Here’s a quick update. As you can see below, The Machine is finished, it has a new cover, a handful of Advance Reader copies are loose in the wild and it’s so damn good that it’s even making Andrew Warner—the tough-as-nails interviewer of tech startups—smile! In more news, The Machine will be available in bookstores and online retailers… “Update: The Machine (it’s really close!)”
I’m currently in the process of performing final edits to my book to ready it for publication. A big part of this process is modifying the manuscript to incorporate inside sales – which plays a much bigger role in SPE than it did when I started work on this book a few years ago. This… “The Machine > Bonus chapter > The death of field sales”
When executives are first introduced to Sales Process Engineering, they naturally assume that this new approach to sales will be tough on salespeople. But, interestingly, it tends not to be. Salespeople adapt quickly. They enjoy working in an environment that’s custom-engineered to multiply their productivity. The individual who really suffers as a result of this… “The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 11: Managing the sales function”
Most managers are excited by technology. Technology enables us to get more done, faster. And technology is practical. Concrete. It’s not about ideas; it’s about execution. This is certainly true in sales environments. It’s almost impossible to propose any initiative without prompting the question: is there software for that? In sales environments, the answer to… “The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 10: Technology (why CRM sucks!)”
If you’re not in the fortunate situation where promotion is easy, then the odds are that it’s really difficult. If you’re in the latter category, this chapter will introduce you to the magnitude of the promotional challenge ahead and explain why (fortunately) moderate success is probably more than sufficient in the early stages of your… “The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 9: How to generate sales opportunities”
The next three chapters deal with opportunities: how to originate them and how to prosecute them. But, as you’ll notice from this chapter heading, we’re not navigating these big subjects in what would appear to be the logical order. There are two (very) important reasons why we’ll be talking about prosecuting opportunities before we talk… “The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 8: Converting opportunities into sales”
If you can help me to spread the word about Sales Process Engineering, I’ll be happy to mail you one of these stunning little books. The bad news is that this sampler consists of just the introduction and the first three chapters of The Machine. The good news is that, as you can see in… “I’ve got a copy of The Machine (sampler) with your name on it!”
Welcome to Part 2! Here’s where we dot all the ‘i’s and cross all the ‘t’s. We’ll be talking about roles, workflows, campaigns, technology and much more. But I don’t think we should be satisfied to examine these building blocks in a vacuum. After all, Part 2 is all about practice, not theory. Accordingly, it’s… “The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 7: Formulating a plan”
If it’s true that sacred cows make the best hamburgers, then we’re in for quite a feast! I’ve chosen to close Part One of this book with a frontal assault on the juiciest bovine of all: the unassailable belief that salespeople should be paid commissions. And while I’m at it, I’ll take aim at bonuses,… “The Machine > Part 1 > Chapter 6: The end of commissions, bonuses and other artificial management stimulants”
Executives who encounter SPE for the first time will often ask if it is applicable in all situations. The answer to this question, not surprisingly, is no. Few theories – if any – can legitimately claim to be valid in all circumstances. However, before we offer-up our organization’s uniqueness as a get-out-of-jail-free card, it’s worth… “The Machine > Part 1 > Chapter 5: Three variations on the standard model”
