How Pareto?s Principle Impacts Your Sales Success

Pareto's Principle {the 80/20 rule) is vividly illustrated in the sales statistics of most industries, companies and professional service organiizations. Eighty percent of all products or services are sold by just 20 percent of the sales professionals in the United States and Canada. How does this rule effect the overall management of the selling process in your company or firm? Basically, Pareto's principle impacts your selling process in three key areas:

· Hiring The Right Sales People,
· Training Sales Team Members, and
· Coaching The Team To Higher Performance Levels

Almost all of the candidates that apply for sales positions today fall into the 80 percent group of sales or service industry professionals who produce only 20 percent of the sales. Therefore, when hiring, you must screen carefully to discover a candidate's selling skill potential, not just his or her past sales success levels. It is almost impossible to find and recruit sales professionals in the 20 percent bracket because employers do everything in their power to keep their top producers happy, so the turnover in Pareto's 20 percent bracket is extremely rare. Even if you find a "top gun" who is looking for a position, many organizations can't afford to bring one of these high priced professionals on board.

If finding one or two top producers is difficult, think how hard it is to recruit a team of these superstars. Therefore, you need to change your mindset to find candidates that have the potential to move into the top producer or rainmaker category and then train, coach and manage them until they produce at the level of the superstars in your industry or pro-fession.

Just "liking" a given candidate for a sales position can lead to long-term sales or business development failure. Read these articles;

Hire A Six To Consistently Produce Sales Success at: http://www.thesellingedge.com/archive7.htm

or Hiring, A Key To Sales Management Success at: http://www.thesellingedge.com/archive6.htm

To learn how to build a sales team where you no longer carry 80 percent of the team members. Where is it written that your company or profes-sional service firm must live with Pareto's Principle anyway.

Good luck in producing a team of top producers. You can find some tools to help in the process of training and coaching your new hires at http://www.TheSellingedge.com.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications, Inc. Menlo Park, California. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides.

Virden assists clients through a unique personal coaching (telephone)program. He has taught at the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas and the School Of Entrepreneurship, Marriott School Of Management, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com

---

Closing The Sale

So -- you've just gotten off of the phone with... Read More

Sales Marketing: 10 Amazing Secrets To Sell Any Product Fast.

Implement these smart sales marketing secrets and you'll be capable... Read More

Successful Selling in 21 Steps

1. Dependability was chosen as the most important.2. Integrity was... Read More

Transforming Problems into Sales

My silent fish tank was no more. Enough water had... Read More

Three Ways To Get A Prospect To Say Yes To Your Offer

Here are three proven ways that will increase your sales:1.... Read More

Nine Common Mistakes Salespeople Make

1. They talk instead of LISTEN. Too many salespeople monopolize... Read More

Sales Leads: 10 Sure Fire Ways To Unleash An Avalanche Of Sales

If you knew a few sure fire ideas that have... Read More

Quick Tips On Handling Rejection

Looking for a way to handle rejection?Edward W. Smith, motivational... Read More

Want to Make More Money? Fish in a Bigger Pond!

Setting prices is a dilemma most service business owners encounter... Read More

Growing Sales Through Creating Connections

Your mission as a business owner is to develop a... Read More

Increase Profits from Your Existing Customers

An area many businesses fail to recognise as a way... Read More

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that... Read More

Sales Language: Whats Wrong with But?

Language is one of the most important tools you have... Read More

10 Great Ways To Generate More Sales

1. Negotiate with e-zine publishers to get free or discounted... Read More

How to Build Rapport in 7 Seconds!

I had my first official sales training by a man... Read More

7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears

Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good --... Read More

Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals... Read More

Is It Time To Rethink Your Sales Training Program or Is Your Sales Training Delivering Results?

Sales is still a must for any company who wishes... Read More

Sell Yourself, As Well As Your Product

When selling a product to a consumer, one of the... Read More

Increase Sales - Overcoming Barriers

Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would... Read More

Objections Are Buying Signals? Usually!

How well do you handle objections?The fact is, most people... Read More

Essential Training Skills for Managers

Today's manager lives in a world where change has attained... Read More

How To Write A Solution - Savvy Sales Letter to To Get Clients

Too many sales letters are shaped into paper airplanes and... Read More

Increasing Your Sales FASTER -- Dealing with Ill Think It Over.

Do you frequently hear that from a prospect?"I'll Think It... Read More

Order Takers vs. Sales Professionals

As business owners we all know that in a ideal... Read More

How To Attract Buyers Using The Right Sales Terminology

It is always important that you use the right terms... Read More

Why ALL Sales Decisions Are Based On Emotion - Heres The Proof!

Have you ever gone into a newsagent, picked up a... Read More

When The Clock Strikes Twelve!

I just finished reading another sales copy ending with the... Read More

How To Get Clients To Take Immediate Action

Are you tired of excuses? Looking for a persuasion technique... Read More

Knowledge is Power in Auto Detailing Sales

The most important thing for an auto detailer to do... Read More

3 Ways To Overcome Pricing Challenges

How many times have you had a customer say to... Read More

Ideal Clients - Who are They and Where Do You Find Them?

Ideal clients are the ones who are perfect for you.... Read More

Attitude Insurance

Everyone knows the importance of having a positive attitude, especially... Read More