Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Some-Common-Misconceptions-about-Values.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Some-Common-Misconceptions-about-Values.html Although values are at the core of leadership, many people may not be completely faithful to the notion of leading according to their personal values. Oftentimes situational demands and inter-value conflicts can cause leaders to spend considerable amounts of time of doing non-values related activities, and doing so can result in diminishing levels of effectiveness. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Leadership-Matters-Values-and-Dysfunctional-Dispositions.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Leadership-Matters-Values-and-Dysfunctional-Dispositions.html This essay summarizes our findings regarding the causes of managerial failure, and offers some suggestions about how to minimize the problem. We can sort the causes into two large categories which concern values and dysfunctional dispositions. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/The-Three-Rules-for-Hiring-A-Players.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/The-Three-Rules-for-Hiring-A-Players.html It is very hard for people to admit that they are not good judges of character. In fact, just about everyone I know thinks he or she is a superb judges of people. But is this true? Are people generally good at assessing the qualities and evaluating the talents of others? The good news is that the research on this question consistently points to the same answer. The bad news is the answer is a resounding no — people are not particularly good judges of character. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Reengineer-Your-Sales-Cycle-Reduce-your-timetosale-and-increase-your-leadtoclose-rate.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Reengineer-Your-Sales-Cycle-Reduce-your-timetosale-and-increase-your-leadtoclose-rate.html The sales cycle is a system of activities that starts when a new lead is generated and ends when a sale is booked. Like any business process, the sales cycle can be streamlined to reduce inefficiencies, decrease time between lead and order, and increase the lead-to-sale conversion rate. We've provided a way to streamline your sales cycle. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/The-Power-of-a-Sales-Playbook-Embedding-Discipline-and-Best-Practices-in-Your-Sales-Force.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/The-Power-of-a-Sales-Playbook-Embedding-Discipline-and-Best-Practices-in-Your-Sales-Force.html Sales people have a bad reputation in the business world. With movies like Boiler Room and Glengerry GlenRoss, Hollywood has only reinforced this. Frankly, some of this bad reputation is deserved. In many companies, the sales people may be hitting their numbers, but management knows they are only operating at a fraction of their potential. Is there a way to put discipline into the sales function? Won’t discipline kill the spirit and motivation of a good sales team? Good sales people are typically high-energy, relationship-oriented people with a low tolerance for structure. Their talents lie in handling the nuances of multiple relationships in an uncertain and dynamic environment. A Sales Playbook is the answer. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Disconnected-Marketing-in-a-Connected-World.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Disconnected-Marketing-in-a-Connected-World.html Many executives have an uneasiness about marketing they find difficult to articulate. In many companies, marketing is a group of "creative" people who spend lots of money on projects that have no measurable return on investment. They are a necessary evil rather than a source of competitive strength. If you share this sense of disdain, this article may help you articulate what you are feeling and provide some real answers to give you some direction in dealing with it. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Death-by-Assumption-Why-Great-Planning-Strategies-Fail.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Death-by-Assumption-Why-Great-Planning-Strategies-Fail.html To often, assumptions are not clearly identified or managed so that when a plan goes south, there is no way to go back and reevaluate or manage the original assumptions. The absence of "assumption management" is a common cause of the death of many strategic plans. Assumptions must be stated, debated, and continually reevaluated as the plan goes forward. We've provided three practical steps you can take to manage your planning assumption. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Learning-from-Experience-Implementing-After-Action-Reviews-in-Your-Sales-Force.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3111/Learning-from-Experience-Implementing-After-Action-Reviews-in-Your-Sales-Force.html The problem with many sales organizations is not laziness, lack of selling skills or the myriad of other issues CEOs point to when sales are down. The problem with most sales organizations is the inability to learn from experience.er Action Reviews are now used by many companies in a number of ways. When conducted properly, the AAR serves as a post-event debrief that generates specific actionable recommendations (SARs) for immediate use. It also creates an environment in which sales people can identify real mistakes, learn from them, and make immediate adjustments, rather than get bogged down in blaming the market, the prospect, or the competition.