I’ve spent thousands of hours coaching inside sales warriors in their cubicles. It’s such a personal space to enter into and I learn so much about the rep just by spending time in their cubicle. It’s also an honor that I respect and take seriously.

When I first walk into someone’s cubicle, I look inside for clues on what this person is all about. How neat is their cubicle? Is it cluttered? What photos do they have? Family, friends, travel destinations? Do they have toys, sports memorabilia, music? This gives me insight on how to structure our session.

I usually spend about 45-60 minutes coaching the rep and that time is very productive. I push them to become more ambitious with their goals, to call deeper, wider, and move something forward. Just like finding parking spaces in San Francisco, people seem to answer their phones when the rep is being coached. I listen to them have meaningful conversations and things happen faster after a coaching session.

My approach to coaching is more compassionate that most- I don’t believe in beating up the salesperson or intimidating them - they have enough pressure just making their numbers each month. Instead, I use an inquiry process that allows them to not only to answer questions but think about how they are doing something.  I can also tell by the way they answer the type of coaching they are ready for.

My latest campaign is to get out there with the inside sales warriors and talk with them about what it’s like selling in today’s economy and what gets them to pick up the phone each day. Here is my first episode with

Inside Sales Warrior, Peter Norris.

I had a great interview with Bobby Alvarez who is the SMB Account Manager at SuccessFactors. Bobby is a veteran in the inside sales community and has found his niche at SuccessFactors. He explains how fortunate and proud he feels to be associated with this company and their commitment to working with quality people.

The cool thing about SuccessFactors is that they place heavy value on the No Jerks or Assholes Rule. It all starts when you accept your job and have to sign up for their Rules of Engagement, which outlines about 14 principals of kindness or Kaizen.

Bobby maintains these values with his customers. His honesty, integrity and courage to do what’s right is how he measures success. Listen to more of this interview.

Listen to this insightful interview with Benjie, Inside Account Executive with Sophos. I coached and trained his team about 4 years ago before they were acquired by Sophos and now they own the market on anti-spam and anti-virus solutions.

Benjie’s come a long way on his road to inside sales success. In our interview, we discussed creative ways to stand out in our prospecting efforts and he’s had success faxing prospects, simply because no one else does these days.

His winning traits are building rapport and listening to customer’s needs. Listen to this podcast for more.

I had the pleasure of interviewing a true champ. Theresa’s enthusiasm and great customer skills are some of the keys to her success. Theresa’s been in inside sales for 4-5 years. She started in the hospitality industry in San Francisco and transitioned to the software industry. She now works in Oracle’s inside sales organization and here’s what she had to say:

What are the top traits that make for a successful inside sales rep?

Theresa: You have to find what your strong suit is. I believe you must demonstrate that you can really engage the customer and listen to what their business needs are and ask questions so that you build a rapport with your prospect.

Are you finding the competitive climate is getting tougher out there?

Theresa: Absolutely. Right now the tech industry in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley is on the upswing again. You are finding a lot of niche players out there want the best product for the best price and the best service. It is highly competitive and they are looking for a partner who is going to understand their business and listen to their needs. If you can push the envelope to understand what they really need, they are going to appreciate that.

Everyone seems to be complaining about lack of time. Are you finding that time management is a big challenge?

Theresa: Time management is key in this role and if you can start the day managing your calls, determining who you are going to call and what you need to do on the calls you can leverage your day. You are getting pulled in many directions from answering your email, cell phone, land lines, and walk-ups that you really have to focus on how you plan your day from the very beginning and stick to that.

What are common misperceptions you confront about inside sales?

Theresa: That this role is very transactional. That you move on from the customer, get the deal done and just move on. A lot of my customers and prospects may believe that. Although you have a number to hit and a quota to fill, the little extra time you spend with them they will appreciate and it goes a long way. If you can understand their business and their solution, you’ve made a customer for life.

What has changed today in inside sales?

Theresa: There’s a lot, it’s hard to nail down. The biggest change is that it is no longer a stand-alone product that customers need. They no longer need a straight CRM solution. You have to put yourself out there and create a partner network and include a lot of resources in your tool belt and provide your customers with a lot more. If they need integration, if they need back office application, you can direct them. It’s not a straight transactional sale, it’s really trying to figure out what the strategy is to run their overall business. You now must engage people on their end and on your end to make something happen.

What’s your personal measurement for success?

Theresa: It’s being dedicated to this role. I think once the deal is closed and I hear the customer say the reason they chose Oracle is because you understood our business. That’s a big achievement that stands out for me.

Joshua Hurst with Mercury Interactive/HP shares his secrets for inside sales success. Some key points:

Top Success Traits–Working smart versus working hard; the vital few versus the trivial many activities. Working on the 20% that brings you 80% of the revenue. They know the numbers and know how to work the numbers.

Trends–Lots of software company consolidation and increased product focus.

Success Measurement–Mentally showing up every day and having both personal victory and public victory.