Cigars, Salespeople, & Sales Training: Walter Crosby on The Sales Podcast

Walter Crosby and I discuss the unique challenges and processes involved in hiring and managing salespeople. Salespeople are coin-operated...and a little bit...strange. There. I said it. We get into what I always teach is a sales manager's #1 job. (And it's not to review your CRM!) And why you can't treat salespeople like everyone else in the company. We get into how to evaluate resumes, the significance of clear job descriptions, and the dynamics of sales teams. We may have some gray hair...but this interview can save your bacon! 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:55 The Unique Nature of Salespeople 05:54 Hiring Challenges in Sales 09:01 Defining the Ideal Candidate 11:57 The Importance of Job Descriptions 14:54 Evaluating Resumes and Experience 17:55 Sales Team Dynamics and Loyalty 20:48 The Hiring Process and Coaching 23:48 Long-Term Engagement and Support 26:50 Identifying the Right Clients 29:53 Conclusion and Key Takeaways 32:25 Navigating Career Transitions 34:18 The Importance of Team Dynamics 38:04 Sales Performance and Compensation Structures 41:15 Building a Healthy Sales Culture 46:14 Lessons from Sports and Coaching 55:35 Closing Thoughts and Future Connections Walter Crosby is a proud alum of the University of Michigan and holds an advanced degree from the school of hard-won wisdom. He spent the majority of his career as a salesperson who was frequently promoted into sales manager positions. He sold a variety of products with complex B2B sales cycles, including LED luminaries, commercial signage, financial services, synchronized clock systems, and commercial fire alarm systems. He’s sold to K-12 educators, colleges/universities, contractors, and manufacturing and commercial/retail firms. Frustrated by the lack of training he received each time he was promoted to sales management roles, Walter sought his own training and mentors to help him grow as a leader. After training himself and surrounding himself with strong mentors, he saw a need to share his hard-earned knowledge with others to develop successful sales teams. This led to the creation of his own firm, Helix Sales Development. Here, Walter coaches, trains, and supports successful sales teams using evidence-based sales evaluation and assessment tools by the Objective Management Group and sales-enablement technology through Membrain. Walter’s rocket fuel comes from coaching committed individuals to excel beyond what they thought was possible. Conservatively, his clients see a 37-43% increase in revenue after their engagement. Guest Site: https://helixsalesdevelopment.com/ Guest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helixsalesdevelopment/ Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterlcrosby/ Join The Inner Circle: https://info.wesschaeffer.com/inner-circle-silver Market like you mean it. Now go sell something. SUBSCRIBE to grow your sales. https://www.youtube.com/@TheSalesWhispererWes ----- Connect with me: Twitter -- https://twitter.com/saleswhisperer Instagram -- https://instagram.com/saleswhisperer LinkedIn -- http://www.linkedin.com/in/thesaleswhisperer/ Podcast -- https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/fixerwes BUSINESS GROWTH TOOLS https://12WeeksToPeak.com https://CRMQuiz.com https://MakeEverySale.com