Have you ever closely examined why some people are wildly successful at selling, meeting and exceeding every goal placed in front of them, while others lack either the self motivation or certain key skill sets to get them to their next level of growth and performance? After all, they all have the same product, the same tools, and the same compensation structure. They’ve all been through the same sales management-training program. In my experience of 25 years selling, building sales organizations and leading and managing thousands of salespeople, the answer has to do with the fact that virtually all sales’ organizations are comprised of four different kinds of salespeople:

1. The Performers – The Top Producers

These high achieving sales executives are the best at bringing in the numbers, but chances are that you spend a fair share of your time cleaning up her messes. Seems like they’re either sky-high or down in the dumps. When the performer is down, they are out of their selling zone, and productivity comes to a standstill. But when the performer is up, look out world!

2. The Professional – Another Top Producer

This top producer is very consistent, a total team player, even tempered, patient, and consistently bringing in the numbers. Professionals are also part of the elite members on the sales team, but they seem to be missing some opportunities that would catapult them to super stardom if they made some slight changes to their selling game. Instead, they stick to self-proven conservative approaches.

3. The Caretaker – Stuck In A Major Comfort

These are the sales executives that are simply stuck in their lackluster comfort zones — giving you a solid month about every third month, or giving you about seventy percent of what they have all the time. They have the potential, but they’re consistently mediocre. You just can’t get them to perform the difficult tasks that it takes to produce at top levels with any regularity. Worse yet, they’re passive aggressive. You say to yourself, “If I could only wake them up, they’d be right up there with the best.”

I was giving a speech on “Four People, Four Paths” to a leading company in the California real estate industry where I was emphasizing the importance of knowing exactly who you are. While I was quoting my book The Four Kinds of Sales People and explaining in detail the struggles and breakthrough opportunities for each of the four kinds of sales people, a woman in the audience yelled out, “Oh my God, I’m a Caretaker!” The crowd laughed and I congratulated her on her honesty and pointed out to her (and others who were not so forthright) the tremendous opportunity that existed if she made the conscious decision to change and begin doing the difficult things that it takes to produce top results on a consistent basis.

4. The Searcher – The One That Belongs In Any Career But Sales

All sales leaders have made some bad hiring decisions that result in sales reps that just don’t belong in sales. They perceived a sales career to be easy and they were wrong. Producing top sales is hard work. These misfits are consumed with fear, and if truth be told, they honestly hate sales. They have no real intention of making the necessary changes to be successful. You’re better off helping them find more fulfilling careers.

My point is that while the individual make-up of sales forces may vary, there are always only four kinds. Management’s goal is to get the best to keep getting better while building a team with as many top producers as possible. That means management must influence those that are “stuck” in their comfort zone to break through to the next level. That means management must perform the unenviable task of helping those that don’t belong to find other career paths. In my experience, management gets too preoccupied with these two challenges and neglects the opportunity to get their top producers to reach for their next level of achievement. They have more potential. That’s why they’re the best. And can be even better.

Billions of dollars from business-to-business marketing budgets are spent each year on sales lead generation. Billions more dollars are spent to fulfill and follow up on marketing responses, and to determine which sales leads are qualified and ready for sales attention. Unfortunately, much of this investment in B2B sales lead generation is wasted. Why? Because many sales lead generation programs and lead qualification efforts are not in harmony with the needs of sales.

With this in mind, have you optimized your company’s sales lead generation programs to be in harmony with the needs of your salespeople, reps, resellers or distributors? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Have you built consensus with sales management on the definition of a qualified sales lead? Has this definition been clearly communicated to all parties?

Typical definitions include criteria such as:
- Does the prospect have a need or an application for your product or service?
- What is the prospect’s role in the decision-making process?
- What is the prospect’s timing for purchase or implementation?
- What is the status of the prospect’s budget?
- What is the size of the opportunity?

