5 Proven Ways to Increase Sales Rep Engagement
A sales manager who’d read my latest book (A Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness) called me the other day to talk about some of the insights she’d gotten. One of the most important to her, she said, was the link between rep engagement and coaching. “I agree with what you said about the importance of […]
Dealing with the Dog that Don’t Hunt
A friend of mine who lives in Texas has a favorite saying: “That dog don’t hunt!” The expression is usually applied to an idea or suggestion that is not workable. I think it is also a great descriptor of sales reps who are bad at their job and likely to stay that way. They may […]
The One Thing That Helps Build Self-Improving Reps
Whenever I have a chance, I like to talk to participants in my sales management workshop several months afterwards to find out what has stuck with them. One recent conversation with a sales manager touched on a theme that gets mentioned a lot: how to find the line between coaching a rep so they improve […]
How to Turn a Lost Sale into a Win for Your Team
Nobody, no matter how good they are at selling, has a 100% win rate. Great sales managers (and their teams) learn from losses. From a coaching and leadership standpoint, the reasons why your rep lost and the customer’s recommendations for improvement need to be incorporated into your sales best practices immediately and shared with all […]
Are You Continually Improving as a Sales Manager?
All of us as sales managers expect our team members to receive feedback and act on it. We’re giving feedback every time we coach a rep, an essential practice if we want our salespeople to continue developing. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, right? Meaning every once in a while, it’s […]
Good Intentions that Don’t Pay Off For a Sales Manager
I always ask sales managers how they allocate their coaching time. Most tell me they spend it two ways: 1) Working with the reps who are struggling the most (because they need the most help) 2) Working with the reps who are doing the best (because they are working to land the biggest deals). Sounds […]
Helicopter Sales Managers Aren’t Any Better Than Helicopter Parents
One of the topics I talk about during my two-day workshops for sales managers is how they have to stop being helicopter managers—always hovering over their sales reps’ shoulders, ready to swoop in and save the day at the first sign of trouble. That approach leads to ill-prepared sales reps, just as helicoptering parenting can […]
Are You Guilty of Sales Management Malpractice?
There’s an old saying that prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. I like to apply it to sales management as well as medicine. I see this all the time when sales managers have to deal with performance issues. They leap to the conclusion that poor performance by a rep is an indicator of laziness or no […]
How to Coach For Stronger Customer Focus and Bigger Wins
I have a challenge for you. The next time you’re talking with your salespeople, ask them to describe the steps of your company’s sales process. Chances are, most of them will have an answer. Then ask, “What are the steps of a customer’s buying process?” If your company is like many others, the odds are […]
Fight Your Adrenaline Rush to Improve Sales Management Success
Many sales managers secretly admit to me that they are adrenaline junkies. They thrived under pressure as a sales rep and want to maintain that sense of urgency and excitement now that they are managers. OK, you want your salespeople to have a sense of urgency just like you do. That’s fine. I agree that […]