Program Overview

Sometimes lacking in the management area are the “how-to’s” for developing people. We often use analogies such as coaching or teaching; however, even in those professions, the steps required to successfully develop people can be unclear.

In the sales area in particular, the best doers are frequently promoted to leadership positions. But the skill set necessary for management might be entirely different than the skills necessary in sales. In this program, you will assess your current management skills and learn techniques to become more effective in developing and coaching your sales team. Using interactive lectures and examples from successful sales managers in a collaborative learning environment, you'll be inspired to develop and implement people-empowering strategies in your organization to achieve a competitive advantage.

Key Benefits

At this seminar, you will:

• Challenge your basic assumptions about the evolution of the sales process and what that means for managing the sales force.
• Discover techniques for understanding and managing the culture of your organization.
• Discuss important talent management topics, including data management, skill development, talent retention, and managing the millennial generation.
• Learn and practice techniques for leading individuals to the desired sales team performance.

Program Content

The Evolution of Sales Management

The evolution of customer focused marketing has progressed from the product era, where the company was in control, to the market era, where the customer is driving decisions. In turn, there have been significant implications for the sales process and consequently, impact for sales managers. During this session, we'll explore the role of the sales managers in terms of prioritizing and allocating resources and measuring efforts and results.

Resilience

This session will focus on the concepts of developmental assets: the tools used to help create a resilient workforce that can succeed in the face of adversity. We’ll also share some of the research on the frequency with which these tools are used in agribusiness today.

Changing Culture

Change is never easy. That’s why changing company sales culture can be a major challenge for just about any organization. Instructors in this session will provide real-life examples from organizations that have successfully shifted their sales culture.

Coaching at Work

For some leaders, coaching comes naturally. But for many it requires strategy. In this session, you’ll have the unique opportunity to hear from Purdue Athletics coaches and learn about the crossover from coaching athletics to coaching in business.

Building Your Sales Force

How do you improve your sales force: develop it or hire it? This session will help you look at both sides of this question and understand the role feedback and the importance of a career path play in the retention of employees across generations—from baby boomers to millennials.

Who should attend?

Current and future sales managers who want to maximize effectiveness and develop leadership and coaching skills. Participants are typically responsible for the following:

• Managing teams of sales professionals or technical people who support them.
• Evaluating compensation and reward systems for sales positions.
• Leading customer contact teams.
• Measuring performance of sales professionals.