The following Articles were either written by LPG staff, or reposted by LPG staff with credit given to the original author. Some are Editorials in which we share our opinions on the industry. Others were written from our knowledge of working in the field for years. Finally we have research from LPG and or third parties.
Feb 1, 2023
it's appropriate to write an article that includes the ingredients that the most successful leaders demonstrate every day - Here's my list of the 10 components that make great leaders: 1) Slow to Hire, Quick to Fire:The top three things a manager ...
Jan 31, 2023
Central Oregon, a sportsman's paradise, is a great place to visit. Running a sales department here in Bend is highly competitive. After 40 hours of mid-year reviews, the sales manager, sales reps, and I have one more day of matching account-by-account ...
Jan 30, 2023
Look at almost any media property in the U.S., and you'll find two common types of sales contest. One of them is an overall staff contest, wherein the entire sales team hits a certain monetary quota for a specific quarter or a month and collectively ...
Jan 27, 2023
Inventory management, motivation, hiring, account management, in-field coaching - these are just a few of the job functions of today's sales manager.Which is most critical for the sales manager to master? Without question, it's in-field coaching.This ...
Jan 26, 2023
I have received many e-mails from managers across the country to say that putting up the "leader board" in the sales bullpen is rather harsh and condescending. My response? Don't forget that we are in sales, and as managers,we're not ...
Jan 24, 2023
One degree makes a big difference. Water is hot at 211 degrees. But at 212 degrees it boils, and boiling water generates steam, and that steam can power a locomotive. A while ago, I sent the sales managers we consult the clip for 212. .You can view the ...
Jan 23, 2023
The 4 Stages of The BAC / Pre-Purchase Experience Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Prospect Goal Become Aware of Product / Service Get Familar with Product / Service Feel Relevant Connections to Product or Service Feel Confident in a few Choices / Businesses ...
Jan 20, 2023
During the past 20 months I have had the chance to experience the Grecian work environment. The Greeks are known for partying hard (see My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and working a balanced schedule. On my travels abroad, I hear many complaints from Europeans ...
Jan 19, 2023
During a recent European trip, I noticed that the influence of Alexander the Great is still felt this day in Europe and Asia - some 2400 years after his death. There's been a resurgence of interest in Alexander because of the new film Alexander. ...
Jan 18, 2023
It's been approximately 40 years since marketing professor (and subsequent guru) Dr. Philip Kotler conceptualized the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion. When I work with sales reps, I stress that when advertising campaigns ...
Jan 17, 2023
Your Number One job priority as a manager is to make your boss look good. Your boss' agenda always comes first. When I ask managers their most important job as a sales manager or general manager, the answer is always: "Take care of my customers, ...
Jan 16, 2023
Selling to someone with a massive ego can be one of the easiest sales to make. It can also be one of the hardest when a little mistake or infringement wrecks havoc with your chances of selling this person. The bigger the ego, the more fragile the psyche. ...
Jan 13, 2023
The days are over when fear was a driving motivator. Fear might work for shortterm gain, but in the long run, fear drives people out the door. The new adage for today's corporate climate should be "focus follows fun." What can you do at ...
Jan 12, 2023
A few years back, the "casual dress" fad went to such extremes that people came to work wearing jeans,T-shirts, and even "wife beaters." In my opinion, it was the worst thing that could happen to American business. What you wear around ...
Jan 11, 2023
Most managers I know have an open-door policy - although I think it's more a philosophy than a policy. My observations have led me to believe there are more closed doors than open doors in the managers' wing of a building. As a day-to-day manager ...
Jan 10, 2023
As a day-to-day sales manager, I loved 99 percent of my job: coaching, training, motivating and leading the troops. The one percent I hated was the Monday morning one-on-one meeting with each of the sales reps, in which we spent 30 minutes discussing ...
Jan 9, 2023
Most managers will agree that the most important factor separating the mediocre sales rep from the superstar rep is the efficient (and effective) management of time. The second most important factor: the average sale - or the number of our stations or ...
Jan 6, 2023
You think you're running a tight ship? Here are five warning signs that can help you be more proactive in the way you manage your sales department. You must be open-minded, but the results could save you the experience of termination. 1) Staff Late ...
Jan 5, 2023
How important is it for retailers to know if their front-end help is running people out of the store, or hindering a consumer's return trip because of bad service? This information is vital - and if you can be the one to present it, wouldn't ...
Jan 3, 2023
The title of this column is an old adage, but it is so true. Here is a typical scenario for many media properties around the world - a Monday in the life of a sales rep: 6:00 am: Alarm goes off 6:10 am, 6:20 am, 6:30 am, 6:40 am, 6:50 am: Alarm goes ...