Salespeople, Sales Management and the Importance of Taking Risks

In today’s mega-technological super-convenience society, we’ve all but lost sight of one particular fact: Life is a risk. We’ve built walls, dams and roofs to keep it out. We’ve armed ourselves with the latest inoculations to keep risk from making us sick. We’ve mounted the latest weaponry to safeguard us from our enemies. We’ve insured ourselves as many ways as possible so that risk doesn’t lose us money.

But risk is part of life, part of business–let’s fact it, part of everything. Taking risk is how anything ever got built, invented, created or originated in the first place. It’s how anyplace was ever discovered, then made habitable and colonized. And taking a closer look at the environment in which we all live, taking risk is how any business ever got founded, built up and became any kind of success; somebody somewhere stepped out and took that risk.

Start Taking Risks Again

In this ebook, Nikolaus Kimla shows us how and why taking risk is actually important. Since, with Pipeliner, we are mainly concerned with business, the book mainly focuses there. And since sales and sales management require a measure of taking and understanding risk, we’ll be zeroing in there as well.

Nikolaus takes us through an understanding of the risk-taking personality–what kind of person is it that takes risks? In detail we examine why salespeople should once again become risk takers. We learn why sales managers need to have a full understanding of leading and lagging indicators in order to accurately predict risk. We learn the crucial role that technology must play in predicting and understanding risk. We take a real-life risk lesson taken from today’s headlines. And much more.

We hope that by the end you’ll understand risk for what it is: a guidepost to your next great success!

Because of technology’s capability for reduction of risk, we see high-tech virtually everywhere: hospitals, cars, schools—and even in our homes. Today’s Internet of Things is comprised of a vast array of smart devices and appliances, interconnected with each other, and with us. It has now come to pass that technology not only reduces risk, but warns us when risk threatens.

Chapter 1: The Risk-Taking Personality

What kind of personality is it that can (often successfully) take risks? That would, of course, be the entrepreneur. It’s the one type of individual that can lead and get anything built. For any great innovation or forward measure in a society, you’ll find some kind of entrepreneur behind it.

Chapter 2: Salespeople: Become Risk-Takers Once Again

In the last 20 years or so, automation has taken an enormous role in sales. A mammoth attempt has been made to create a “perfect system” in which leads are sought out, discovered, and served up to salespeople so that all they have to do is sell.

The net result of these efforts, if continued, could ultimately lead to a sales force that no longer takes risks. But the thing is, taking risks is a large part of what made them salespeople to begin with.

Chapter 3: Sales Management: Importance of Leading and Lagging Indicators

Much of the time, sales management is conducted through what are called lagging indicators. But in managing for the future, we need something that will show us how the activities we are engaging in now will impact our figures for the quarter or the year.

Chapter 4: Evening Out Company Risk (Lessons From VW)

In normal conditions, especially in companies with greater longevity, owners and executives have an understanding that there is a balance between risk and sustainability. It occasionally happens, though, that company management and even owners lose sight of the fact that risk and sustainability are related, and go completely overboard with risk. A fantastic case in point comes right out of today’s headlines—that of German auto maker Volkswagen.

Chapter 5: Increased Sales Are Literally Staring You in the Face

A sales manager faces many daily frustrations in sorting through and figuring out all the risks that must be estimated, taken and not taken. A large part of the reason for this frustration is that a sales team is made up all kinds of divergent elements. How does the sales manager bring them all under control?

Chapter 6: The Real Edge on Reducing Risk: Technology

Any forward technological advance in a civilized society is usually conducted in an effort to reduce risk. If you don’t fully embrace that concept, then you can never use risk factors to lead you to sound decisions—they can only surprise you, and often in a bad way.

12 Steps to Creating an Effective and Predictable Sales Pipeline

12-step Checklist to Help You Create Your Own Custom Sales Pipeline.

The Benefits of Building your Sales Pipeline from the Ground Up

Here’s a comprehensive list of sales pipeline checklist items. Whether you run a small or large sales team— or are a contributor yourself, you’ll love this guide. Totally actionable; use it to make your own custom and optimized Sales Pipeline.

With this Checklist you will learn:

How a Sales Pipeline and Sales Process can help your business grow.
How to do proper research and set up a good foundation for your Sales Pipeline.
The necessary steps you need to take to build your Sales Pipeline.

Before “12 Steps to Creating an Effective & Predictable Pipeline,” these techniques were scattered across the Internet. Now, with the help of Sales Training Expert John Golden, we’ve put them all in one place.

