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What Sales Team Standards Do You Fight For?

When we go to a restaurant, we expect the service and food to meet a certain standard.  When we watch our favorite college sporting team, we expect a certain level of play; and, perhaps a certain win/loss record.  When we live we do so at a certain standard of living.  And, when we put on a belt or a piece of clothing, we have certain standards that affect what we think about ourselves.

Do you know of a coach at a major university that was fired or forced to resign?  Why did that happen?  It probably happened because of a win/loss record, or not winning championships, or causing NCAA recruiting violations, or because of players breaking laws.  Standards were either lowered or shattered in the minds of key stakeholders.

Continuing to think of sports, it’s easy to see the many standards present.  Batting averages in baseball - turnovers in basketball - passing percentages in football.  Standards make sports meaningful and memorable.  They also tell us what’s bad, good, and great.  In professional baseball, many people can tell you that a .300 batting average is good and as the number approaches .400 greatness occurs.

In politics, we see evidence of standards being lowered in the news.  Everyone wants to read about politicians who do not follow standard and ethical norms.  And, yes, we all know that standards can be lowered or forgotten in any venue.

What about your sales team.  What are your standards?  Do you have any?  Remember, standards are not goals.  They are accepted levels - the minimum acceptable, what’s good, and what’s great.

They are also accepted standards of conduct, dress, or service.  For example, we don’t go to a business meeting without a tie on. 

Some standards are clear.  Others are hazy or simply not present.

Important standards (minimum acceptable, good, great) for a sales team include:
- Income levels for the salespeople
- Daily, monthly, quarterly, or yearly sales level per salesperson
- Quotes per (period) ...
- Appointments per (period) ...
- Average revenue per sale
- Average gross margin per sale
- Networking standards
- Meeting standards
- Reporting standards
- Dress standards

(Important note:  Great sales teams first establish recruiting standards to maintain or achieve greatness.)

When standards exist , it’s because, for a period of time, a sales manager leads or establishes effort at excellent performance.  Also the process for its pursuit has been designed.  When a sales team follows a sales process, measurements occur for what’s acceptable as a standard.  And, activity management (prospects, appointments, quotes, sales), with its standards, is just one important sales process in a sales system.

Great salespeople will reach great levels of income and revenue performance.  They will do this by achieving specific levels of prospecting, first appointments, and quotes - standard areas for activity management.  Other important standards that also contribute to income performance exist within the face-to-face sales process.  For major accounts’ teams, planning and research standards exist that support strategy making. (Great football coaches study game film the night after each win.)

When standards become important, they are fought for and protected. And, when this happens for a period of time, traditions form.  And, finally the result of this struggle to meet standards and maintain traditions brings a legacy for future generations.  Lowering standards or standing for nothing establishes a negative impact on society and any kind of family or team. 

Establish and fight for standards and you will see sales improvement.  You can do this.  You can be better.  Lance

Do Real Salespeople Say “If, Can’t, or Try?

Today, while traveling from Knoxville to Memphis for Christmas, my mother-in-law called us on her cell phone.  Some of you are thinking that can’t be a good thing.  Actually, I’m lucky it usually is a good thing.  We are fortunate in several ways in our relationship.  Smitty is in good health, she can out walk most women on a golf course half her age (and beat them), and, to borrow an old metaphor, she is as sharp as a tack. 

When Smitty was walking with my bride in the mountains, she later told everyone, “She (my bride) ate my dust!” Smitty’s quick and she’s smart.  She loves deeply those in her family.  And, I admire her.

Well, I’m not sure how we got around to it.  But, one of us said the word “If.” As soon as the word surfaced in our conversation, Smitty said, “That reminds me of something that Papa used to say ... He’d say, “No if, can’ts, or buts.  IF the rabbit had’nt stopped to pee, he would’nt have got his butt shot off!” (just for the record pee and butt were substituted for the orignal syntax.)

To understand the context better, Italians in the Mississippi Delta were treated poorly - very poorly.  And, that’s where Papa arrived from Italy to raise a family of three girls.  In a legacy of hard work, eighteen hour days, 10-12 for someone else, and 6-8 sharecropping ground no one else would till, Papa earned a living and eventually land ownership.  For one Christmas, money to buy presents for his daughters was made by gleaning cotton land that had already been gleaned.  Leona Malavasi held a lantern while very late at night Odoni (Papa) Malavasi picked the plants with hands cut up and bleeding from the picking.  Three dolls were purchased for that Christmas which were so precious to the girls that they didn’t open them from their packaging.

Papa didn’t believe in using the word “IF, Can’t, or Try.” Real salespeople don’t either.

There’s more to attitudes and beliefs than people think.  Have you ever heard an athlete on a championship team in the last 5 seconds of a game look at his coach and say, “I’ll try, or I can’t?” How about in a war?  Do you expect the guy or gal next to you to say, “I’ll try?”

Do you think that a salesperson approaches an important presentation or any presentation with, “If only, or I can’t, or I’ll try?” Don’t think so.

How about YOU?  What attitude is nearest to your heart?  The closest one to If, Can’t, or Try is fear.

Even Jedi Master Yoda, the famous wise creature of Star Wars had something to say about this.  “Do or do not, there is no try.”

