Many businesses have made the mistake of promoting their best performing sales person into the role of sales manager. Their logic – well they are great at selling, they’ll be great at sales management. Sadly most of these situations end in disaster.

To start off the top performing sales person has usually been given no training or a development framework to help them make the transition into what is a very different role. It is almost assumed they will know how to be a sales manager because they ‘know’ (sadly usually only intuitively) how to sell. The new sales manager, if not aware of their own capabilities/areas for development and not properly trained often (usually unintentionally) begins to compete with their sales team for sales because they miss the thrill of the sale. When out with a sales person they often take over the sales call and do it themselves leaving the sales person feeling diminished or marginalized. Their coaching strategies are reduced to saying ‘You can do it, just be like me’. Their management of the sales team can be haphazard and lacking in structure.

The consequences of such an approach can be far reaching with their actions resulting in lower sales performance. As their frustrations levels rise and they may find themselves taking back the sales responsibilities trying to cover for low levels of sales performance. Then sales people begin to leave the company or others kick back taking the easy road whilst the sales manager does their job for them. And if not corrected quickly they send themselves and their sales team into a downward spiral of poor sales outcomes.

Why would any business do this? The intentions of management to promote the best sales performer to management are usually honourable – moving into management is seen as a promotion. The best performing sales person may have asked for the promotion as it is seen (and often promoted by business) as the next prestigious step in their career. This person has been a great asset to our business we should promote them – Right? Not necessarily. Many top performing sales people usually get their greatest thrill in being in a sales role. Whilst the lure of management looks attractive, usually with a bigger more stable pay packet and accompanying prestige, the truth is that it is often a nightmare for many – even more so when there is no training, tools or resources to do the job well.

Many an elite sales performer, like many elite athletes do not know why they are good or how to show others to be effective in sales. They are often very unaware of their own strengths and talents and which means they do not know how to transfer their skills and talents onto others. They often do not know how others need to learn as well making matters worse. Many are operating intuitively. How can you train and teach something that doesn’t exist? With no proper training in people management, coaching and development practices, and if the new sales manager has low levels of self and other awareness, then we are heading for disaster in the sales stakes.

I keep seeing the following issues reoccurring all too frequently in many sales teams:

• No defined sales model
• No logical sales plan
• No clear sales metrics and activities plan
• No logical sales process for sales people to follow or sales managers to coach to
• No logical sales coaching and performance system to use to help improve performance
• No structured targeted sales recruitment process to use
• No clear value proposition, lack of awareness of their competitive edge and no clear economic argument to position products/ services/business against the competition.
• Poor role clarity – none really knows what they need to being doing, including the sales manager.

In my opinion this comes down to not having clearly defined roles and responsibilities, not selecting correctly for the role, ineffective sales management training and poor access to tools and resources for sales managers to do their job well.

Developing and enhancing your skills, attitudes and behaviours to be an effective sales manager and leader is critical to yours and your sales team’s success. However many sales managers do not get the right level of training and development to be effective and gain mastery in their jobs. Many have attended high level leadership programs on vision and high-end strategy but found they were left wanting when it came to the practical in-field tools and practices they needed to use and apply everyday with their people.

Many of the sales managers I come across are desperate for useful tools and resources and practical training to help them do their jobs well. I find when we work with them give them what they need by way of coaching field guides, templates, coaching/recruitment/performance processes, sales meetings guidelines, etc. coupled with a good education in this space they take to it with gusto and find they can really make a difference with their teams and their sales results.

Several sales managers I have been working with recently found their anxiety levels reduced significantly once they had their ‘sales managers tool kit’ and knew how to use it wisely and well.

Sales management is an applied role and not some theoretical abstraction.

So let’s give sales managers a fair chance of gaining mastery in their roles by giving them what they need – practical tools, resources and education. And, who knows even the top performing sales people might make top performing sales managers if given half a chance.

Contact BARRETT on 03 9532 7677 for access to our ‘Sales Managers Tool Kit’ and Sales Managment Training Programs.

Warning! This might sound like your mother.

As I have stated previously, sales is a demanding profession. Top performers know that to sustain a high level of performance, they need to keep fit and well – both physically and psychologically. They are self disciplined, self managed and take good care of themselves. You only have to look at them and know they are healthy. Their skin is clear, they have a vitality about them that is fresh, their attitude is positive and they are keen to learn.

What sort of sales culture do you encourage? Is it one of health and wellbeing or a boozy, extreme living on the edge culture?

I know you are not your sales people’s keeper nor their parent, but I believe as business owners and leaders we can do a lot to set the values and culture of our business by what we encourage and value and how we live our lives. We want our businesses’ to be healthy and successful, in so doing we need our people to be healthy and successful too.