Don’t let a lack of sales process slow you down. Turn your sales pipeline into a measurable and predictable set of steps to guarantee better productivity and results.

Download this free checklist now.

Your sales pipeline, even after it has been firmly established, should remain dynamic. Over time markets change, the economy changes, your products and services improve, and your sales reps develop more efficient ways to advance and close sales.

Sales and Commerce: Vital Lessons from the American Revolution

What better time to release an ebook about the American Revolution than on America’s birthday?

In this ebook, Nikolaus Kimla lays out some important lessons you can learn from this historic event.

As all you history buffs out there know, the American War of Independence is one of the most remarkable events in world history. There are a number of interesting parallels between this struggle and sales, salespeople and companies which are discussed in this ebook.

Why is it important to take a regular look back in history? Because in doing so there are many lessons we can learn. We can borrow principles and strategies and most importantly, perhaps we can refrain from repeating earlier mistakes.

Chapter 1: Sales, Commerce and the War of American Independence

The first lesson we can learn here is this: Starting up any new enterprise or even a sales force is never easy. Anyone who’s ever started something–a state, an enterprise, or any other ongoing concern–usually has quite a story to tell. Growing it is generally somewhat painful. There will be virtual casualties. Anyone who sets out with a goal such as this does so with the hopes that it will all go smoothly, that everyone will be happy and get along. This is never the case, and the War of American Independence shows us how something great comes to be built. It is painful and costly.

Chapter 2: Freedom, Liberty and Sales Teams

Today the word freedom has a different connotation than it did at the time of the revolution. There was a term common at that time: “public good.” Public good meant the greater good of the community, in these little communities where most people lived. Today the word “freedom” has a very different meaning than it did then.

Chapter 3: A Fighting Force or a Sales Force–It Still Takes Purpose and Vision

or the British, the conflict in the colonies should have been a walk in the park. They had every advantage over the colonists. But as history shows, the Americans certainly won. They have the most powerful nation on Earth to show for it. So what did the Americans have that the British lacked?

Chapter 4: Composition of an Army; Composition of a Sales Force

If you were to start a company today, you would of course want to hire the best people. This would require that you pay for them, in some cases handsomely. George Washington didn’t have that option, as his fledgeling government and army was all but broke. The only choice open to him was to recruit personnel that were dedicated to the cause.

Chapter 5: Raising Up a Business or Sales Force: How to Engage and Fight

To get a business up and running, or to work at one, can be as tough as a war–perhaps not physically, but oftentimes emotionally and stress-wise. Why? Because there is competition, and competition can often fight unfairly, illegally, without integrity. Just like it did in the American Revolution, today engagement takes endurance. You need staff that will hang in there and stick it out.

Chapter 6: In a Sales Force or a Company, There Can Always Be a Benedict Arnold

For over 200 years in the US, the name Benedict Arnold has been synonymous with “traitor.” To call someone a “Benedict Arnold” means that someone has committed treason of the highest order. When faced with any situation such as this, a leader and a company must ask themselves how they will overcome it. How did George Washington overcome this betrayal?

Chapter 7: Vision and Mission: A Company’s Version of the Constitution

In 1787 the Constitutional Convention was convened with the stated purpose of drafting a new constitution, but with a further purpose of creating a stronger and more stable government. The new constitution came into force in 1789, and both purposes were achieved and resulted in an enormously long-lasting success. Nearly 250 years later, it’s still with us and going strong. What can we learn from the creation of such a constitution, that might be applied to a company?

Precision Measuring of Sales Performance: The KPIs

In this white paper, Nikolaus Kimla explores the vital necessity of using the right KPIs when measuring sales performance.

In life, some understanding of the past and some perception of what the future is to bring are good to have. They bring stability and happiness to living. In business these factors are vitally necessary—the less precise they are, the more risk involved. The more precise, the more risk is minimized.

It is only through a constant analysis of the past—and based on that, a prediction of what should happen in the future—that a business can mathematically understand where to allocate resources and funding. This analysis is brought about through the technology provided by today’s digital world. And as we’ve seen since the turn of the millennium, that technology can either pave the way for a company’s success, or (if the company refuses to adapt technology) push it out of the way.

So a digital aggregation of indicators is crucial. The analysis of the past is done through lagging indicators. The accurate digital prediction of the future is conducted through leading indicators.

Lagging Indicators: The KPIs with which you examine past performance are lagging indicators. It is with these that you answer the question: How did we do?
Leading Indicators: Out of the knowledge of lagging indicators, you can then formulate leading indicators. Leading indicators are designed to show you, as you proceed toward a target or quota, exactly how you’re doing.

