1st Edition
Sales Management for Startups and SMEs Building An Effective Scalable Sales Organization
Managers and entrepreneurs know they have a great product or service—but they may not know how best to sell it.
Useful for nearly any sector or industry, this book is a thoroughly practical guide on how to build an excellent sales organisation, brick by brick. Creating an effective sales organisation is a challenge for many businesses, and it’s easy to waste resources on ineffective approaches. Many MBA and executive education programmes do not cover sales management in any depth. Filling this knowledge gap, this guide will help readers to create their own unique high-performing sales organisation that fits their product and market environment. Evidence-based and field-tested, it will gives answers to critical questions, including:
• Which sales process should we use?
• How do we recruit, retain, and inspire our sales team?
• What should we measure and how should we manage it?
• What do great sales managers do?
Rich with case studies from the author’s 25 years of sales consulting experience, this book will appeal to a wide variety of managers and entrepreneurs who wrestle with the question “How do I grow my business?”, from sales directors to startup founders to MBA students.
Introduction. Who is this book for? How to use this book. A word on sales technology. Learn by doing. Chapter 1: The scalable sales organisation. Chapter 2: Your sales strategy and growth model. Chapter 3: Defining your sales process and customer journey. Chapter 4: B2B Personal selling under the microscope. Chapter 5: Your unique sales methodology. Chapter 6: Lead generation. Chapter 7: Your unique value proposition and pricing. Chapter 8: Sales organisation structures. Chapter 9: The work of sales managers in start-ups and SMEs. Chapter 10: Targets, forecasts, budgets and KPIs. Chapter 11: Pipeline and opportunity management. Chapter 12: Sales technology. Chapter 13: The vital importance of sales training. Chapter 14: Account Management. Chapter 15: Compensation, incentives and prizes. Chapter 16: Recruitment and onboarding. Chapter 17: Working with partners and resellers. Chapter 18: Evolving your sales organisation
Biography
Anderson Hirst has worked with over 300 international clients over 25 years, as a consultant and trainer in sales. With an MBA focusing on sales, behaviour and change themes, he brings a unique evidence-based discipline to his work, demystifying the black box of sales for clients. Today, he is actively involved in working with start-ups and SMEs to help them design and implement effective B2B sales strategies for growth.
“This book is a long-overdue and unique. It is a treasure-trove of practical wisdom, distilled from thousands of pages of scholarship and research on selling and sales management, that can be immediately used by anyone in sales to drive growth and improve performance. These are not just anecdotes and ‘war stories’, but genuine insights based on high-quality scientific research, but presented in a way that any sales professional can take action on. A fantastic book, and a phenomenal achievement.”
Professor Nick Lee, Professor of Marketing, Research Environment Lead (Marketing) Warwick Business School.
“There are many sales books that will tell you that their model or latest fad will be the magic bullet that changes your sales game. Anderson makes no such promise. What is on offer with Anderson is evidence based, pragmatic ways of thinking and working that will change the way you approach, plan, deliver and follow up sales. Every chapter gives insight into what works in real life and encourages you to develop your own practice in a way your customers will appreciate.”
Karen Bailey, Head of Competence Development, Volvo Trucks UK
“We were already an established, profitable and fast growing B2B SME when we first met Anderson.
Every conversation was relevant, realistic and refreshing. Just as is every chapter in this book, and the information within. Detailed, insightful and transformative. We benefited beyond any reasonable expectation, by making these oft overlooked processes, part of the culture of our business.”
Barry Cooper, founder and owner, Cooper Solutions Limited, 2001-2019
“In 'B2B Sales Management for Start-ups and SMEs,' Anderson Hirst brilliantly encapsulates the essence of digital transformation in sales, offering invaluable insights and methodologies that are indispensable in today's rapidly evolving market. I highly recommend this book to educational institutions for courses in sales, sales management, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Its practical, research-led approach demystifies the complexities of sales, making it an essential guide for future leaders and innovators.”
Johannes Habel, Associate Professor, University of Houston, C.T.Bauer College of Business