It is quite interesting when I come in to run sales training sessions for teams of sales people and try to work out who are the successful ones and who are struggling. When I first enter to room I have not usually met the team and don’t know who is a good performer and who is struggling yet. Over the years of running sales training programs I have been doing a little observation experiment of mine (not a scientific study as yet) to see if my observations are in line with my working hypothesis that the healthy ones are the successful ones. Each time I have tried this out I am at least 90% on the right track.

The healthy ones eat and drink healthily, are on time and actively engaged in their learning.

On the other hand the average or poorer performing sales people are often not taking good care of themselves, especially the younger people I see these days. The level of smoking, junk food and caffeine intake (Coke, ‘V’, coffee, etc.) I see being consumed in great amounts by many of these people is concerning. And in addition, though not surprising, is the lack of physical fitness of these people. You can see they have trouble concentrating and participating in activities. They are quite hyped up (no surprise with the caffeine) and if I get to see them over several days they are out late most nights and pretty wrecked the next day.

I raise this topic out of concern for the many sales people I come across in my work and for 1,000’s of others who may be like them.

I encourage you to help model good behaviours and ways if living as this will help you and they lead healthier sales careers and lives. It will be good for your business too.

You may like to ask the following questions of you and your sales team:

When you don’t take good care of yourself, what can be the negative effects on your sales effectiveness and performance? When considering this question, try and recall a time when you have not taken adequate care of your health and wellbeing. Think about how your work was affected.

What are some of the ways that you find are helpful in looking after yourself?

With that you make like to consider yours and your team’s wellbeing. Here are some tips of better wellbeing.

What is Well Being?

According to the Cummins Model, there are 7 domains to well-being. http://www.deakin.edu.au/hmnbs/psychology/staffprofiles.php?username=cummins
For each, both perceived and actual (i.e. subjective and objective assessments) are considered in assessing well-being.

• Productivity – related to work life, or other productive activity.
• Emotional – satisfaction, contentment with ones life according to whether it is consistent with their life plans (includes mental health).
• Health – objective and subjective measures of the status of physical well being.
• Intimacy – Connectedness with friends and family
• Safety – Actual level of safety – physical & perceived safety

Your overall wellbeing will influence both your Drive and Resilience in sales.
Ways to enhance your well-being

Sleep: Regular sleep habits, Uninterrupted by wakeful periods, Awaken feeling refreshed
Activity: Pleasant events, social activities, hobbies, games etc
Regular Exercise: Regular (20 minutes, raised heart rate at least3 x /wk)
Food & Nutrition: Regular 5 meals per day. Balanced diet high in fruit, veggie’s and fibre.
Other: Relaxation / Meditation, Personal development, Supportive Counselling, Complimentary Medicine

As you can see there are no new flashy ideas here just tried and true methods we know are good for us.

Just ask your mother.

I wish you happy, successful and healthy selling.

I typed ‘Sales’ into youtube.com the other day just to see what was on offer. I have to say that some of the initial videos displayed on the front page were very disappointing indeed, especially when it came to building trust-based relationships with clients.

One well-known speaker was spruking ways to get your prospect to call you back. His idea was to leave a provocative half message that said something along the lines of “I’ve just been speaking to your competitors and they said you are in big … “ then he suggested hanging up before you competed the message. This, he assured the audience, would guarantee them calling you back. The audience laughed but you could see people shifting nervously in their seats.

Some of you may think this is perfectly legitimate, however, having to trick people into calling me back doesn’t feel that good. And I know the prospective client isn’t going to feel too good about it either.

Why do we persist in offering this sort of rubbish up as legitimate sales fare?

As the salesperson you should strive to attain lasting relationships with your customers.

To initiate, develop and enhance your relationships with your customers, you must demonstrate your trustworthiness. Leaving provocative messages isn’t a good place to start.

The basis of trust begins from the moment of your first contact with your prospect. Even if it is a phone message.

Trust is defined as being where….

“The buyer believes they can rely on what the salesperson says or promises to do in a situation where the buyer is dependent upon the salesperson’s honesty and reliability.”

(Swan, E. Nolan, J. Gaining Customer Trust: A conceptual guide for the salesperson,” journal of Personal Selling & Sales mgt, 1985. 2(39).

Let’s take a look a ways to develop Trust-based relationships.

Trust Builders

The following factors are critical in helping salespeople to earn the buyer’s trust.