Pipeliner CRM Performance Insights

A great combination of leading and lagging indicators was created for a Pipeliner CRM feature called Performance Insights. Performance Insights was created for efficient sales performance management, and greatly simplifies yet makes far more powerful this aspect of sales management. The Performance Insights feature utilizes 5 KPIs.

Download this white paper and learn more about how Pipeliner CRM helps you precisely measure sales performance.

Facing Forward: Today’s Sales Mindset

“Nikolaus Kimla’s latest book, Facing Forward, is another valuable contribution to clarifying the best role for CRM software in the success of modern sales pros. An effective CRM solution must serve the needs of today’s overworked sales people. The folks at Pipeliner really get this and it drives all of their software development efforts. Right now, I am following more that 3,000 CRM solutions. It can be overwhelming. But I always find time to follow the latest developments from Pipeliner!”

Rich Bohn, SellMoreNow.com
The oldest living independent CRM analyst

There are probably thousands of sales trends, approaches, tips and tricks out there. Additionally there are hundreds or thousands of technological tools for sales—lead programs, CRM, sales enablement, contact management solutions and many more—and there is huge stress placed on finding and having the right tools.

But both the approach and the tools are selected, interestingly enough, through a mindset.

The word mindset is defined in the dictionary as an attitude, disposition or mood. Another definition is an intention or inclination.

For our purposes, let us define a mindset as a set of attitudes and inclinations that, in our case, are self-chosen and implemented. In this book, Nikolaus Kimla lays out the mindset of a salesperson, and its various components. These components can be selected and utilized. You may also find—and you may find for yourself–that some or all of these traits occur naturally.

Why is a mindset important? It affects the positive or negative outcome of any situation. It is what is required to face forward into today’s tough, competitive sales world. It is a prerequisite to any sales methodology or software solution.

Even though salespeople may already utilize this mindset, they may not be totally aware of it. Sales leadership and management may not totally be aware of it, either. But the elements of this mindset are something that everyone involved in sales needs to fully know and understand.

Imparting this data to a sales team means that they function better and with far more understanding. That is the goal of this book.

Chapter 1: The Quality of Individuality

For a number of years, now, Nikolaus has made the observation that salespeople are like entrepreneurs within the enterprise, and in fact coined a word to describe them: salespreneurs. Salespeople possess many of the qualities of entrepreneurs, and one of their primary qualities is their individuality. Salespeople possess this same characteristic.

Chapter 2: The Quality of Career Security

At least when it comes to making a living and having a life, there are very few things people want as much as security. This is especially true of a salesperson, who is already taking a great deal more risk than the average employee on a job; at least a good part of their pay (and many times their whole paycheck) is dependent on commissions, and how much they sell.

Chapter 3: The Quality of Freedom

Sometimes individuality and freedom are confused as being the same thing. They aren’t. Individuality is the summation of the qualities that make a person stand out as an individual, and this is separate from freedom. Freedom, on the other hand, is defined as a lack of restriction or barriers. A person can be a real individual and not have freedom. But freedom is another quality sought by, and usually possessed by, salespeople.

Chapter 4: The Quality of Self-Responsibility

Of course self-responsibility isn’t something a person can learn, like a craft or a skill. It begins with a decision to be responsible, and that’s a decision that will have to be made many times over through a person’s life. It becomes part of–and known as–a part of a person’s character. At the same time, every company should have systems and policies in place that help generate and reinforce self-responsibility in its workforce.

Chapter 5: Network Selling

The next component required for the salesperson mindset is what we call Network Selling. The basic reason it is called Network Selling is that today’s digital world is totally networked. You cannot make a move as a salesperson that doesn’t have some kind of impact, good or bad, throughout this network. As a salesperson you are either recommended or warned about, right along with the product or service that you’re selling.

Chapter 6: Speed of Technology Adoption

Another vital part of the salesperson mindset, especially in the digital age, is the speed of technology adoption. Salespeople generally tend to adopt the latest in technology, which is good; they need every advantage they can grab onto given today’s highly competitive sales climate. As many have discovered, adopting a tool such as Pipeliner CRM will mean faster and better results when it comes to opportunities.

The Everything Guide to Choosing the Right CRM Solution

There are many considerations when choosing the perfect CRM. Our comprehensive guide talks you through all the issues — from every angle — so you can make the best decision for your team.

