The Sales Boss
The Real Secret to Hiring, Training and Managing a Sales Team

The Sales Boss reveals the secrets to great sales management, and provides direct examples of how you can start being that manager today. The not-so-secret "secret" is that a winning sales team is made up of high performers?but many fail to realize that high performance must be collective. A single star cannot carry the entire team, and it's the sales manager's responsibility to build a team with the right balance of skills, strengths, and weaknesses. This book shows you how to find the exact people you need, bring them together, and empower them to achieve more than they ever thought possible. You'll learn what drives high performance, and how to avoid the things that disrupt it. You'll discover the missing pieces in your existing training, and learn how to invest in your team to win. You'll come away with more than a better understanding of great sales management?you'll have a concrete plan and an actionable list of steps to take starting right now.

Your people are the drivers, but you're the operator. As a sales manager, it's up to you to give your team the skills and tools they need to achieve their potential and beyond. This book shows you how, and provides expert guidance for making it happen.

• Delve into the psychology behind peak performance
• Hire the right people at the right time for the right role
• Train your team to consistently outperform competitors
• Build and maintain the momentum of success to reach even higher

Without sales, business doesn't happen. No mortgages paid, no college funds built, no retirement saved for, until the sales team brings in the revenue. If the sales team wins, the organization wins. Build your winning team with The Sales Boss, the real-world guide to great sales management.

Foreword v

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 The Work of a Sales Boss 1

Chapter 2 The Importance of Sacred Rhythms 9

Chapter 3 The DNA of a Sales Boss 15

What It Takes to Be Great 17

The Management Code 22

Chapter 4 The Truth About Humans 29

Five Fundamental Truths About Human Behavior 32

A Unique Insider Language 40

Rituals 41

Having a Common Enemy 42

Chapter 5 Your First 30 Days as Boss 45

Getting Started with Your Team: The First 30 Days 49

Chapter 6 Understanding the Market for Hiring 69

Why Hiring a Superstar Salesperson Is Tough 71

Chapter 7 Step by Step to Hiring a Sales Superstar 77

The Selection Process 79

The Four-Stage Interview Process 89

Chapter 8 Use the Power of Science in Selection 103

Chapter 9 On-Boarding a New Member of the Sales Team 109

Chapter 10 Know Your Sales Process and Your Numbers 123

The Numbers That Matter 129

Chapter 11 Who Gets My Time and Attention? 135

Chapter 12 Team Rhythms That Lead to Group Cohesion 141

Group Meetings 145

Chapter 13 Individual Rhythms That Lead to Star Performances 153

Individual Meetings Framework 155

Three Types of Individual Meetings 158

Chapter 14 Keep Score Publicly; Motivate Individually 181

Chapter 15 Lead by Principle, Not Policy 189

Chapter 16 Make Sales Technology Work for You 195

Chapter 17 Money Talks: Compensation Planning 205

Base Salary 210

Variable Commissions 211

Bonuses 211

Chapter 18 Forecasting the Future 219

Chapter 19 Replicating Success 225

Chapter 20 The Business of You 233

The Sales Boss Scorecard 243

The Scorecard 243

About the Author 254

Index 256

JONATHAN WHISTMAN is a partner at the consulting firm Elevate Human Potential (www.elevatehp.com). He has trained, hired, managed, observed, and coached thousands of salespeople through his work with leading sales organizations. His work is centered on the belief that the greatest business results come from focusing on elevating the human potential within a business.