In this episode of Enterprise Sales Development podcast, we speak with Frank Cespedes, author of Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing. Frank previews his upcoming book and what inspired it. He talks about why it’s important for an organization to understand what they are doing with their sales department to help them decide what to do next. He also talks about why the buyer is the most important thing about selling and how division of labor is so essential. Listen as he explains how the market process is a variable, not a constant.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

What inspired Frank to write his book, Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing

Why hiring is an area where things can go the most wrong in the sales profession and why it’s important to understand what the organization is doing to help decide what to do next

Why the buyer is and will continue to be the most important thing about selling

Why Frank thinks specialization and the division of labor is so essential

How to maximize profitability by understanding of what the company needs and don’t needs and how the pandemic opened company’s eyes to their sales models and what they could do differently

How scope decisions are made within the sales force

How the process is a way to scale the business, and how the market process is a variable, not a constant

The difference between approaching and attacking different markets

QUOTES

“There’s no doubt that digital media and this sustained data revolution, which will continue throughout our lifetimes, those things are affecting buying and selling.” -Frank Cespedes [02:44]

“You do not compete with people who have gone out of business. The dead are dead. You only compete with the survivors in a competitive market place, and in order to survive in any competitive marketplace, continuous improvement is essential. So it shouldn’t surprise us that the bar is rising.” -Frank Cespedes [05:41]

“The most important thing about selling is and always has been the buyer. Who buys, why and how.” -Frank Cespedes [09:03]

“Sales is a performance art. It’s about behavior. It’s not about how well somebody smiles in an interview. It’s not about your assumption or my assumption that somehow we can peer into people’s souls. We cannot.” -Frank Cespedes [26:58]

“This is an area of business where you must be proactive. Because if you’re not proactive, one of two other groups are going to make your scope and customer selection decisions for you, either competitors or customers, and neither group necessarily has your best interest at heart.” -Frank Cespedes [35:34]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01] Intro

[00:23] Meet Frank

[00:38] The inspiration behind his book

[03:15] Hiring and sales competency

[08:10] Grounding on the buying process

[11:17] Why specialization is essential

[15:42] Maximize profitability by understanding needs

[24:42] Building sales development teams

[33:56] Using scope as a framework for sales models

[37:00] Market process is a variable, not a constant

[42:03] Significant changes in the C-suite

[47:56] Advice for senior leadership

RESOURCES

Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing by Frank Cespedes

The Department Store Museum

John le Carré

Sam Walton

CONNECT

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