The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management - Taking the Stress out of Managing Salespeople [Paperback]

Tom Schaber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Learn from the Warrior:
- When to hire sales people or expand a sales organization
- How to find qualified sales professionals
- Sure-fire methods to select just the right person for sales
- Goal setting that really works
- Mentoring and coaching the sales professional
- How to fire a non-performer without being sued

So you've got a sales person, or a sales force, or you need sales help -- now what?

For the business owner: Learn how to translate your customer and product knowledge into effective growth strategies. The Road Warrior will take you through an easy-to-follow process, helping you achieve business growth now!

For the sales manager: Learn how to foster a discipline of superior management and a deep understanding of human nature to create a top-flight sales team.

For anyone who wants to more about sales: Take the Road Warrior's no-nonsense, direct approach to the sales management process with helpful hints you can implement immediately.

The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management is filled with down-to-earth tips on compensating, motivating, managing, hiring and firing sales people.

''This book is real world and practical. I only wish I had the knowledge as a first-time Sales Manager/Owner.''--David Kirsch, owner Shippers Supply

''Tom Schaber has been able to condense his years of experience in sales and sales management into an instructive, practical road map of the sales management process. I learned through my business career that there is nothing more valuable than experience, and this book translates the author's experiences into a practical guidebook I wished I had earlier in my career.''--Richard P. Ferris, Retired EVP Wells Fargo Corporation

''Tom Schaber navigates this chaotic world of sales with the same sure-footed joy that kids bring to the playground. Through Tom, you can learn the underlying simplicity of sales management. Read, enjoy and become wiser.''--Jim Buckman, Professional Director, Center for Leadership in Quality, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota (This does not constitute an institutional endorsement by the University of Minnesota)

''Tom has captured the essence of what it means to manage salespeople. Not all great salespeople make good managers. The problem in many businesses is that great salespeople often get promoted to sales manager when they really aren't ready. For any CEO of a company that sells a product or service (which I think is 100% of companies), Tom's book is a must read.''--Sam Richter, President of the James J. Hill Reference Library and author of Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Schaber has spent twenty years in the medical device industry--first as a salesperson and later as a regional sales manager, national sales manager, and vice president of sales. He is a sales management consultant in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 151 pages
• Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592981992
• ISBN-13: 978-1592981991
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all sales managers, February 1, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management - Taking the Stress out of Managing Salespeople (Paperback)

Highly informative, witty and a downright must read for success as a sales manager. Whether you are a sales manager or business owner, you will gain years of wisdom and insights by reading and following the author's unabashed straightforward, no nonsense, real world advice.

The author is an authentic veteran of the "sales profession" (as he insists it should be referred). He sites frank examples of what to do and what to avoid when selecting, training, coaching, developing, rewarding, and yes- leading some of the duds you hire to the exit.

There is no doubt that the author subscribes to and devotes attention to the process of selling. It is what, after all, made him a success. He is also candid about the failures he experienced, so you won't make the same mistakes.

A quick, pithy read. It is enough to jumpstart your thinking of new ways to motivate, inspire, reward, compensate, and champion an outstanding sales team and individual sales contribution.

If you want to raise the bar on your own strategies and that of your "road warriors," devote an evening or two in your hotel room on your next sales trip, and return to the office with a fresh and/or renewed focus on your goal to improved sales management.

Armchair Interviews says: Excellent book-a must read for all sales managers!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Using Humor to Make a Point, March 7, 2008

By 

M. Mohn (Edina, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management - Taking the Stress out of Managing Salespeople (Paperback)

Refreshing to read an author that can make a difficult topic simple. Good use of humor to help the reader relate. No mumbo jumbo, just straight advice for sales people. Interesting for anyone in sales but more helpful for early-career folks who want to take a peak into the challenges they will likely face at some point along the road - and learn how to sidestep the pot holes. Would also be good for companies needing sales training to use as a discussion guide - maybe take a chapter a week and spend a few minutes in a sales meeting to discuss. Easy read - good advice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Your Mind and Your Sales Numbers, March 3, 2008

By 

K. Johnson (US/Asia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management - Taking the Stress out of Managing Salespeople (Paperback)

With so many books on sales techniques, methods, and training, Tom Schaber provides us with a much-needed, realistic, and insightful book on Sales Management. There are 15 chapters of information and advice based upon his thirty years of experience with details and realistic examples.

Each salesperson is an individual. All of us use similar methods and techniques under certain circumstances at times, but each of us has our own personality and style and we have our strengths and weaknesses. This is ever so crucial, when it comes to sales management. Schaber notes the needed attention to our human nature.

Being in sales is often tough, even when you represent a great product, service, and company. You, have to be tough. Attitude and drive are one of the most important factors, after a salesperson learns his or her niche and style. We often need a strong, positive, and competent Sales Manager, too.

Schaber notes that there needs to be *motivation* for a sales-force. If that motivation is not high enough or is not structured properly, top salespeople leave your company and go elsewhere and the less driven ones, stay behind. Under these circumstances the results are often below what they should be.

This book is a quick read that's very comprehensive. You can use "Road Warrior" for businesses of all sizes. The author covers a lot of bases. Managing salespeople contains many processes. In addition to psychology and different personalities, there is advice on hiring. "Never trust a resume" is sacred advice in any and every industry. Timing of hiring, firing, and terminating with legal protections in place. This can take the stress out of managing sales people.

There is focus on the sales process and people in sales from top, middle, to bottom. As having worked in sales, I recall how different we salespeople were from the accountants, programmers, and account managers. We had our own section of the building where we could stay positive, encourage each other and say and do things the other departments would not understand. Sales managers need to understand their sales people as well.

This book is not only for Sales Managers but those just starting out in sales to get an overview of the field, and for those who want to tune in better about what they themselves, actually do.

All of the fifteen chapters are good. My favorites are: "Hiring, The Sales Myth, Creating Goals 'with' the Sales Person," and "so how do you exactly manage (connect with) salespeople?" Keep it on your shelf so you can go back to reference it when you need to. This is for managers and sales people.