2. Have you calculated how many qualified sales leads are needed in the sales pipeline in order to meet or exceed the company’s sales revenue goals? Have you broken that number down into how many qualified sales leads are needed each month and each quarter? Have you built your company’s sales lead generation programs with those target numbers in mind?

3. Have you put in place programs specifically designed to weed out the non-prospects and nurture the longer-term, not-yet-qualified opportunities-only forwarding the truly qualified sales leads to salespeople, reps, resellers or distributors for follow-up? Have you budgeted appropriately for this important sales lead development function?

Most business leaders don’t know how to structure their sales organizations or even themselves for maximum productivity. They don’t know how to change, adapt and re-organize for new stages of growth. That’s why they spend thousands of dollars looking for the magic secret to get their sales team to perform like champion racehorses.

I learned the secrets to building heavy-hitter sales organizations while working for billionaire businessman, Charlie Munger. I doubled the sales of the first company given to me in just 15 months. And, I doubled the company’s sales three years in a row. The lessons I learned here, I now teach to Fortune 500 corporations and other prestigious companies worldwide.

The techniques I used are remarkably simple. Here’s how I doubled the company’s sales 3 years in a row:

I put into place the policies and procedures that made every single sales representative perform like a top producer. I systematized the complete sales process. These should be normal business procedures. But 99.9% of all companies don’t do it.

Turning your sales reps into top producers

In most sales organizations, the sales are ad-hoc. Everyone’s running around doing what they think is best. And, management sets very little or no minimum standards of performance.

For example, do you have a standard for the types of accounts your salespeople should go after? I bet the answer is no!

Have you worked on this aspect of proper targeting? What are your sales representatives going to present? What are the top five strategic objectives you want to achieve from every interaction with every buyer? Have you seriously sat down and talked about that and planned that out? Did you practice it, role-play it and polish it to a fine luster?

If you want to get more appointments and double your sales, you need to keep setting higher and higher standards. You need to raise the bar on what I now call "the minimum acceptable level of performance."

Here’s how you can raise your sales organization’s minimum acceptance level of performance:

To double my client’s sales in less than 15 months, I first motivated the sales reps to go out and complete various assignments. They came back the following week and reported what happened, where they succeeded, where they failed, and where they struggled. Then, I went to work and tuned-up each subtle nuance of getting around the gatekeeper.

I meticulously worked on the exact telephone pitch to use. I discovered the five to seven elements of what would make prospects want to meet with the sales reps. I taught them three to five ways to not let prospects hang up on them. You wouldn’t believe how much I had to work on "the close" of a telephone pitch.

I have a question for you? How is it that one freelance courier can make between £750 and £980 from courier jobs per week while another in the exact same circumstances can only make between £150 and £250 per week? What’s the difference between them?

In this article I want to talk to you about time management. One of the reasons freelance couriers are struggling is because it seems there is never enough hours in the day. While this is not true, the real reason is a wastage of time.

You see time is the only real modern currency we have today to trade with. You can’t save time and use it later. So how you use your time is a great and direct determining factor in your success a s a freelance courier.

I believe it is more important to work smarter then it is to work harder when both acquiring courier jobs or doing courier jobs so the correct allocation of your time is crucially essential to avoid having stress as a result of having to do too much in too little time.

To give you a rough outline of what you should be doing when you first start your freelance courier business, should make it clear as to why proper time management is so important:

1. You have to survey your area to scout and identify potential star customers. This includes customers from 2 segments initially namely private companies and courier companies.

2. You then have to present your business in a professional manner to these companies to build credibility and establish trust. This could be in the form of having a smart universal outfit or uniform with a company identity badge.

Large courier companies like CityLink, parcel force etc. all have their staff wear company close to establish branding and professionalism in the minds of customers. You should do the same.

3. Now that you have researched and surveyed your target customer base, created a professional image and established some sort of brand in the minds of the customer, you need to make contact with those customers. This is where you’ll start making phone calls, send out direct mail pieces, place classified ads and advertise on Google’s search engine.

