This weekend's box office supports the idea that Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones may be the adventure hero of this (or any) century. Seriously, who can compare? Sylvester Stallone? Steven Seagal? Maybe Mel Gibson? I have to cast my vote for Indiana. He stands up to every challenge -- even the fact that his movies were not considered for DVD sale until 20 years later!

As times change, however, I wonder how Indy would do in a job outside the confines of archeology? Say, sales for instance. How would our hero fair with the sometimes lonely, always changing, often challenging world of sales. I think not so well. In this case, my vote would have to change. We would need a new hero, and I vote for Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. Bourne combines all the elements needed in a tough selling environment:

He's an excellent fighter -- good for those buyers who won't sign the deal! He's in great physical shape -- able to run from office to office. He's resourceful -- whether making bombs out of toasters or selling value in the face of price concerns. And the big one -- Bourne was smarter than Indy under fire, and in today's market smart wins!

I know these are tough economic times for many, but it seems odd to me that many companies don't truly understand the value of selling. Without sales, everything in the company eventually comes to an abrupt stop. Without sales, there is no need for product development. Without sales, there are no deliveries. Without sales, there is no need for accounting -- there's nothing to count except for the money spent.

But here's the main point: With sales being of such obvious importance, you'd think more companies would budget to make sales a priority. Sadly, most budgets include line items for almost everything except sales improvement.

The number one mistake in building and maintaining an effective sales team is a flawed hiring process. While there are many elements to consider, my first concern has always been to interview constantly. Always look for exceptional people in and out of your industry.

Here are some of my other suggestions for hiring:

• Pass on experience and look for people who show some element of emotional intelligence and personal magnetism.

• Interview each person at least three times before you send them to another team member.

• Prepare questions that take the applicant past normal responses. Get them to solve a sample problem, ask about the last book they read, or ask how their performance has been measured in the past.

• Finally, interview before one of your positions is open. Nothing hurts hiring like the rush to fill the position.

My recent blog post stating that women are better sales people than men provoked some controversy. I heard both agreement and disagreement. I heard from women, from men, and from all sorts of organizations -- from NIKE to NAWBO (National Association for Women Business Owners). Nonetheless, I stand firm in my beliefs about the power of women in sales.

Not only do I know women sell better but I further believe that companies would do well to have women sales trainers. This is an issue that was raised by a blog reader – Janet O'Conner at OC Creative. I could only answer her with the idea that many companies seem stuck in the past; they would do well to embrace the idea of women sales trainers. It follows a natural path. I got my start in training because I excelled in sales.

With the growth of women in sales, I am sure women trainers will become a big part of the sales culture. And before I forget … if you have a favorite example of a successful person in sales, male or female, please tell me. I would love to hear more.

I'm watching the NBA Playoffs as I write this one -- specifically the San Antonio Spurs vs. The New Orleans Hornets. What's interesting to me is that most basketball experts predicted the Spurs would win this series based on their recent playoff history (defending NBA Champs). But someone forgot to tell the Hornets!

This team has been prepared and coached brilliantly by former Los Angeles Laker Byron Scott. Not only do they play strategically and match the Spurs key plays but they play with the attitude of real winners. Selling in today's market is no different. As sales professionals, we must evaluate our competition. The big play here is that we are our biggest competition. We have an average of 50,000 thoughts a day and on average 90% of those thoughts are negative. The point is that no one talks to us more than we talk to ourselves. So it's critical that we improve our internal dialogue. To really target the competition, it's imperative that we prepare positive statements we can use to replace those negative influences.

Go Hornets!

Are you paying 100% of their salaries and getting 20% of their efforts? Well that's just not fair. And here's what you should do: Evaluate every sales person on your team.

For those who underperform, get them to write an action plan detailing how they will turn things around. Give them 90 days to fix the problem -- with your help -- but at the end of 90 days, changes have to be made. Many companies allow underachievers to stay too long, which sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. It clearly states, It's okay to fail here. You won't lose your job.

Here are some areas to evaluate:

• Which sales reps are meeting their projections?
• What level of esteem is exhibited by the sales reps?
• How do they work with the rest of the sales team?
• How do they work with other departments?
• Do they prepare for their sales calls?
• How do top-level clients regard the reps?
• How do the sales reps regard the rest of your company?
• And the big question: Do they repeat their mistakes?

I'm a born-again feminist. Yes, I know, that's a pretty strong admission for a guy. But if my years of sales training have taught me anything, it's the power women have in sales. There are some companies and industries -- such as real estate, insurance, office equipment -- that have picked up on this and capitalized on it, but there are many more that need to embrace the power of women. And here’s another bomb (for some of you): Women have proven to be great managers, too.

Naturally, women don't sell better in all cases. But many reports show women emerging as the fastest growing segment in sales. And there are some very good reasons why I believe woman are better suited for selling. Among them:

o In their personal lives and in business they tend to create relationships better.
o They tend to sell based on personal input and business input rather than just business.
o They listen.
o They don’t have a sales history that they are tied to, so "new" works for them.
o In many areas, women who are good in sales are still enough of a rarity to create a buzz.

I'm not suggesting that this is earth shaking news. But here's the thing: As a sales teacher, I continually run into companies that continue to operate with male-dominated sales teams. While the excuses vary from, "It's always been that way,” to "Well, it's a man's product, so …," the truth is and the research supports this fact: Women are great in sales, and they are a growing force in sales.

How often do we sell? If we counted out the time we are actually in front of a customer, it would probably surprise you. Most sales professionals are only with a client less than two hours per day. The reality is, we do so little selling there it’s hardly worth mentioning. So where do we sell if we don’t sell in front of the customer?

We sell everywhere. We sell to the receptionist, we sell to the sales assistant, we sell all the time. And our thought process should be that we should be prepared to sell all the time. The key for most breakthrough sales people is "proximity." Proximity allows you to be around people who either buy your product, recommend you to others who buy your product, or give you information that later helps sell your product.

Here’s the secret: We have to make sure that we sell in close proximity to us at all times. Those sales lead us to more obvious sales. If you want to have record-breaking success, sell consciously all the time. Get ready and stay ready to sell!

When you think about it, which is worse? The dicey feeling of going for quantum leaps, or the risk you accept when you decide to live with the status quo? Something is always at stake in the realm of quantum leaps, whether it's the risk of playing it safe or the risk of playing out of your comfort zone.

Wondering where to start? Desire alone does not deliver. The secret is in the willingness to learn from your mistakes and take bold action. Partnering with a mentor or a coach can help you challenge the edges of your preconceived ideas of success and help you experience a bold new way of living. Take the risk of believing in yourself. Otherwise, the biggest risk of all is settling for a fraction of your potential.

Instead of holding back in a state of passive patience, act immediately -- as if your success is guaranteed! You may be filled with doubt at your ability to make a quantum leap in your performance, jumping from your present level to several stages higher. It's new to you. The fact is, you could do 10 times more than you are doing. Your doubts are not the product of truth but of habitual thinking! It's time for you to find the faith in yourself that you had as a child. Test everything by going for it with everything you've got. Approach life expecting more! Act as if you have the faith in yourself to make it happen. Be impatient as you proceed boldly as if it were impossible to experience anything other than a successful quantum leap. Resolve to triple your level of success. Refuse to be patient – jump in! If you must doubt something, doubt your limits.