Process Excellence Makes Sales and Marketing Problems Solvable
Sales and marketing executives in B2B companies seem to be working harder every year, yet consider some recent results: 62% of companies had difficulty making target revenues in 2014. (Forrester) 42% of all sales opportunities end in “No Decision.” (HubSpot) B2B companies are delaying contact with salespeople. (Google and the CEB) A pass bet at […]
After 13 Years, The Shingo Award
Back in 1996, after 20 years in industry, I was tired of working sixty hours per week as a salesman and sales manager for people who cared if I made my number, but couldn’t assess the odds I faced or if I was doing a good a job. The worst part was when my employers kept throwing […]
“Sales Process Excellence” by Michael Webb Receives Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award
LOGAN, Utah – April 17th, 2015 – The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has awarded Michael Webb with the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award for his work “Sales Process Excellence.” Webb is president of Sales Performance Consultants, Inc., an Atlanta-based thought leader in the […]
Shingo Examiner Feedback on “Sales Process Excellence”
Submission Title: Sales Process Excellence Author Name(s): Michael J. Webb A team of Shingo examiners has provided the following feedback. The team rated the submission based on the following categories. Content Contribution to new knowledge and understanding of operational excellence Michael Webb has articulated the why and how of continuous improvement in a context and […]
Why Sales and Marketing Needs Operational Excellence – Four Principles That Make Sales Funnels Flow Faster
Every year CSO Insights (a research company for chief sales officers) conducts a study on sales management1. In 2014, the average win rate of forecasted deals across all companies was 45.9 percent, virtually the same as the 45.7 percent achieved in 2013. In other words, the average CEO would be better off placing “pass” bets […]
How Does Lean Apply to Marketing?
Wikipedia defines “Lean”, as “A production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination.” The American Marketing Association defines “Marketing” as “A set of processes to create, deliver and communicate customer value and manage […]
How To Diagnose What Is Going Right – And Wrong – In Your Sales Production System
Lots of companies feel pressure at some time or another to improve the effectiveness and productivity of their sales force. Unfortunately, instead of diagnosing what is really going on, they just jump in with presumed solutions instead: sales or negotiation training, CRM software, lead generation, or some other of the Usual Fixes. Unfortunately, the success […]
How Do You Map A Sales Process?
Mapping a sales process (or designing it) is pretty simple, at least at first. The difference with a sales process is that it must benefit both you and your customer simultaneously. The key is to keep your customer in mind at all times.1. Prepare to map the process.Despite the stories about salespeople out on the […]
Book Review: A Seat at the Table
By Marc Miller Reviewed by Michael Webb In B2B sales, selling to senior executives and key decision makers has become the main event. But how do you get past the velvet rope? Sales trainer and entrepreneur Marc Miller’s A Seat at The Table (Greenleaf Enterprises, 2010, paperback, 186 pages) gives salespeople and their managers valuable […]
The “Usual Fixes” for Sales Problems (And Why They Fail)
The Usual Fixes for Sales Problems (And Why They Fail).
Unless you have identified the root causes for sales problems, your fixes probably won’t stick.
