Learning the Ropes

Learning the Ropes addresses the challenges faced by business leaders, MDs, CEOs and Sales Directors, showing how to create sustainability and consistency in your sales department.

Matt Garman started his working life on a trawler in the English Channel. He learnt a lot about life during this time and knew even at that early stage that it wouldn't be his long-term future. After witnessing the burial at sea of one of the guys on another boat, he decided it was time to move on. A chance move into sales gave him exactly what he was looking for, and unlocked his significant natural ability and a desire to learn, absorb and succeed.

In the book, Matt demonstrates how he started to evolve his winning methodology, by introducing each of the sections with a personal story. These are often funny, always spot on, and clearly illustrate why and how each section is relevant and vital to a successful, high performing sales department.

Sales is about systems and process. By providing a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the sales process, Matt outlines how to undertake a detailed review of it. Your analysis will allow you to understand where the challenges are in your business. Once identified, there are handy tools and practical advice that will get your sales performance functioning at peak level and able to meet your aspirations.

One of the aims of the book, is to free you from the reliance on one or two star performers, and get rid of the threat of a high turnover of sales staff that can damage your bottom line. This can be accomplished by a clear understanding of the systems and processes every high performing sales team has in place, and how they provide a solid foundation for achievable, measurable, consistent results regardless of changes in personnel.

There are thousands of different challenges that can pop up in your business and take you by surprise. There are up years when everything goes well, when your company is thriving and your staff are happy and productive, then for no apparent reason, you can plunge into a down year when things miss the mark, and suddenly there are problems everywhere. Continuing analysis of your operation, and consistency in your sales process, will help protect you from this rollercoaster by leveling out the highs and lows, to set your company on a smooth incline of steady, sustainable growth and profit.

If you have the appetite for giving your business a thorough service, you'll find out what's not working and with a little adjustment where it needs it, you'll be able to get back to where you want to be. Sales really isn't rocket science, but there is a science to sales. It most definitely isn't magic, although it can seem like magic if something works, but you don't know why it works.

Learning the Ropes gives you all the information you need, all the tips and tools, plus more than 25 years of experience distilled into a logical, practical, proven methodology that will take your business where you want it to be. It shows you what to look for, where to look for it and how to fix it.

As for magic? If you know what you do, know how you do it and know who does it, then document it, teach it to all your team and you will be able to repeat, repeat, repeat your way to the bank. That's the magic.