How to stop complacency from ruining your sales organization

Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dGsNCcrEfWCdpyxbCidmqLCicNwkBP

June 8, 2012 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise The Leaderboard    Are you listening carefully? Good leaders listen to those around them, but not all listening is equal, writes Mary Jo Asmus. The best bosses are skilled at "deep listening," in which they engage others without permitting themselves to get distracted or to assume they already know what the other person really means. "This kind of listening is rare," Asmus writes. "However, it's foundational to the kind of leadership we need now." SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (6/6)       Cloud Security Who Do You Trust? Cloud computing changes the way we use computing with the promise of significant economic and efficiency benefits. But significant security issues are presented with this new approach to computing. This white paper explains why trust, reliability and security decisions are central to choosing the right model. Sales Strategies    How to stop complacency from ruining your sales organization Sales leaders that are unwilling to try new things are at risk of losing their jobs, writes Dan Perry. There may be a problem in your sales organization if your salespeople spend too much time on administrative tasks or if sales cycles are getting longer, he writes. You can stave off complacency by constantly reading relevant articles and blog posts and by paying attention to new trends, he writes. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales Force Effectiveness Blog (6/8)       Mistakes that will derail a sales meeting Sales managers can sabotage their sales teams by setting unrealistic goals, writes Sean McPheat of MTD Sales Training. "Unrealistic sales targets or those that the sales person cannot comprehend or believe can intimidate, frighten and embarrass the sales person," he writes. Managers should also avoid discussing representatives' shortcomings in public, he writes. MTDSalesTraining.com (6/7)       Download Forrester Research, Inc.'s April 2012 report: SMB eCommerce Solutions 2012, A Guide To Selecting Your eCommerce Solution written by Brian K. Walker. Learn which SMB eCommerce solution you should consider for your business. For example, Forrester expects to see the advent of full-service offerings such as Amazon's suite of solutions. Download your complimentary copy now. Daily Data Points    Low rates dampen optimism of investors and retirees The Wells Fargo-Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index slid in May for investors' and retirees' outlook. Survey participants said low interest rates are hurting their ability to retire or save. "A lot of people are saying, 'I don't necessarily want to be in the equity markets, but I don't know how else to get the return I need,' " said Karen Wimbush of Wells Fargo. The Wall Street Journal/Total Return blog (6/7), Financial-Planning.com (6/6)       Report: Economy has expanded at a "moderate pace" during the past 2 months Evidence shows that the economy grew at a "moderate pace" in April and May, according to a report by the Federal Reserve. "Economic outlooks remain positive, but contacts were slightly more guarded in their optimism," the report says. National Public Radio (6/6)       Other News Increases in consumer credit fall short of expectations in April The Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics blog (6/7)       Asia-Pacific region accounts for largest percentage of mobile-ad spending ClickZ (6/6)       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. On the Road    A radical new idea for business-class seating They may look like futuristic pods -- something you'd see in a sci-fi movie. But the purple pods shown in this video are actually a seat-maker's plan for providing more privacy for premium travelers. "The 'Air-Lair': [I]ndividual, hard-shell pods containing a flat bed, mood lighting and projector from which to beam the in-flight entertainment is the radical idea being developed on paper by aircraft seat manufacturer Contour Aerospace and product design consultancy Factory Design," this feature explains. TerminalU.com (U.K.) (6/6)         Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index — "The Q1 analysis has shown that small businesses are finally getting some relief from the credit crunch that has plagued many of them since the Great Recession," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. Download the report now! App Update  App Center launches on Facebook Facebook has created an App Center that will help users find applications that they might be interested in using. The center, which features games for the most part, includes apps such as Draw Something and Pinterest. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (6/8)       Featured Content    Boost Productivity by 'Resting' Your Brain Matthew E. May 6 Million LinkedIn Passwords Compromised Courtney Rubin A Guide to New York City's Startup Scene Katie Morell The 5 Essential Languages for Business Mike Michalowicz Text Google to Find Anything TJ McCue Making Small Talk  Cuban man towers above cars atop giant bike Felix Guirola of Cuba rides a homemade bicycle that is more than 10 feet tall. "I never get scared nor have I fallen, and I obey all traffic laws," he said. Guirola said he was first inspired to ride tall bicycles in the 1980s, and he is putting the finishing touches on an 18-foot bike. Houston Chronicle/The Associated Press (6/6)       Position Title Company Name Location Senior Sales Manager, West Universal Electronics Midwest/West region , CA Regional Sales Associate B-Line Medical Washington, DC Click here to view more job listings. SmartQuote  [N]ever demand the team do things that you cannot, have not, or would not do yourself." --Sean McPheat, founder and managing director of MTD Sales Training, 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! Accounting Advertising Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Biotechnology Business Chemicals Construction & Real Estate Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution Education Energy Finance Food Service Health Care Insurance Legal Manufacturing Media & Entertainment Nonprofit Retail Technology Telecommunications Travel & Hospitality   This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers@gmail.com Subscriber Tools SIGNUP   SEND FEEDBACK   E-MAIL THIS BRIEF Today's Brief - Permalink | Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Director:  Jim Pataki (212) 450-1682 Job Board:  Jackie Basso (202) 407-7871   SmartBrief Community: Most Clicked Facebook Twitter Publish your Press Release Who's Hiring LinkedIn Get this RSS Feed Search Archive About Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today     Recent SmartBrief on Sales Issues: Thursday, June 07, 2012 Wednesday, June 06, 2012 Tuesday, June 05, 2012 Monday, June 04, 2012 Friday, June 01, 2012     Lead Editor:  Brooke Howell       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004     © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information