The Machine (book)

Update: The Machine (it’s really close!)

Here’s a quick update. As you can see below, The Machine is finished, it has a new cover, a handful of Advance Reader copies are loose in the wild and it’s so damn good that it’s even making Andrew Warner—the tough-as-nails interviewer of tech startups—smile! In more news, The Machine will be available in bookstores and online retailers […]

Applying Sales Process Engineering, Measures and General Management, The Machine (book)

The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 11: Managing the sales function

When executives are first introduced to Sales Process Engineering, they naturally assume that this new approach to sales will be tough on salespeople. But, interestingly, it tends not to be.  Salespeople adapt quickly. They enjoy working in an environment that’s custom-engineered to multiply their productivity. The individual who really suffers as a result of this […]

Applying Sales Process Engineering, Measures and General Management, The Machine (book)

The Machine > Part 2 > Chapter 10: Technology (why CRM sucks!)

Most managers are excited by technology. Technology enables us to get more done, faster. And technology is practical. Concrete. It’s not about ideas; it’s about execution. This is certainly true in sales environments. It’s almost impossible to propose any initiative without prompting the question: is there software for that? In sales environments, the answer to […]

Measures and General Management, Slaying Sacred Cows, The Machine (book)

The Machine > Part 1 > Chapter 6: The end of commissions, bonuses and other artificial management stimulants

If it’s true that sacred cows make the best hamburgers, then we’re in for quite a feast! I’ve chosen to close Part One of this book with a frontal assault on the juiciest bovine of all: the unassailable belief that salespeople should be paid commissions. And while I’m at it, I’ll take aim at bonuses, […]