Jason Jordan, an author and recognized expert on sales management, will speak on topics covered in his book Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2012) on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson Auditorium (JSOM 1.118). The Jindal School’s Center for Professional Sales is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. It will cover metrics that matter when managing a sales team.
Underlying the topic, Jordan writes in his book, are fundamental questions: Just because a sales force hits its targets, does that mean it is a great sales force? Conversely, could a company have a great sales force but not hit targets? How does management determine this?
Research shows, Jordan and Sales Management Association founder Robert Kelly wrote in a Harvard Business Review story, that 44 percent of executives surveyed believe their organization was ineffective at managing the company’s sales pipeline. “The primary focus of a pipeline meeting should be to help reps develop a game plan to move deals forward, not just scrubbing CRM data and forecasting revenue,” they wrote. “What [sales managers] really need is training in how to make better pipeline management decisions.”
For DFW startups and companies in the entrepreneurial space, pipeline management could be a make or break issue, says Jeremy Vickers, executive director of the UT Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “Sales are critical in all business ventures, but for startups, there is no ‘next quarter’ to cover up mistakes,” he says. “If you can’t manage your pipeline, you’re going to be flying blind as you try to grow your company.”
Jordan is a partner with Vantage Point Performance, a sales-management consulting and research firm that offers seminars and training to sales teams nationwide. Its blue-chip client list includes 3M, FedEx, Essilor and Samsung. Prior to Vantage Point, Jordan was research director for Sales Education Foundation, which provides materials to university sales programs and their students.
Howard Dover, PhD, director of the Jindal School’s Professional Sales program, says he has recommended Jordan’s book to others. “Inevitably, sales leaders have had their organizations read and discuss Jason’s work,” he says. “This is one of the most valuable thought leaders in the space of sales management and performance management. We are excited to have Jason on campus.”
