Author: Steve Ainslie

Forecasting & pipeline management are so critical to effective Inside Sales that one of the first things I teach my Inside Sales team is Perfect Forecasting*. The key to teaching sales reps Perfect Forecasting is having a straightforward, well-defined process that is followed by everyone on the team. Before making changes to the way my team forecasts, I meet 1:1 with every…

  Here is a list of Interview questions that I use during the Focused Phone Screen and the Onsite Interview. I will review this list before the interview and select a few questions to ask. I also keep this list in front of me during the interview in case I forget to cover specific areas that require more investigation. 

What if everyone on your team was as good as your #1 Rep? Quotas would be crushed Your team would be packed with self-motivated All Stars Opportunity focus would be strategic vs. tactical Your team would be given the freedom to do what it does best and your job would be a blast. Building a…

Early in my sales career, I fantasized about traveling for business. I imagined flying around the world, meeting with important people and becoming the next Bill Gates.  I had no idea that over the next 2 decades, I’d travel all over the United States working trade shows, meeting clients, and attending QBRs & Sales Kickoffs. It didn’t…

As a manager I am always recruiting for sales reps. My experience is that for every ten employees I have, one is on verge of leaving.  This may be due to a promotion, a new job, a termination, a family issue, relocation, illness, or any number of other reasons. I like to have at least one or two…

Role playing is dreaded by many sales reps.  They may feel put on the spot in front of their peers. Sometimes it becomes a game of “stump the chump”.  Other times it’s a farce comprised of unrealistic scenarios fed to skeptical sales reps. Used the wrong way, role playing is ineffective. It doesn’t have to be like…

Every Inside Sales Organization I’ve joined has had far too many rules. The number of rules grew over time. I’m sure many were created with good intentions to eliminate ambiguity or prevent problems. Others were added to make someone else’s job easier. Still others were once important but have outlived their usefulness. I’ve found that it’s really difficult for Inside Sales…

The Staff Log is a simple tool to track your interactions with your sales reps. I was introduced to it by my manager when he promoted me to run a team of 10 reps. This log is so simple, you will have a hard time believing how much it can impact your effectiveness as a manager.  I’ve recommended it…

This post is not sugar-coated for political correctness or HR appropriateness. I work in the real world where prejudice, biases and unfair employment practices abound. Instead of pretending they don’t exist, let’s deal with them head on. I’ve built outstanding sales teams by following a few simple hiring principles: Hire weirdos. Hire people for their strengths. Build teams with diverse skills sets.