The Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast with Mike Weinberg

Latest Episodes:

I Shot the Social Selling Charlatans & an MBA Class' Real-Life Sales Management Disaster Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Episode 63 was inspired by Mike's guest appearance on the Social Selling 2.0 Podcast and a 40-minute session he held with executive MBA students just before recoding this podcast.

Carson Heady (featured in Episode 52) requested Mike's take on the current state of "Social Selling" and how it has evolved since its inception. A fascinating dialogue ensued including Mike's rant about the "founders" of the movement — none of which are still teaching/promoting social selling — and their absolutely false proclamation that "EVERYTHING in sales has changed!"

In the second half of the episode Mike recaps the sales management horror story faced by a group of executive MBA students who sought out his input on the situation at the real-life client they have been charged with helping. Enjoy hearing this classic case of senior leadership dysfunction and the effect on the sales team and results.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

The once-per-year special offer on the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series (mikeweinberg.com/morenewsales)

The FAST FOUNDATIONS live virtual workshop series which kicks off December 18th (mikeweinberg.com/fastfoundations)

The next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership elite event sessions in February and April (mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024)

Social Selling Simplified Episode on the Social Selling 2.0 Podcast featuring Mike Weinberg

Episode 52 of this podcast featuring Carson Heady

9 Powerful Reasons and a Template to Help Your Salespeople Write Individual Business Plans Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

It's that time of year, and in Episode 62 Mike makes a strong case for having each of our salespeople draft an individual business plan for the coming year. Referring to the most popular article he's ever published, Mike offers nine compelling benefits (for both the salesperson and the manager) resulting from having sellers write and present their plans, and he also outlines a simple template you can adapt and use.

RESOURCES TO HELP WITH BUSINESS PLANS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Blog Article - Why Salespeople Should Write and Present Individual Business Plans

Chapter 26 in Sales Management. Simplified.

Chapter 14 in New Sales. Simplified.

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JUST ANNOUNCED – NEW DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SALES MANAGERS

A series of virtual workshops and office hours sessions led by Mike for managers looking to master the best practices and key takeaways from his sales management books. Over three months, benefit from four workshops and three office hours sessions covering critical topics from increasing accountability, maximizing the impact from developmental coaching, becoming smart talent managers who drive more results from their best sellers while quickly addressing underperformance and artfully coaching-up (or coaching-out) struggling sellers.

Limited to 25 participants per group to maximize interaction and ensure everyone gets their challenges and questions addressed! The first virtual workshop is December 18th.

More info and register at mikeweinberg.com/fastfoundations

How Sales Managers Can Help Salespeople Conduct Significantly More Effective Sales Calls Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

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!

The Massive Transition from Salesperson to Sales Manager Poses Similar Challenges to What Selling-Sales Leaders Face Every Day Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

While preparing to kick off a new engagement to help selling-sales leaders (player/coaches who are both producers and team leaders) increase sales management effectiveness, it hit Mike that the challenges these leaders face on a daily basis are almost identical to what new managers face when transitioning from individual contributor roles into team leaders.

In this episode, Mike unpacks three big adjustments that first-time managers must successfully navigate…

Shifting from being "responsible for one to being responsible for many"
Learning to "win through others vs. winning on your own"
Moving from a "selfish/individual mentality to a selfless/leader mindset"

…and how those who are charged with driving both their own production/sales numbers AND leading the team must learn how to artfully bounce back and forth between these two very different (and sometimes competing) responsibilities.

Mike also offers an enormous THANK YOU to podcast listeners for helping to make the launch of his new book, The First-Time Manager: Sales, even more successful than he even dared hope as it achieved Amazon #1 Best Seller status in three categories!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Read or download your free copy of Chapter 2, Your New Job (as Manager) Is Nothing Like Your Old Job (in Sales)

Fast Foundations Virtual Workshop Series - A new offering to help new sales managers (or experienced managers seeking a powerful refresher on the fundamentals) quickly master the critical key concepts from The First-Time Manager: Sales - accountability, coaching, smart talent management, and NOT playing sales team hero! This three-month fast-track series is limited to 25 participants and will include live virtual workshop and office hours sessions with Mike. Contact our team for more info.

