Kelly Riggs

I'm in Management, Not Sales

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Kelly Riggs 

“I’m a manager, not a salesperson.”

Seriously? You have never attempted to persuade someone to your point-of-view? To make a change? To go in a different direction?

“Well of course I have, but that’s not sales. I’m not asking people for money.” [Add the appropriate look of disgust.]

I’ve had this dialogue more than a few times, typically in the context of leading change or communicating a vision for an organization. As a manager, you may not believe you are in “sales” because you don’t ask for money, but this rather limited view of management will probably limit your success as a manager. “Selling” is simply the process of leading someone to a decision – a yes, or a no, or in many cases, a “not now.” This is something managers are often required to do, and, like it or not, it requires persuasion skills.

In my mind, if you don’t understand the role of persuasion (selling) in management, I'm not sure you fully understand the scope of your responsibilities as a manager...

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Bio

Kelly Riggs is the founder and president of Vmax Performance Group, a business performance improvement company located in Broken Arrow, OK. Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and dynamic trainer in the fields of leadership, sales development, and strategic planning, Kelly is an author, speaker, and business performance coach for executives and companies throughout the United States.

A national award-winning sales representative and sales manager, Kelly is a Registered Corporate Coach with the World Association of Business Coaches (WABC), and currently serves as the leadership trainer for the Associated General Contractors and the Construction Leadership Council (Oklahoma).

Kelly has written extensively for numerous industry publications, and his first book, "1-on-1 Management™: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't," was released in 2008. His second book, "1-on-1 Selling™: How to Win More Sales, Defend Your Margins, and Build Your Brand," will be published in 2012.

To download a photo of Kelly for a newsletter or promotional flyer, click here.

Motivational, content-rich keynotes from Kelly:

Coaching for Leadership: How to Transform Potential into Performance

Harold Geneen said, "Words are words...but only performance is reality." How do you get the very best from your employees? Coaching skills are critical, as they are in any sport. Discover the keys to employee coaching and performance improvement. [Audience: Managers at all levels.]

CEO 2.0 - A new (and improved) version of Leadership

CEO 2.0 is a term to describe the next level of leadership - the level that elevates a company from just getting by to moving rapidly ahead. In this presentation, we identify five common CEO mistakes and provide distinct remedies for each one. [Audience: CEOs, Business Owners, Corporate Executives.]

The Art & Science of Maximizing Revenue

Who doesn't want to maximize revenue? Maximum revenues result from larger opportunities, higher win percentages, and higher gross margins, but there are some key missing ingredients that prevent companies from executing on these three ideas. What must a company (or salesperson) do in order to consistently identify and close larger opportunities – at higher gross margins? [Audience: CEOs, Business Owners, Corporate Executives, Sales Managers, Salespeople.]

The Top 10 Mistakes Made by Average Salespeople

An eye-opener for salespeople at every level, learn ten common mistakes that prevent salespeople from reaching their potential. [Audience: Sales Managers, Salespeople, Business Owners.]