So sales are sluggish, the sales reps have been struggling to retire quota for the past three quarters, and if things don’t turn around there’s going to be a workforce reduction to try and slow the bleeding.
B2B reps are asked to wear many hats - they need to research, pitch, present, project manage, create urgency, negotiate, close, and deliver on promises made. It is the type of occupation that requires a wide range of skills and responsibilities. However, to get the most out of your sales force, one must actively work to remove obstacles rather than keep adding more and more responsibilities to an already full plate.
At the very beginning of the sales process, it is very important to understand who the decision makers are in the purchasing process. Sales people should never start the discussion with a buyer in the purchasing department.
Do this now: Go to one of your people and ask them for one thing they need help with, and then spend 3 minutes coaching them on that thing.
When you’re done, ask them how you did. Ask them about your coaching style. Ask them how useful those 3 minutes were and how they will use the information you shared to fix the thing they needed help with. Do you like the feedback you’re getting?
For sales managers, developing others abilities is even more important today than it ever has been. Indeed, it's the emotional competence most frequently found among those at the top of the field. This is a person-to-person art, and the effectiveness of counseling hinges on empathy and the ability to focus on our own feelings and share them.
For those of you that know me, this won’t be a stunning confession, but I really struggle with my impatience. I try to rein it in–I’ve stopped tapping my pen, incessantly, on tables in meetings (though my legs are bouncing up and down under the table). I’ve learned to count to 10–well maybe 100, before jumping in on a review. But my tolerance level for waiting is virtually non-existent.
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