Marketing Expert to CEO's: Fire Sales People Faster!

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Aug 12, 2013, 02:29 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Perry Marshall, the world's foremost authority on Google advertising and author of 80/20 Sales and Marketing, says, "10 to 20 percent of sales people should be fired right now. Management can't fix them, sales rehab can't fix them. They're the wrong fit. CEO's with cojones will get rid of them and hire new ones."

Marshall's advice seems harsh given the economic climate, but he insists this is precisely why it's got to get done. "When your ship is floundering, the last thing you need is twelve inches of barnacles growing on the bottom. If your sales person is not working out, you know it. Your gut has been telling you. The sooner you replace him or her with a top performer, the less pain and suffering everyone has to endure. And the faster everyone's economy will rebound."

Marshall cites the 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, as iron-clad proof of his point. "100 years ago Vilfredo Pareto discovered 20% of the people always make 80% of the money. 20% of sales people make 80% of the sales. It's a law of physics. There's nothing you can do to change 80/20. The only thing you can do is 1) equip your existing sales people to sell better, and 2) hire superior ones."

His book, 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More, backs up these claims with stats, case studies, and proof that 20% of what you do is supremely effective, and 80% is rubbish. By moving resources into the top 20%, companies flourish.

Marshall is not a mercenary. He explains: "I got fired from my first sales job. I was devastated. It was the fifth job I'd been fired from. But I'm thankful now, because all those firings were steering me away from work that wasn't a fit, towards work I could really excel at." Today he's a highly sought-after business consultant.

He continues: "Most of the time it's not that your sales people are impotent or stupid. The real problem is, they're selling the wrong way for their personality, the position they're in isn't a match, or they're selling the wrong product." He says you should always hire sales people on a short-term trial basis so everyone knows they're being evaluated.

The book includes free access to the $37 Marketing DNA Test, which assesses persuasion styles of marketers and sales people. It helps employers match the person to the job. Michael Strickland, founder of Ship A Car Direct in Boulder Colorado says, "I use it for every employee and every new job applicant. I don't even look at resumes anymore - what a waste of time that is."

Perry Marshall has a series of talks on 80/20 marketing at www.youtube.com/planetperry. He is available for spicy, opinionated interviews. A Q&A sheet and bio is available upon request.

About Perry Marshall

Perry Marshall's Chicago company, Perry S. Marshall & Associates, consults both online and brick-and-mortar companies on generating sales leads, web traffic, and maximizing advertising results. At $2000 per hour he's one of the world's most expensive and sought-after marketing consultants. His top coaching groups have waiting lists, and many clients have engaged his services continuously for 10 years and more.

Marshall has published thousands of articles on sales, marketing and technology, and his works include 80/20 Sales and Marketing (Entrepreneur Press, 2013), The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords (Entrepreneur Press, 3nd Edition 2012), and The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising (Entrepreneur Press, 2011).

Entrepreneur Magazine says, "Perry Marshall is the #1 author and world's most-quoted consultant on Google Advertising. He has helped over 100,000 advertisers save literally billions of dollars in AdWords stupidity tax."

Website: http://www.perrymarshall.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perrymarshallcom

Contact: Lorena Ybarra, Perry S. Marshall & Associates, +1-847-975-9587, Email.