• Expertise – the ability, knowledge and resources to meet customers’ expectations.
• Dependability – doing what you say you will. Being reliable.
• Candor – Honesty
• Customer Orientation – placing as much emphasis on customer’s interests as your own
• Compatibility – Creating a common connection, i.e. having something in common. Being likable.

There is an obvious link between ethics and trust and furthermore there is an obvious link between trust and organisational success. Penglase, D. “What is ethical selling?”

It is expected these days that organisations’ staff behave ethically and professionally at all times.

You may like to explore the concept of ethics and professionalism and what this means in relation to prospecting with your team.

You may like to use the questions I raised in an article I wrote last year about the ethics of self-promotion and prospecting t0 help you:

• Do other people stand to gain from my self-promotion or prospecting actions?
• Do my self-promotion or prospecting actions have a positive influence on my own well-being and self-esteem?
• Do my self-promotion or prospecting actions move me closer to my short- and long-term goals?
• Would most people approve of how I prospect for new business or self promote?

If you can honestly answer “yes” to these questions… fine. But then test them out by asking those who know you well to give you feedback on your self promotion activities by answering the questions above. And see what they have to say.
I wish you happy and successful selling.

Building on from last week’s topic ‘The Optimistic Sales Professional’ I thought I would extend the theme further and explore the topic of ‘Peak Performance in Prospecting’.

A peak performing prospector is a salesperson who displays passion, self motivation and results focus. They are disciplined in their approach, evaluate and purse viable opportunities while remaining optimistic, resilient, committed and energized. They are ethical at all times and display empathy, respect and courtesy towards their prospects. To help us look at this in more depth let’s look at what is considered peak performance.

What is Peak Performance?
“Sustained, continuous performance at world’s best level in the long-term.”
(Peak Performance. Business lessons from the worlds Top Sporting Organisations, 2000). Peak Performance is a term that is frequently used in sport. In recent times, the term “Peak Performance” has made its way into business. There is a strong parallel between competitive sport and prospecting. The concept of peak performance is a very useful metaphor for understanding what it means to be a top performer.

Peak Performance involves reaching your optimum potential, and maintaining this level of performance consistently over the long run. This does not mean all the time as in 24/7, but the ability to be consistently effective every day in a measured and disciplined way. You may like to read an interesting book called ‘The Corporate Athlete: How to Achieve Maximal Performance in Business and Life by Jack L. Groppel (Author), Bob Andelman (Author). To build on your understanding of Peak Performance in prospecting, I encourage you to read the following vignette of a salesperson who is regarded as being one of the best in their field in developing and growing new business.

Vignette
“Karen won the award as the Business Development Manager of the year for a leading manufacturing of computer software. Throughout the past 3 years, she consistently surpassed her sales target. She described herself as “highly driven and very competitive”. Karen started off doing 40 cold calls each day. She now has 250 accounts. She says her greatest thrill comes from converting dormant accounts into and active ones. Karen believes that “it is vital to establish and build relationships.” She hates losing a sale. When it happens, she says “Its usually because I haven’t grasped the opportunity quickly enough”.

Karen completed a personality assessment. Her personality strengths were found to be persuasive, extremely confident, definitely willing to take risks when necessary, and very assertive, disciplined, and gregarious. She came across as a truly outgoing, engaging individual who genuinely enjoys opportunities to meet new people and to transfer her knowledge. She enjoys persuading others or “guiding” them to what she believes is the best solution for them. And, because of her confidence and assertiveness, she won’t hesitate to share her point of view – which because of her discipline and focus, is usually very well considered. Underlying all these qualities is a fundamental urgency, or a need to get things done “now”. This sense of urgency enables her to capatalise on opportunities and not allow commitments to go unfulfilled.

Karen’s approach impresses customers because she conveys a definite perspective, in a confident manner, and wants to make sure her solution is thorough and, ideally delivered before it is even expected.”

(Adapted from Greenberg, Weinstein & Sweeney, How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer. The five Qualities that Make Salespeople Great. McGrawHill, 2001).

Now having looked at person who is considered a Peak Performer in prospecting, consider the notion of Peak Performance as it relates to you or your sales team. Do you believe you and/or they have been performing at a peak level over the past 12 months? Review the options below:

• Not at all or very rarely
• Occasional Glimpses
• As often as not
• Almost Always

If you have ticked one of the 1st three options what do you and/or they need to do to get to a Peak Level of performance in your prospecting? If you believe you already are there, try to identify opportunities for further improvement.
Areas to consider may be:

• Skills
• Knowledge
• Motivation
• Attitudes
• Your well-being/energy
• Mindset around prospecting
• Prospecting Plan
• Clarity/direction/information/tools from management etc.

I wish you happy and prosperous selling.