The recent announcement that the U.S. economy is on pace for
its sharpest year of labor expansion in 15 years, combined with the fact that
the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest rate in 6 years (5.8%) confirms what
many have already felt - 2014 was
good, but 2015 can be great.
Now is the time of year when many leaders begin to project
revenues for 2015. As you are
gazing into the revenue projection crystal ball you may want to take some time
to rethink how you manage your sales professionals. If you are using the same approach to sales leadership you
did 5 years ago, you may find it difficult to realize your maximum revenue
potential. Let’s review some
critical elements of sales leadership:
WHO YOU HIRE
Gone are the days when you look for the most extroverted,
most able-to-work-a -room person that can charm anyone. Look for critical thinkers that can
carry on a difficult business conversation with the most difficult personality.
Understand that the difference between extroverted and
introverted largely hinges on how they recharge their batteries.
The extroverted person recharges their batteries by being
around others, being social – drawing their energy from the energy of
others. An extroverted person
would look forward to going out for a cocktail with coworkers after work or
basketball with friends to unwind. The introverted person recharges their
batteries by spending time with themselves – going for a run or a simple dinner
with their family.
Both of these types can do very well in sales. As a matter of fact, there have been a
number of recent studies that show introverted salespeople may actually do better. Personality types that lean toward
introversion don’t feel the need for people to like them (or get
distracted/frustrated when they don’t) and can focus on calmly discussing
needs, goals and solutions with decision makers.
When hiring, look for people who like to win and set goals
in order to be able to do so. Ask
about past failures and how they were handled. You want to hear how the failure frustrated the candidate
and the plan they put in place to get back on top.
Additionally, look for an independent person that has a
demonstrated ability to work well with a team. Avoid the person who feels the need to run for help or
provide updates after every call.
CONSIDER A REMOTE WORKFORCE
It is a globally shrinking world and unless your business
really demands your sales staff be in a specific location, consider the
possibility that your sales professionals could be remote employees. This may be out of state talent or
talent that simply works from home.
Long gone is the reality that “face time” means
productivity. Having your sales
staff in the office can often result in lower performance. They are easier pulled into unplanned
meetings, distracted by office politics or general reindeer games. You want salespeople who value every
minute and see some of the office games (official and unofficial) as distractions
and impediments to their productivity.
HOW YOU MANAGE
Standards of Performance for revenue generating
professionals are the product of outdated thinking when it comes to managing
sales leaders. Sure, if you are
training brand new salespeople you need to instill good habits as a part of the
training. If you have a seasoned
professional, SOP’s act as a micromanagement tool of a bygone age. Instead simply focus on the desired revenue
goal. Did the salesperson meet or
exceed the goal? That is the only
important factor. If they did meet
their goal, nothing else matters – leave them alone, brainstorm with them when
needed, congratulate often and ask them what they need to continue to be
challenged.
If the goals were not achieved, meet often, brainstorm and
mutually set mini-goals to get back on track. As an example, for my business I look at sales goals as a
quarterly number. If a person did
not meet the quarterly goal, I may want to focus on a monthly mini-goal. You may also want to review their
approach and mutually set goals around activities that will get them back on
track. If those mini-goals are not
met then hold accountable – reset mini-goals with more brainstorming.
“Brainstorming” is the critical word for both productive and
non-productive sales professionals.
This partnership approach to tackling the challenges of sales is more
centered on how business can move forward, rather than what a person is or is
not doing. However, if a
salesperson is simply not putting in the work then a discussion will need to be
had. At the end of the day, sales
is a numbers game. If someone
tries to tell you otherwise, be very careful.
TECHNOLOGY
Your sales staff should have the most up to date technology
in the organization. If your sales
team is client facing, make sure they have the latest model of laptop or tablet
– rotate their older models with non-sales staff if necessary. This will maximize their productivity
(personally & in front of clients) as well present a solid professional
image with clients. Nothing
creates a less than desirable first impression during a client presentation
than the spinning rainbow wheel of frustration holding up the start of the
meeting.
Make sure the CPU, RAM & drive speed are maximized so
that they can efficiently utilize the most up to date tools.
HOW YOU SET GOALS
Be realistic.
Set two goals with the members of your team – the goal and a BHAG (Big
Hairy Audacious Goal). Know what
you want to do, what you think you can do and what the expected percentage of
growth of your industry. If what
you want to do and think you can do is significantly above or below the
expectations of your industry then you should be able to logically articulate
why your goals differ. There may
be a logical reason, and that reason needs to be understood and supported by
the sales team.
WHAT YOU VALUE
Keep perspective- don’t be impressed with high activity for
activity sake. The frantic person
is not always the productive person.
Instead value planning, results, and the ability to work effectively
with other members of the organization.
HOW YOU REWARD
Salespeople value 3 things. These are not in any particular order and can vary based on
the person you have on your team.
Realizing what is important to them will allow you to keep them a motivated
and a committed member of the team.
Compensation – It doesn’t need to be the top end for your
industry, but it does need to be a structure that provides unlimited potential
based on results. If you try to under-compensate
your sales team you will lose revenue you never knew you could be bringing in.
Recognition – Winners want to be recognized as winners. Tell them often, personally and
publicly, that they are a critical part of the team and recognize their
results. When they bring in a big
piece of business or meet goals be sure to make a big deal about it. Publicly they may act like it is not
a big deal, internally they will thrive on the kudos.
Flexibility – Top performing sales staff must feel that they
can come & go and make their schedules based on their needs. This control trade-off will pay huge
dividends in loyalty and results.
As a side note, top performing sales professionals will not respect you
if you allow under performers to have this flexibility.
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