Thursday, June 08, 2006

Dan Tudor Part 5 - Are you new to sales?

Ron: When someone is starting out in sales, everything is a challenge. What do you think someone new to sales should focus on for the first year to get the best results?

Dan: Another great question. You're on a roll. During the first year, one of the things I think a new salesperson needs to master is the compensation plan. That may sound a little surprising, but I've seen a lot of sales professionals get depressed and down in their new job because they don't understand the commission and bonus plan. Once they understand how the company compensates them, they are able to better understand how they should approach their new job.

The other thing they need to focus on is building up their bank of business quickly, and demonstrate that they can close business. Managers may say that they are patient and will give the new sales rep time to "grow" but I find that this is rarely the case. Non-performing sales reps are quickly replaced unless they prove that they have potential. That's the nature of the business.