Great sales management happens in the field, not the spreadsheet.
Here’s a fairly common scenario… one of your seller-doers is not hitting her sales goals. But it’s not a question of activity level levels, she’s doing all the right things… and plenty of them. But she’s still falling short.
So, if it’s not the choice of her activities or the quantity of them, it must be the quality – how well she’s doing them. And to see how well she’s implementing the various sales activities, you need to become an ‘observer’… to watch her, either in real-time or in practice. Here are six ways to help you learn how your seller-doers are performing and where they need help…
- Listen in on sales calls in real-time. And listen only (put yourself on ‘mute’)… avoid the urge to jump in and help. Then review and debrief with her afterward. Note: if real-time listening isn’t possible, reviewing recorded calls can also work.
- Is she making in-person calls? Ride along. Let her control the call… your role is to observe her communication and client interaction. Of course, jump into the conversation were appropriate, but this is her call… avoid the desire to take over.
- Exhibiting at an upcoming conference? Work the booth with her. How does she engage with booth visitors? How’s her elevator pitch? Does she talk effectively about your firm and its offerings? How does she handle lead follow-up? Etc.?
- Make sure her daily communication with clients is done well… have her BCC you on her client emails. While you can certainly check on typos and grammar, you’re really looking to see if her emails are well-structured, compelling, concise and to the point and clear on what next steps are. Note: reviewing communications extends beyond emails… make sure to review her proposals, too.
- How are her presentation skills? Does she command the room (or the zoom) or does she come across as scared and nervous? So, watch her. The easiest way is to sit in on her zoom presentations. You can also ride along for an in-person presentation, though that could add to her nervousness. Alternatively, have her present just to you, where you play the role of a buyer… asking questions, etc. Make sure she is delivering the presentation in a way that represents your firm well.
- Speaking of role-playing, consider doing this for a variety of buyer scenarios… where you play the role of the buyer. You can role-play cold calls, discovery calls, in-depth project conversations, objection handling, proposal discussions, and so on. Record them… not only to debrief with her, but as a tool for training your other seller-doers.
The Bottom Line
Years ago, I had a sales manager tell me his management philosophy (and I agree with it)… “I don’t care how many calls you make… I don’t care how many visits you make… just hit your sales goal.” That is, if things are going well, then just make sure you’re there to provide whatever support your seller-doer needs.
But when they fall short of their goals, it’s time to jump in, figure out the cause and provide the guidance they need to get better.
One final note: while the idea of ‘observation’ is a great way to help your underachievers get better, it can and should also be used with your better performers. Help your B+ seller-doers become A performers… and you’re A performers become A+ sales stars!
Good luck and good selling.