SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #45

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A

SALES MANAGER

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

Being a Sales Manager is tough stuff.  Sellers often view bosses as obstacles to their efforts. A Sales Manager’s job is reminiscent of a parent – trying to maintain control while yielding little bits of empowerment without necessarily providing justification. A good Manager can provide guidance, support and valuable lessons as our professional leader.

Unfortunately, Sales Managers frequently turn into a “Results Manager,” merely tracking what is generated, either rewarding or scolding the effort. It’s a shame because Sales Managers can actually drive business while training Sellers to be more effective.

Becoming a Sales Manager can be the result of a circuitous route. Or, it can be as simple as being the best Seller – kind of like the last man/woman standing. This may look good on paper but the skill-set for a Manager is very different from a Seller. They must be able to lead, guide, support, teach, cajole and nurture. Simply put, I believe the most important job is to make their Sellers better than he or she found them.

There are four (4) things a Sales Manager can do right now to make this happen:

1. Implement video-tape role-play in Sales meetings.

Sharpen the sales skills of your Sellers. Work on a different aspect of sales each week – cold-call, dormant account call, follow-up, asking for referrals, negotiation, etc. Video (or audio) tape this work and then review.

2. Establish Protocols.

Shorten the Seller’s learning curve by providing the best questions to ask when making sales calls. Expect these questions to be used and create an environment in which Sellers are encouraged to make improvements to the Protocols.

3. “Ride-Along” and “Sit-Beside.”

Ride with your Sellers – and don’t say anything during the sales call! Let them do the work. If it’s a telephone-based operation, sit beside them when they’re making phone calls. Better yet, audio-tape their end of the conversation (only) and then review.

4. Reach out to each Seller’s top ten (10) clients.

Show up and show you care. Ask how satisfied they are with the service being provided by your company and Seller. Ask what can be done better – and then do it.

Always be nice to your Sales Managers. They will take a hit for us. They support us in front of upper Management. They are a tremendous asset to us. There ought to be an “Appreciate My Sales Manager’s Day.”

What do you think?

Good Selling to you!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com/

SLH Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #44

LUCKY BUM!

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

Luck can be defined as things that can’t be controlled.  Sometimes, the results are good – known as good luck. Sometimes bad – that’s right, it’s called bad luck. Either way, luck can play a major role in our sales results.

When was the last time the phone rang and the caller was someone you neither knew nor had done business with in the past? After a brief discussion you hang up with a significant order. This is good luck. (And how many of us go to our Manager and admit that the order is really just good luck?!). Or, sometimes the deal you’ve been working on for what seems like ages, suddenly falls apart with no explanation given. This is bad luck. Hopefully, the good and the bad luck even out through our long and illustrious Sales career. In talking to Sellers, I’m told that approximately 30% of what they generate is a function of good luck – inheriting a good territory, a competitor's screw-up, etc. Nice work if you can get it, indeed.

The vast majority of Sales Managers emphasize results instead of the process.  The danger of this can lead to misjudging a Seller’s skill-set.  For you golfers, this is the equivalent of hitting a shot dead-right, have it hit off a house, then a 1958 Chevrolet and plop down eight feet from the pin!

I think that Managers and Sellers put too much emphasis on the results and not enough on the process. When Tom Lehman was appointed to Captain the Ryder Cup Team he sought out the legendary John Wooden for advice on how to build a winning team. Wooden’s advice – focus on the process and the results will follow.

We can make our own “Sales luck” by asking the right questions, adding-on every time, asking for referrals, timely follow-up, etc. Don’t let the numbers fool you because they can be misleading. We need to focus on the process as well.

What do you think?

Good Selling to you!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com/

SLH Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.