t set your own rules – the company wants you to follow our ethical guidelines and regulations
Culture We have legal obligations about harassment, discrimination, fair treatment
etc. that US employees have mandatory annual training on The more you match the company’s culture, the easier it is to advance. If
you try to be a “Lone Ranger”, you may be setting a ceiling for growth We do international business - learn fast and adapt to different regions
when dealing with distributors and customers PacRim, South Asia, Middle East, Europe (North, South, East etc.), Australia,
Latin America – all have different cultures and business practices If you have interests/hobbies (food, music, reading etc.) that help you to
appreciate other cultures, it is a ice-breaker that helps you build trust faster Treat internal and external teams and customers with respect and
courtesy and be mindful of personal needs It is possible to be firm without being abrasive in most cases
Be flexible – if something doesn’t work, look for other ways to fix the issue. Fix only what is broken
Advanced Sales Management (contd.) Motivation
Learn to use the “carrot” and the “stick” effectively Use the velvet glove over the iron fist for the “stick” and think of the long-term relationship.
If you help your employees and reps to understand how what they do fits into the bigger picture, they will do better
Learn to use incentive plans to incentivize performance towards company objectives Delegation and Mentoring
Teach your team to be independent and to learn the same sales management techniques you follow
If you don’t develop them, you will not have the bandwidth to accept new responsibilities
The best managers are very secure about developing new leaders COACH distributors and make their culture mirror ours if they are going to be long-
term partners. Recommend changes in their structure as business needs dictate Managing Upwards
You have to SELL internally your ideas. Don’t blame others for not doing it your way As you rise up in the organization, your responsibilities increase and your
rights decrease. Now, you are one of the owners of the system Aspire to be a LEADER and not just a good MANAGER
ACT AS IF IT IS YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
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Thanks for Listening!