When I came across Mike Weinberg’s “Sales Management. Simplified,” I thought I had picked up a book that was just a page turner, but it turned out to be eye-opening.

As business owners and leaders, we think differently. At times, we think we know it all or that our experiences give us the opportunity to lead that way. How humbling this book turned out to be.

Within the first few pages, I was immediately engaged. I truly felt as though the author had spied on our sales process and was writing about our company, leadership and overall sales management. Throughout the book, Weinberg often calls out upper management saying, “As goes the leader, so goes the organization,” forcing me to take a hard look at our company.

Weinberg divides the book into two very useful sections: The first identifies the problem and the second solves it. The first part is the blunt truth about leadership, sales teams and sales processes. Weinberg does not hold back or try to sugarcoat, which makes his message loud and clear.

The first hundred pages provide the overall big picture about why sales results are most likely lacking. Reasons include building a sales culture off of goals and results, or playing the role of CRM desk jockey and not being in the mix or on the front line with your team and potential customers.

The other major issue is with leadership. As leaders, we continue to put a lot on our sales teams, but things like busy work and extra duties take them away from their true responsibilities, which is to drive results. This concept was both my reality check and motivation for change. 

The best thing about the book is that Weinberg not only brings awareness to the issues, but gives you the fix in part two. Weinberg uses the remaining chapters to provide a solid framework and direction for sales managers to follow. He takes a simple but effective approach to provide clarity to the reader by breaking the broader “sales management” into three categories: Sales Leadership and Culture; Talent Management; and Sales Process.
 
Weinberg challenges his readers to get out of their comfort zones and fully propel themselves to success. There will be calls to action that make you squirm in your seat. But the results are well worth it. 

This book speaks to anyone who has been in sales, marketing, management or just wants to see his or her company thrive and grow. But the only way this book really works is if you have everyone — from the top-down leadership and the sales team — read it, agree to the approach, buy into a cultural change and strategically work to make it happen.  

 

 

Bill Warnecki, President
Cavalier Services Inc.
Fairfax, Virginia 

 

 


“Sales Management. Simplified”
by Mike Weinberg

In order to survive, service companies continually need to bring in new customers. However, if new business is stagnant, it’s probably not a problem with the sales team, but rather with the person leading it.

In “Sales Management. Simplified,” published by AMACOM, sales consultant Mike Weinberg explains bluntly why sales reps underperform, and then presents an easy-to-follow framework for developing new accounts. 

Do you have a favorite business book? E-mail dan.weltin@tradepress.com to contribute.




POSTED ON: 10/21/2016