It Took 34 Years to Create This and It's My Best Work Yet Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

This is an episode like no other. It's launch day for Mike's new book and you can hear the excitement in his voice!

Proclaiming with a smile that this book took 34 years to write, he remarks how odd it sounded hearing these words come out of his mouth in a recent interview:

"This is my very best book."

Unprepared for the interviewer's follow-up asking why he felt this way, Mike gave this unrehearsed, honest answer:

"With no disrespect to Sales Management. Simplified. (because that's the book that positioned me to do all of this work helping sales executives and front-line sales managers), the reality is I've basically worked nonstop for eight years and have had the opportunity to speak with, coach, and consult countless sales leaders on five continents. I learned a ton and with this new book I was able to distill my writing down to the bare essentials and include only what is absolutely necessary for sales management success.The First-Time Manager: Sales is my best book because all of this experience provided absolute proof of what works and what doesn't when it comes to leading sales teams, creating healthy, high-performance cultures, and driving sales results."

While the publisher asked Mike to writeThe First-Time Manager: Sales for newer and first-time leaders as part of a series, the truth is that according to executives who have read it, this book is the perfect resource whether…

you lead a sales team...

you lead managers who lead sales teams...

you're a senior executive over sales executives...

you support sales leaders...

you are an individual contributor salesperson considering or aspiring to a management role...

Tune in for more of the backstory of why Mike wrote the book, why it's his shortest and favorite book yet, and what you can expect reading/listening to it.

Grab your printed, Kindle, or Audible copy HERE.

For a sneak peek at what your sales leader colleague's had to say after reading an advance copy, and for the contents, introduction and a sample chapter, click HERE.

Check Your Ego. Don't Play Hero. Prepare & Prioritize to Minimize Stress & Ensure Success Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Episode 58 kicks off an exciting series around the launch of Mike's newest book!

While the publisher asked Mike to write The First-Time Manager: Sales specifically for newer (and aspiring) managers, every. single. executive. who read an advance copy commented that it's a must-read for experienced leaders too… Fresh perspectives and fresh stories from the field, along with simplified frameworks and uber-practical tips for everything from coaching, to addressing underperformance, connecting on a heart-level with your people, and even interviewing best practices.

This new series features respected sales leaders whose best practices and wisdom were featured in the book. Mike will share more of the backstory along with an overview and why he agreed to write this particular book in the next episode, but in today's show, he hosts sales leader extraordinaire Drew Ellis who highlights the need for the mental, physical, calendar, and (even) financial discipline required to win big as a sales leader.

The wide-ranging conversation offers invaluable insights for both individuals transitioning into management roles and seasoned managers seeking to refresh and upgrade their effectiveness as a leader.

Drew and Mike tackle critical topics including:

The importance of focus and prioritization
The benefit of a calendar that looks like a coloring book
The power of the word "no"
The reality check when stress (all by itself) puts you in the hospital
The need to check your ego when moving into management
The danger (and lack of scalability and sustainability) when managers play sales team hero

Listen closely as Drew, in no uncertain terms, strongly reminds managers that there are no awards or bonus points for being a good corporate citizen and checking all the boxes if your sales team misses its number. And please allow his story of ending up in ER (solely from stress) and what a wise doctor told him to help you not only reconsider your priorities but also to refocus your energy on the precious few management activities that truly move the needle.

Resources:

Get a sneak peek at the reaction to Mike's new book, the contents, introduction, and a sample chapter HERE.

The Sales Management. Simplified. Video Coaching Series

The October 3rd Supercharge Your Sales Leadership full-day intensive at The Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta.

Drew Ellis on LinkedIn

Please don't forget to rate the show, leave a review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

The #1 Reason Your Sales Team Is Not Bringing In More New Business Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

As promised, in Episode 57 Mike wraps up the series on the Common Sales Leadership Sins Damaging Culture and Diminishing Results with a giant exclamation mark!

Tune-in for the #1 reason salespeople and sales teams are not bringing in more new business and Mike's strong words of warning for sales leaders who "allow" sellers to lose sight of their primary job (and some executives who actually "encourage" it).

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Reminder: The next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event takes place October 3rd at The Porsche Experience Center adjacent to the Atlanta Airport. All previous eleven events have sold out. We are down to our last 6 tickets. Get more info and register at mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023 to join Mike and 50 driven sales leaders for this powerful experience!

