# Effective Strategies for Sales Management and High Earnings
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Chapter 1: Foundations of Sales Success
Achieving success in sales hinges on three critical elements:
- Training: An initial intensive training program lasting several days, akin to a boot camp, is vital. Continuous training should follow, reinforcing selling skills month after month, as it remains crucial for all team members, including sales managers.
- Onboarding: Effective onboarding is necessary to instill the company's beliefs and procedures, alongside product knowledge tailored to each salesperson's background.
- Behavior Tracking: I have established a point-based system that, when diligently followed, leads to success. This system meticulously monitors the daily tasks necessary for closing sales.
Reflecting on my journey, I acquired a company in 1997 after accumulating over 15 years of experience in sales and marketing. I had developed a behavioral and tracking system that assured my accomplishments.
In the mid-1980s, I approached my employer with a request for a program that would enable me to earn $100,000 annually. At that time, this was a considerable sum.
Our compact management team was growing swiftly, operating a rental business for oilfield gas compressors, alongside a proprietary manufacturing company producing compressor packages for our rental needs and for competitors.
The company's president and controller devised a complex set of sales criteria I needed to satisfy to reach my $100,000 goal. Ultimately, I was required to sell over $8 million worth of products—a target that seemed unrealistic to many.
The management team, young and enthusiastic, believed that achieving such sales was overly ambitious. However, the president recognized that if I succeeded in selling that volume, the company would reap substantial rewards, given the high margins on our products.
As I embarked on my sales journey, I was confident that adhering to specific daily behaviors would lead me to success. I utilized a tracking system and adopted an early CRM tool called "SalesEye," which my boss found amusing.
I meticulously recorded all activities—calls, mailings, and face-to-face meetings. By the end of that year, I had generated enough sales under the convoluted program to earn $99,575. I often ponder why my boss didn’t just provide the remaining $425 to meet my goal, but I was nonetheless pleased with my earnings.
Through this experience, I learned the importance of having a robust measurement system in sales. When I started my own company, I refined this system to delineate daily behaviors crucial for sales, enabling both myself and my sales team to monitor our progress towards income objectives.
During the early years of my business, I began imparting this system to existing salespeople and incorporating it into the training of new hires. Interestingly, not everyone embraced this accountability-focused approach, leading to departures and firings for underperformance.
To me, sales is one of the most measurable roles within an organization: meet the sales targets or seek alternative employment. This reality can be hard for some to accept.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that certain individuals thrive in sales, embracing both the challenges and rewards it presents. My management philosophy allows salespeople to earn as much as they desire, provided they meet performance expectations.
For those aiming for a $100,000 salary, I propose a structured three-year plan:
- Year One: Base salary with commission, leading to approximately $65,000 in earnings and $750,000 in booked sales.
- Year Two: Maintaining the same base salary, adherence to the outlined behaviors could yield around $85,000 in earnings and $1.5 million in booked sales.
- Year Three: Continuing with the same base salary and following the behaviors could result in over $100,000 in earnings, with booked sales reaching $3 million.
This framework is communicated during our hiring and onboarding processes. Many salespeople view this path as straightforward, yet those with prior experience often insist on using their own methods. While I allow flexibility, the expectation remains: if they don’t produce results, they must either conform to this system or depart.
Throughout my experience, I have let go of numerous salespeople. Mastering the art of selling and executing daily tasks is essential.
Do you have insights or ideas about effective sales techniques? Would you like to delve deeper into this subject? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for taking the time to read this article!
Chapter 2: Insights on Sales Success
In this section, we explore key factors that contribute to successful sales careers.
The first video outlines the highest paying sales jobs and strategies to secure them, providing valuable insights for aspiring sales professionals.
The second video discusses the primary reasons why sales teams may struggle to meet their targets, offering solutions to enhance team performance.