4 qualities the most successful sales leaders share

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April 27, 2012 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise The Leaderboard  4 qualities the most successful sales leaders share Leading a sales organization can be an especially difficult task, writes Scott Edinger of Edinger Consulting Group. Salespeople often come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and they may be spread out around the country. The most successful sales leaders emphasize metrics and focus on tasks such as talent development, he writes. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (4/26)       Invest in people or get ready for an exodus Companies should invest heavily in developing their workers' talent -- or be prepared to watch their workers jump ship, says former Deloitte CEO Jim Quigley in this Big Think video. "We must invest in building the capability of our people. And if we don't invest in building their capability, they're going to go someplace else where they think someone will," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (4/24)       Other News 10 signs you just might enjoy being a sales manager Eyes On Sales (4/26)       Fly a lot? Earn 3X rewards points on airline purchases with The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster: • 3X points on airfare • 2X points on advertising, gas, and shipping • 1X points on everything else LEARN MORE AND APPLY Sales Strategies    Trust your salespeople to spark superstar performance If you want your salespeople to act like superstars, you have to treat them that way, writes Sean McPheat of MTD Sales Training. It's important to trust your salespeople to achieve their goals and to give them the time and space necessary for success, he writes. MTDSalesTraining.com (4/27)       Don't waste time and money on premature pricing Coming up with final pricing information before a buyer is ready to purchase is a waste of resources, writes John Kenney. Instead, it's a good idea to prepare a proposal that provides a price range to address the consumer's questions during this phase of the deal, he writes. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales Force Effectiveness Blog (4/25)       Take a minute to participate in a quick, 6-question advertising survey. Click here to get started! Daily Data Points    Economy shows positive signs despite slowed growth U.S. economic growth slowed somewhat in the first quarter, coming in at a 2.2% annual pace, according to Commerce Department figures released today. Still, other recent surveys have shown consumer confidence and job growth on the rise. Bloomberg (4/27), Forbes (4/27)       Other News A measure of business spending dipped in March The Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics blog (4/26)       Companies around the world are spending more on IT security Insurance Networking News (4/26)       Downturn in small-business indicators could spell trouble for the economy Fox Business/MoneyRates.com (4/26)       Hot off the Presses! Q2 2012 ERP Comparison Guide Get off to a successful start in the new quarter by shortening the time needed to purchase ERP software. Begin accurately controlling costs, inventory, and revenue forecasts. Learn how in this free download from Ziff Davis. On the Road    Conjuring up a few tricks to minimize air-travel costs With fees to the left of you, taxes to the right -- are you stuck in the middle with a heftier travel cost than you anticipated? There are ways to minimize your business-travel costs, experts say. "Be a minimalist when you travel. It's the best way and cheapest," said technical consultant and frequent flier Jes Borland. Borland is no magician, but she does offer a few tricks for flying lighter and for less. Herald Times Reporter (Manitowoc, Wis.)/Gannett News Service (4/25)       Hotels building customer loyalty through great service To mark Customer Loyalty Month, a hotel consultant has compiled a list of actions that he says hotels must perform to keep clients coming back. For instance, hoteliers should strive to make their guests feel special at every opportunity and deliver exceptional service to gain their loyalty, Shep Hyken notes. "Don't copy someone else's customer service strategy. Then you are just the same. Take what someone else has done and make it better -- make it your own," Hyken writes. 4Hoteliers (4/25)       There are a number of reasons why shrewd staffing agencies run background checks on potential employees before inviting them in to their business. Failure to properly screen employees can have serious business and financial consequences. This free whitepaper outlines the risks that can arise from bad hires and how careful background screening can help mitigate those risks. App Update    Signs your company is ready for a CRM Using a customer relationship management system can benefit your business in several ways, such as by helping to align the efforts of the sales and marketing departments, writes Corey Eridon. If you run a small business, it may not be worth it to implement a CRM. But for larger organizations, which deal with a large volume of leads, a CRM can provide a scalable solution. HubSpot.com/Inbound Internet Marketing Blog (4/24)       10 Principles for Building an Effective Human Capital Plan The Human Capital Plan is an important tool that organizations use to drive focused actions that can ensure goal achievement and business success. It allows organizations to assess, plan for, and respond proactively to its human capital challenges and needs. Download the white paper to learn more. Featured Content    Studies Find Startup Funding on the Decline Courtney Rubin Getting a Celebrity to Visit Your Business Katie Morell A Eulogy for the Private Office Cameron Herold 5 Ideas for Creative Advertising Through Sponsorship Jacob Harper How Gerber Group Changed Hotel Bars in 23 Locations Jhaneel Lockhart Making Small Talk  We're proud to be Dull and Boring, communities say The Oregon town of Boring has declared itself twinned with the tiny Scottish village of Dull, sparking titters from observers on both sides of the Atlantic. Still, says Bob Boring, great-grandson of the Oregon town's founder, it's important to remember that the town isn't as tedious as it sounds. "There's not a lot that goes on, but it's not that boring, either," he says. The Oregonian (Portland) (4/26)       Position Title Company Name Location Director of Sales – eDiscovery Corporate Recommind Washington, DC Director, Federal Sales PC Mall Gov Chantilly, VA Click here to view more job listings. SmartQuote  [M]icromanagement of good sales people will cause animosity and an anti-productive atmosphere." --Sean McPheat, MTD Sales Training managing director, writing at MTDSalesTraining.com       SmartBrief on Sales Partners SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! 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