Devastating Damage from Anti-Sales Cultures & Leaders with FOMO Always Searching for the Secret Sauce Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

As we near the conclusion of this series covering common sales leadership sins, Mike tackles two biggies in Episode 56: Anti-Sales Cultures and Searching for the Secret Sauce.

Years ago, Mike asked the CEO of the company with the healthiest sales culture he'd ever observed for his secret. This CEO replied, "Everything flows from culture" and went on to declare that their sales culture was, in fact, the company's secret sauce.

In this episode Mike reminds listeners that culture, particularly sales culture, can be an unstoppable force (either for good or for bad!). He describes what it was like working in two incredibly healthy, positive, pro-sales cultures, and he also shares horror stories from two of the worst anti-sales cultures he's come across – one where he worked and one where he consulted. Buckle up as Mike reads the no-holds-barred letter he sent to an executive team calling out their disdain for the sales organization and the inappropriate ways they blamed salespeople when things went wrong and categorically denied them credit when things were good.

Mike also tackles how too many sales leaders live with constant FOMO, fearful that they're missing out on some new secret sauce, shortcut, or hack for driving more sales and offers a not-so-subtle reminder that he's never seen a sales leader or sales team struggle or fail because they didn't have the latest and greatest cool, new tool.

Resources and Links Mentioned in Episode 56:

Mike's viral LinkedIn post about the release of his newest book

Fall Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort info

The New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series (course)

October 3rd Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event (only 8 seats remaining)

Collaborators or Sales Killers? Why It's Insanity to Expect Salespeople to Do All Things Well Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

Continuing this series tackling common sales leadership sins, Mike challenges us to pull back the covers and take a hard look at ALL the things we are asking our salespeople to do. He also makes the strong case that it's really hard to win big in sales management when you have the wrong people in the wrong roles.

Beware: Mike does not hold back putting HR people and executives on the stand asking difficult questions about their flowery, feel-good job descriptions and what feels like an insatiable desire to put kind, gentle, collaborative team-players in sales roles… Even sales roles that require developing significant new business…Roles where just about every highly successful top producing seller exhibits these two characteristics:

They Are Intensely Competitive
They Are Not Conflict Averse (they don't shy away from a fight)

Take a listen as Mike debunks the myth of the highly relational, collaborative sales superstar, makes the case that SALES MANAGERS' LIVES AND JOBS WILL BE MUCH EASIER WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THEIR TEAMS, and challenges us to consider whether we are overloading our salespeople with so many tasks and responsibilities that we are actually hindering their ability to sell and bring in the new business we need!

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Full-Day Intensive (mikeweinberg.com/events)

Six-Month Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort (mikeweinberg.com/leadercohort)

Episode 12: Ask Candidates These 7 Intriguing Questions to Upgrade Your Interviews

It's Really Hard to Out-Manage a Stupid Sales Compensation Plan Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 54 Mike continues the series on Common Sales Leadership Sins, and this time he touches the "third rail" — compensation! If you have complacent salespeople, Mike argues that the very first place to look is at the compensation plan... And he claims to be the very first person to discover and publicly declare that the words COMPensation and COMPlacency start with the same four letters! As the sales leader, you may be the very best at selecting and developing talent, arming, equipping, and enabling your team, coaching on sales skills and deals, and even at holding people accountable, BUT if your sales comp plan is incentivizing the wrong behaviors and is not driving the desired results, then you have a massive problem. Mike unpacks his three big pet peeves when it comes to comp plans: 1. Plans that are too flat (not enough difference between what top and bottom-performers "earn") 2. "Commission Annuities" (commission in name only, commission that really isn't variable, or paying people in perpetuity to service/renew accounts for deals that were sold years ago) 3. Not rewarding New Sales (paying the same rate/percentage in variable comp for renewing/servicing existing business as for the heavy lifting to develop true new business - major cross-sell/up-sell victories or acquiring net new customers) Resources mentioned in this episode: Mike's Article: 4 Very Common Causes for Lack of New Opportunity Creation Supercharge Your Sales Leadership, October Event in Atlanta. Only 2 VIP and 21 full-day intensive spots remain available

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