Managing for Sales Results: A Fast-Action Guide to Finding, Coaching and Leading Salespeople

My only beef about this book is its title. It should be "Leading for Sales Results". It is rare with all the "me too" books out there to see something that delivers. Mr. Marks does just that. It's a book I simply couldn't put down. Leadership has become quite the buzz word lately. You can't pick up any business magazine without seeing a relevant article. But most of it just transposes the word leadership for management. While Mr Marks book is still a top down management style vs my training in Dynamic Governance--it brings some of the concepts to light. I won't go through the book on a one by one line item--but a few ideas will entice you to purchase. Ideas on where to find salespeople using "Guerrilla" tactics are not new but bear repeating. Prospecting is very important to me. I often cold call an office to receive not an inquiry for a product, but an interview. If cold calling is important to you, and you are cold called upon--there you go. Look for places where people use this skills but may be underpaid and opportunity challenged. The author suggests Nordstroms, where they probably not only have the skills but a professional wardrobe. In interviewing, evaluate how the person thinks about his/her purchases. If you market a product with a one time close cycle and your candidate is a slow, think it over, take your time kind of sales buyer--they may have trouble pushing a prospect to purchase differently than their own style. The Japanese have a saying, "as above so below". Its amazingly basic but I never thought of it that way. A recent blog entry on my website was a article on dread. Salespeople live their lives in dread because of prospecting, yet managers pick their battles and don't push it. As the author points out, prospecting is discussed during the interview and is given lip service by the candidate, but no follow through. As a manager if you allow that to happen, you are more at fault than the salesperson. Marks "call to action" is so simple and step by step, you don't have any more excuses. Nothing here is hard to implement. One easy "take away" I will implement in my sales training and coaching is the C-Letter or commitment letter. It simply says as manager you agree to give the employee all the tools they need to succeed. The employee agrees to use those tools. This letter becomes a talking point in follow up evaluations. Follow up evaluations are explained in wonderfully simple detail. This is a great read and one of the very few I'd heartedly recommend.

I LOVED THIS BOOK, IT SHARED THE EXPERIENCE FROM A LEADER TO A LEADER THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO LEAD A TEAM BY EXAMPLE NOT JUST IDEAS. THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU AS IT DOES FOR ME BY APPLYING THIS MATERIAL DAILY TO YOUR TEAM THAT YOU LEAD. RON MARKS IS A LEADER AND EXCEPTIONAL IN MY MIND IN THIS FIELD. READ IT SO YOU CAN GROW AS I HAVE. SETH AT MORTGAGE ADVANTAGE LENDING LLC.

There are two aspects that sales executives have some control over; that is, the way their salesforce sells and the way it's managed and motivated. Ron Marks' must-read of valuable messages and techniques is right on target for companies aiming to create a sales team that soars!

Quoting Ron Marks, "To frustrate is to thwart, to foil, to circumvent, to interfere with, to check, to make an effort come to no avail, to nullify, to defeat ..." I am in the throws of starting my own company and growing an effective sales team. This book was referred to me by a business associate. I can't even begin to tell you the many ways in which my own frustrations have been minimized since reading this wealth of information, let alone what it's done for my salespeople! I love the way he writes--it's easy to read and it makes a LOT of sense. I think this book would be a godsend to any size business, not just entrepreneurs like me! I was so thankful to my friend for the recommendation that I took her out to lunch!

I am a huge fan of Brian Tracy, Zig Zigler, Spencer Johnson, Tom Hopkins, Jim Rohn, Dale Carnegie and now I am a huge fan of Ron Marks. This may be the best book on leadership (Next to the bible, and How to win friends and influence people) I have read. This book is a must read just becuase it hits on all of the hot buttons managers and leaders must hit with their team in every aspect. Jim Rohn says: "Miss a meal if you have to, but never miss a book." When Jim said that, he may have been talking about this book. Read this book now, or keep on getting what you have been getting out of your people. A Great Easy Read with remarkable results! This is just good stuff. The good stuff is what we all need. This is all good stuff.