4. Once you have some appointments with customers you need to have a service agreement ready to show customers why and how you are better then Tom, Dick and Harry freelance couriers down the road.

Yes, as a freelance courier you will not be the only one tendering for work so it’s important to understand what makes you unique from your competition for example you might offer a lower price, better support, faster delivery times etc.

5. Once you’ve bagged a number of customers it only make good business sense to keep in touch with those customers and that can be via phone or direct mail or email. I recommend email because you can automate the process – more on that in a later article.

As you can see just from the small list of activities I have mentioned, there’s a lot to do, and wasting time surfing the net or talking to friends on the phone will severely detract from the time you need to grow and market your business.

So how can you be more productive and manage your time more effectively?

The first thing you need to do is to list all the activities that is directly responsible for bringing in the work. You can start by making a detailed list of the activities you need to do as mentioned earlier in the article.

Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. They have a complete arsenal of sales lead generation tools at their fingertips, that they can use at ay given time.

Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:

1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing

Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the “sales-lead-generation-success” methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It’s about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions.

During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I’ve discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers’ consideration processes.

2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals

By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.

3. Sale lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies

Business buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it’s critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.

4. Sales lead generation via telemarketing

Even though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email.

By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often much less. However, if you consistently prospect and nurture leads via phone, you will consistently generate qualified sales leads.

Do you distribute, re-sell or sell wholesale products? If you do, you will soon encounter what may be your biggest opportunity for success… or failure. A large order from your best customer. A large order that exceeds your current financing capabilities. If you deliver it successfully, you can count on taking your company to the next level. If you don’t, your competitors will be the ones that eat your lunch and take their business to the next level

So, how do you handle an order that is too large for your business? You finance it. How? Using purchase order financing.

Let’s look at how things work in your business right now. Every time you get a purchase order from a client you go ahead and order the product from your suppliers. You either pay your supplier upfront or using bank financing. The supplier delivers the product and then your client pays you 30 or 60 days later.

However if you don’t have enough money to pay your supplier, the whole transaction falls through. Purchase order financing can provide you with up to 100% of the funds needed to pay your suppliers and make the sale.

There are only three major requirements to qualify for purchase order financing:

1. You must have a purchase order from a large credit worthy commercial customer
2. Your supplier must drop ship items directly to your customer
3. Your sales must be final (e.g. no guaranteed sales or consignment)

If you meet these three criteria, you have a very good chance of qualifying for purchase order financing. Purchase order financing works as follows:

1. You get a large purchase order from a client
2. The purchase order financing company issues a payment guarantee to your suppliers (usually through a letter of credit)
3. Your supplier drop ships the order and you issue an invoice
4. Once your client pays the invoice, the transaction is settled

If you are hunting for a job, then find one that would increase your income, provide you with a better position, and gives you whatever you are looking for in your new job http://job-finance-tips.com. In order to obtain these advantages, you need to focus on your ability and delivering power during the job interview because the employer offers amenities for these reasons. You need to follow simple rules while preparing the interview to get you the job. In addition, you should present yourself as a person who knows the issues and is able to solve them.

Preparing the answers for the questions you know the interviewer is likely to ask during the interview in presentable, knowledgeable and result oriented manner impresses the interviewer. The list below mentions commonly asked questions during a job interview. Preparing the answers to these questions would get you one of those jobs you are looking for.

Generally Asked Questions

-Usually the interviewer asks about your goals. A well-prepared answer indicates maturity and commitment to professionalism. Your goals needs to be in line with the firm and relates to resolving the issues that the firm confronts. Your answer should be realistic and ambitious.

