Learn from other people's mistakes so you aren't destined to repeat them. Here are the 6 worst decisions sales leaders often make.

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2. “With every mistake and
failure, not only mine, but
of those around me, I
learned what not to do.”
Mark Cuban

3. Bad decisions can
cause your
company to miss
the number.
When the decision is made
at the top, the collateral
damage is
MULTIPLIED!
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4. Here are 6 of the worst
decisions we’ve seen
senior sales leaders make
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5. Bad Decision #1 -
Failure to Map the Buyer’s Journey
Again and again, we
encounter sales
leaders who are
certain they know
their customers.
Only problem is,
the customer is
changing
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6. Today’s buyers are educated.
They have the power.
They do research online and are less
inclined to agree to a F2F meeting.
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7. Without researching
how your customers
make a purchase
decision, your sales force
will be MISALIGNED.
They sell one way –
your Buyers prefer to
buy differently.
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8. Bad Decision #2
Too Much Love for the Legacy Sales Organization
The senior sales leader knows
and loves the current sales
model.
Sometimes he grew up on it.
Maybe he designed it.
Either way, it works, right?
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9. Many times, comfort
with the current sales
force structure hurts the
senior sales leader.
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10. This model is
incredibly expensive.

11. The result….
Your average sales price (ASP) must
be higher.
You have to charge more to achieve
the desired profit margin.
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12. Bad Decision #3
Ignoring Content Marketing
Content means blogs,
whitepapers, webinars,
slideshares, tweets,
eBooks, podcasts, etc.
Content “sells” your
product before your
Buyer meets with your
rep.
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13. Don’t let the first time a Buyer hears
about you be from your rep.
Give them a chance by
engaging your Buyers
virtually early in the
process

14. Bad Decision #4
Let’s Buy Some New Technology!
We all like shiny new things.
However, don’t buy new
technology before figuring out how
to enable it.
You will only end up with an
expensive system that acts as a
frustration multiplier.
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15. To prevent the frustration multiplier,
follow these steps:
1. Build a process.
2. Choose a technology
3. Find the right people to manage
it.
4. Create compelling content for it
(see Bad Decision #3)
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16. Bad Decision #5
My Gut Tells Me Who
To Hire
Why entrust your
success or failure to the
“gut-feel” of your
managers?
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17. “Sales has too long been an art. It is
perhaps the last bastion of aimless, gut-feel
decision making in the the business world.”
Topgrading For Sales – Greg Alexander
Start upgrading your talent
immediately by implementing the
Topgrading hiring process today!
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18. Bad Decision #6
The Selling Starts When My Rep Walks In
20 years ago, Sellers had all of the power
because they had all of the information.
The Buyer’s feeling of
being in control was an
illusion.
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19. The internet has flipped the
balance of power FOREVER!
Research shows that 57% of the Buyer’s
purchase decision
is made without a sales rep present.
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20. World class companies understand the virtual world is the
new sales and marketing battleground.
Why??
Because that’s where
Buyers are going for
information.
When they go there,
they need to run into
YOU.
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21. Need Help?
Download this
Buyer’s Exercise
to understand YOUR
Buyer’s journey
GOOD LUCK!
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22. Learn More
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