my salespeople to ask questions of their clients, and I ask questions of the salespeople because, in many respects, they are my clients. In terms of leadership, lead by example.” He believes new sales managers should set high, attainable expec- tations and emphasize coaching. “Assess the scenery, set high expecta- tions from the beginning, and create a compelling positive vision of the outcome you expect to achieve,” he advises. “Support it by being a great coach. Ask people what support or assistance they need from you to reach their goals and be fully success- ful in their jobs.”
The VP of sales points out, “It depends upon where you are in the process – whether you’re starting from scratch or have something to build on. In my case, we felt that we had to raise the bar. We first got out and talked to our folks about what they thought they could sell. Then we challenged them to go further. It was something they felt they could do, and we got them to commit to it. It was an agreement, not a dictate.” The sales director adds, “I constant- ly ask my salespeople, ‘What can I do for you?’ One guy told me, ‘Just leave me alone.’ I started doing ride-alongs and this same salesperson – the one who wanted me to leave him alone – called and asked me to ride with him. He had heard about all the good experiences other salespeople had when I tagged along on sales calls, and he wanted to get in on it. It’s im- portant to get to know all your people and respect their individuality.” “We spend a lot of time in coaching
the reps,” says one of the managers. “We go out with a sales rep, observe the call and try to help the sales rep do a better job next time. We look at how they probe and fact find, their sequence of questions, and presenta- tion. We ask them, in a positive man- ner, how they felt they did, what went well, what they could improve, and what they’re going to do differently
the next time. Beginning sales man- agers need to remember that every- one has a different selling style. They can’t tell salespeople to do things the way they did when they sold.” Accompanying a salesperson on a call may bring frustration to new – or any – sales managers. “One of the hardest things for new sales managers to do is to accompany a salesperson to an account they know they can sell and then watch that salesperson make mistakes in front of the prospect and lose the sale,” says the trainer. “Because of their sales background, their natural reaction is to jump in and save the day. But new sales managers have to learn to let salespeople stand on their own feet and learn from their failures. The key word here is ‘learn.’” The consultant advises new sales managers not to fall into one par- ticularly bad trap. “Many new sales managers fall into the ‘hope and hint’ syndrome,” he explains. “They hope salespeople will get better, and, if they don’t, they drop hints to let them know that they need to get better. The problem is that the sales manag-
ers don’t actually do anything to make it a reality.” To avoid this, he advises, “Continu- ously upgrade your people to add value individually and to the team – maybe through training, setting stan- dards, communicating, and posting results. Continually help your people grow and develop so they can meet or exceed expectations.”
New sales managers should not try to accomplish too much too soon. “Be careful not to burn yourself out,” he urges. “It’s easy to work 12 or 13 hours a day, and, while it’s important that a person is willing to give that effort, keep in mind that you’re new and still learning. You have to set your goals, develop a game plan, and know what you want to accomplish by a certain date. Pace yourself. When you reach each one of your goals, treat yourself to something special.”
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SELLING TIP Handling Complex Problems
At one time or another, all managers face what seems to be an insur- mountable project. It can be disheartening at best. You’re expected to achieve the impossible, but those are your marching orders. While it is an often-used cliché, the phrase, “By the yard, it’s hard; by the inch, it’s a cinch” rings true in these situations. Keep these sugges- tions in mind when you’re up against a complex project. Determine exactly what steps you need to take to complete the task and put them in separate “boxes.”
Determine a time frame for completed tasks, starting from front to back. If you have six weeks to complete the whole project, set your deadlines from the projected completion date.
Determine what you can do yourself and delegate as much as you can, with specific deadlines for delegated tasks. For example, completing step two may entail bringing in additional staff. Make sure everyone on the “team” knows exactly what you expect of them and when. Be proactive and make contingency plans. If step four is contingent on successfully completing step three – and step three is behind schedule – what are you going to do? Plan for problems or delays.
– WILLIAM F. KENDY SELLING POWER JULY 2015 | 15 © 2015 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
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