The Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast with Mike Weinberg

How Sales Managers Can Help Salespeople Conduct Significantly More Effective Sales Calls

9 snips

Oct 16, 2023

In this podcast, Mike Weinberg discusses the importance of sales managers helping salespeople conduct effective sales calls. He highlights common mistakes made by salespeople and challenges managers to raise their game in coaching sellers. Mike emphasizes the importance of preparation and provides a free Pre-Call Planning Checklist. The podcast also includes discussions on a negative experience with Southwest Airlines, positive survey results from a sales leadership event, and development opportunities for sales managers.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Transition to Sales Manager and Recent Sales Leadership Event

02:06 • 4min

Details of a Full-Day Intensive Sales Management Event and the Importance of Preparing Salespeople for Sales Calls

06:04 • 4min

Coaching and Mentoring for Effective Sales Calls

10:03 • 20min

Sales Leadership Events and Fast Foundations for Sales Managers

30:14 • 4min

Isn’t conducting professional, effective sales calls one of the main responsibilities of a being a salesperson? After all, the word sales is in the job title. If there’s one thing a “salesperson” should be able to do well, it’s to conduct a sales call! Therefore, isn’t it then incumbent upon sales managers to ensure that their people are indeed proficient at this essential skill?

In Episode 61 Mike shares the most prevalent sins he regularly sees salespeople committing – whether it’s the “show up and throw up / spray and pray” approach entering the meeting in pitch mode, talking first, talking too much, not sharing an agenda and getting the customer’s buy-in, weak probing and discovery, or not fleshing out obstacles and objections and not securing and scheduling next steps – and challenges managers to raise their own game when it comes to coaching sellers to better prepare for sales calls.

Mike makes the case that if managers would be more rigorous/focused/specific/intentional when helping salespeople prepare for sales calls, that much of that rigor would stick and that many sellers would continue to prepare better for meetings even when the manager is not assisting or coaching them.

Take a listen for Mike’s basic best practices on prepping salespeople for sales calls and be sure to grab the free Pre-Call Planning Checklist (one of the bonus resources from the new book, The First-Time Manager: Sales) that he offered to podcast listeners.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Episode 18: Ineffective Sales Calls, Premature Presentations/Demos, and Selling Like Everyone Else Gets You Commoditized

New Sales. Simplified. (the book)

The New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series

Pre-Call Planning Checklist

JUST ANNOUNCED:

We have secured dates for the next two Supercharge Your Sales Leadership events at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta! Get more info on the packed agenda, premium venue, and powerful outcomes at mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024. Limited to 50 sales leaders. All prior 13 events have sold out so reserve your spot now for the February or April sessions!