-Another common question is tell me about yourself. The aim of the interviewer by asking this question is to get an idea of you as an employee and as a person. For this question, you need to focus on the issues and how to resolve them so that the employer sees you as the person he is looking for. Emphasize your accomplishments and experience relating to the position you’re applying for, along with the company’s goals. Obtain information relating to the company before the interview. This may help you relate the answers to employer’s requirement. While answering the question, ask the interviewer the same question to find out about the employer’s needs for the position.

-The interviewer may ask you about your strengths. You should relate your strengths in a way to resolve issues the firm confronts. Answer the question by presenting your experience and skills that relate to your strengths. You can give examples of success in a pervious firm or illustrate your accomplishments.

-In addition to strengths, the interviewer may be keen on knowing your weaknesses. This question should be answered intelligently, showing your weakness in a positive manner. Knowing your weak area indicates maturity.

With the job market being so huge these days, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a customer service job. When I say customer service job, I am addressing all sorts of work. Whether it be the guy at the drive-through McDonald’s window, the lady in the clothing store, or the credit card salesman on the phone, these are all customer service positions. Most of us have probably worked a job or two from this category at some point in our lives. Many high school and college students take advantage of these jobs every day.

Thinking back, I have worked a number of customer service jobs. In fact, I actually spent eight years in a variety of positions, which would all be considered customer service.  offer a spectrum of job positions involving customer service. This is a great place to begin your search. It is more than easy to punch in the customer service job of your choice and search the desired area. You can also type in the phrase, customer service job, which will overwhelm you with choices. The high point of working in customer service is the accessibility of work. Take a walk down town or in a shopping center. Chances are you will locate a customer service job. Telemarketers and credit card companies are also always looking for new, charismatic employees.

While customer service jobs can be easy to find, they certainly have a few drawbacks. A possible disadvantage to working in customer service is just what it states, you serve the customers. Now, in a perfect world this would be fine, but in our world of emotions and lack of patience, it can be testing. Coming from a customer service background I can tell you that it’s not always a picnic. You can and will encounter customers, whether on the phone or in person, that will push your buttons and dump their bad day all over you, but that goes with the territory. With any job, there are highs and lows. On a brighter side, when you work in customer service you have the ability to make a number of new friends, and meet a variety of people. The good customers definitely outweigh the bad. If you have never had a customer service job, it is a worthwhile experience. It allows you to get a clear taste of the world and interact with people. If you have trouble finding a position in your area, don’t forget to take advantage of the Internet. This will allow you a much wider variety of positions close to you.

After I did my speech at a local Toastmasters meeting, another member came up to me and asked about how to get in touch with pharmaceutical companies. It turns out that she was a nurse at one of Montreal’s largest hospitals and she knew that I had worked in medical sales for many years. She was thinking about a career change after many years working in the hospital as a nurse and wanted to find out about the possibility of a medical sales job for nurses.

Of course, I told her that a medical sales job would be a natural career change for her and other nurses. They already know the medical science and anatomy. It’s only a matter of learning selling skills and some pharmacology which drug companies will train on.

Since this particular nurse was already a Toastmaster member for two years, her communications skills were pretty good and will get even better as she advances within Toastmasters. She will likely convince drug companies that she does have to communications skills required for a medical sales job. The only thing that she would need to determine is whether she has the aptitude for the sales environment which includes being able to take rejection every day. As far as how to get in touch with the pharmaceutical companies, she and other nurses have a huge advantage over other aspiring medical sales representatives because she is already working in an environment where she has access to many possible contacts to the drug industry.

She admitted that she has seen many medical sales reps visiting the hospital but never talked to any of them. I suggested that she makes an effort to talk to some of these reps to pick their brains. She can also make use of her present hospital network such as other nurses and doctors (as well as their staff) to perhaps help her on introductions to visiting medical sales representatives. This can in turn lead to introductions to the medical sales reps’ managers.

Many medical sales reps who were former nurses got their first medical sales jobs this way through direct contacts made at the hospital. A medical sales job for nurses could include positions involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices or equipment. This lady at Toastmasters can easily do the same.