The Journey to the Best CRM for You

Traditionally, salespeople have not welcomed CRM software with open arms. They perceive CRM tools as a way for management to ride herd on their workflow, monitor their every move, and establish management as “compliance police.”

Imagine if your sales managers and teams actually used their CRM system, found it of value, and were able to trust it and embrace it! Sales pipelines would be smoother, forecasts more accurate, and teams happier and more successful.

What if you could prove the value of such a system?

This guide is designed to raise your odds of a successful changeover to modern CRM. We’ll walk you through all the moving parts and help you find the right solution for your organization.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

What to look for in your CRM Solution
The benefits of the right CRM system
How to cope with the challenges of change management
How to avoid costly mistakes while choosing a CRM
Resources for CRM reviews — see what other sales pros have to say
Bonus: A comprehensive checklist to organize your requirements

Why use “brute force” CRM solutions, when you can win the hearts and minds of salespeople with the right system – one that helps them sell better.”

— Nikolaus Kimla

What to Look for in a CRM

Don’t undervalue the importance of a tool that salespeople find easy to use. A tool’s true power isn’t in flashy bells and whistles. It is in empowering the people using the tool to do the best job they can do. The best tools institutionalize efficiency, and become part of the daily workflow of your team. The best tools make it easier to do take actions that pay off!

Today’s tools should be suited to the needs of many stakeholders — with different uses for data, different skill levels, and different ways of absorbing information. Visualization is increasingly understood as crucial to adoption and efficiency. The brain perceives information visually much more easily than in plain data. In short, a picture is worth a thousand spreadsheets!

Download this free ebook and let it guide you towards the CRM that will make your organization happier and more successful!

Is Entrepreneurship Dead?

This book is a little unusual–it is written as an overheard dialogue. Nikolaus takes his inspiration from a work that is over 250 years old, The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin. The Way to Wealth was composed of advice, proverbs and adages that had been presented in Franklin’s own regular publication Poor Richard’s Almanac during its first 25 years of publication, but in this essay was tailored to the subject of becoming wealthy. It found a whole new audience, and today it is still published, read and taught in schools all over the world.

In remembering this essay fondly, Nikolaus realized he could have a bit of fun, and entertain and educate readers at the same time, by following a similar path. And so he wrote a series of 6 blogs as if he’d overheard an evening’s conversation between a wise but world-weary entrepreneur named Dr. Abraham, and Doug, a young, hot venture capitalist, at an entrepreneur conference. He as now turned those blogs into this eBook.

While many will find the title controversial, especially given today’s climate of fostering entrepreneurship and startups, it was not Nikolaus’s intention to simply stir up emotion. He actually believes that entrepreneurship, as it is presented in many arenas, is actually dead and, in fact, could never get off the ground in the way it is often proposed.

As you read, you’ll see why—and you’ll also see that Nikolaus’s view is certainly not entirely pessimistic. It has reason and focus.

Talking Facts

The discussion begins with why Dr. Abraham really feels that entrepreneurship, the way it’s being promoted today, is in fact dead.

Art, or Craft?

Is entrepreneurship an art, or a craft, and why?

Where to Start

Where entrepreneurship begins and gets off the ground.

Entrepreneurship vs. Management

There is a big difference between entrepreneurship and management, and they should not be confused.

What About the Money?

Why does the source of money make a difference in true entreprenuership?

Intrinsic Ability

Dr. Abraham makes his final point about an entrepreneur’s ability, and inspiration.

The Key to Sales Prosperity: Clarity

Selling is a very dynamic process, probably the most dynamic in any organization. It has so many moving parts, so many variables that it often becomes frenetic, chaotic, and reactionary.

In this ebook John Golden argues that it doesn’t have to be that way.

As he points out, the key to success (in pretty much any endeavor) is being able to clearly identify the goal, define the steps needed to achieve that goal and then cutting out any extraneous noise or distractions so that you can focus exclusively on execution and reaching the goal.

In today’s business world this is often easier said than done. Systems are forced upon salespeople that confuse and derail them. They are overloaded with tools that are supposed to help them but instead distract. Social media is constantly bombarding them, and they are never sure how much of it is really valuable. Above all they have an informed, savvy buyer who has little appetite to indulge them unless they can offer some value very quickly.

Sales is often compared to warfare and we often hear about the “fog of war” where lines get blurred, truth and rumor become indistinguishable and chaos becomes the norm. The ‘fog of sales” is no different absent the lethal nature of the former.

Golden, however, shows that there are ways of clearing that fog and stepping out into the bright sunshine that clarity brings.