Great salespeople give all they have to what they do without a hint of “I’ll try, If only, or I can’t.” They just do and then do again and then do again.  There must be a reason that we win 2-5 sales of every 10 quotes and we lose the rest.  There must be a reason that Babe Ruth struck out nearly more times than he hit home runs (1330 to 714).  The reason ... we aren’t perfect.  So, deal with it.  Work as hard and as smart as you can.  That’s all you can DO.

And, when we have a family or we are part of a team, it doesn’t matter what will happen.  It only matters to give all we have for the benefit of others.  To sacrifice our fears and our lives.  To give it all with freedom in the effort.

Now, go do this.  Hang around people who believe in this way.  You can get better.  Lance.

A Crushed Spirit Dries Up the Bones: Be Kind AND Direct

“Please describe what happened in your last meeting with our customer Mr. Handy?” “How much time did you spend last week calling your leads for appointments?” “What networking strategies have you put into place?” What are your key activities for next week.  When Misty asked you to help her last Tuesday, how did you respond?”

Confronting others, as a competency, plays a big part in the success of a sales manager. The ability to communicate straight up with a sales team or a salesperson makes up one of the more important traits of a great sales manager.  Some do it well.  Some avoid it.

In the last month, I’ve battled with others over following processes, developing sales plans, and asking questions during first appointments.  These encounters or confrontations do not necessarily bridle with emotion.  They do require going on the offensive and communicating with questions, assertions, and sometime challenges.

When managing sales teams, situations emerge which require or create confrontation. That is, IF someone establishes sales team and company standards and behavior norms.  When these are important and in place, sales managers must confront salespeople over a variety of issues.  Sometimes a person’s production or appointment activity drops.  At other times, a sales manager responds to a customer complaint regarding treatment by a sale representative.  Other typical issues arising and requiring confrontation include: gossip, tardiness, teamwork, and unethical practices.

Creative, highly driven salespeople often run over or around something in their way - including the sales manager.  Many of these mavericks are exceptional salespeople and at the same time high maintenance.  Gaining their respect is a function of a sales manager’s willingness to stand up to them, corral them, and keep them on the team.

People generally respect directions or rules if the sales manager pays attention to them.  And, even though the best processes are put into place for the benefit of others, they get challenged - either by salespeople who ignore them, forget about them (habits not yet formed), or challenge their goodness.

Let’s take activity management as an example.  Excellent sales team boards show monthly activity levels vs. activity goals, quoting levels vs. quoting goals, and sales goal achievement progress.  The best of these boards include monthly actuals for first appointments set and held, quotes presented, and sales made - all compared to preset monthly amounts.  In other words, sales managers and salespeople track the primary activities which lead to sales and income goals.  When this process is well managed, people stay focused and encouraged.  When it is ill-managed, salespeople either lose track, fake their report, rebel, or lose their spirit of hope.

Great sales managers do not crush spirits in their pursuit of standards and sales goals.  On the other hand, they do not let time pass without taking on those who get behind, rebel, or display poor attitudes.

To balance their coaching communication, outstanding sales managers remember to address people in a kind AND direct manner.  Some managers are direct, but never kind.  Others are kind, but never direct.  Having a Clear Talk session means being both kind and direct - even when firing someone.

One-on-One Discussions - Each salesperson needs these - some more frequently than others.  For example, when a salesperson needs a nice kick-in-the-book, or activity management shows a need improvement, a sales manager sits down to listen first - and then to offer advice and direction (if necessary).  The best of these discussion occur when a person sees the need, says they agree, and offers up correction actions to do - themselves.  See - Say - Do.  And, the manager ends the moment with encouragement and a play for future follow up. 

Sales managers and salespeople participate in these discussions with CLEAR TALK.  They listen first and then tell the truth as best they understand it in a kind and direct manner. Some managers are kind and not direct.  While others are direct and not kind. 

Keep the spirit of a person and a team at a high level.  Do not crush anyone.  Be kind and direct.  You can do this.  Lance.

Sales Management - What’s Coaching All About?

It’s all about the people you coach - the people in your company - the people you serve - your customers, prospects, clients ... THEM.  It’s not about you.

And, that’s not easy to remember, but it’s even more difficult to be this way.  But, you can.  You will.

When “what you do” becomes about you, you begin to stress, to fear, to take, to forget what’s important - how you benefit others with what you give.  Benjamin Zander would say it’s all about contribution. 

Jesus would say it’s all about love.  Charles Manson or Hitler would say it’s all about them.  What would you say?

What would happen if your sales team woke up tomorrow and arrived at work with the attitude,

“It’s all about what I contribute for the joy of others - to be the best I can be, to try to better - to give of what I have.”

What would happen if they arrived for work with that spirit? How would that change their behavior - their habits?  How would this affect the salespeople, those in administration, those in service or manufacturing ... if the sales team arrived with their focus on “Contribution?”

How would customers react?  How would prospects react?  How would this change their emails, their follow up, their presentations?  How would it affect the amount of passion that others would find in their work - in their message - in their display of value?

It’s interesting when we get involved in the new social media of today.  Those that pitch their products or talk a lot about themselves - tend to lose followers.  Those that give away their expertise and genuinely respond to questions gain.  Hmmmm. 

You can manage salespeople and do it for their benefit.  You can discover what’s important to them - and help them receive it.  You can find out if money, recognition, duty, family, achievement, competition or something else is important.  You can make work fun AND serious - you can ... By changing your point of reference ...  You can recruit salespeople who need to earn more that the sales budget, and then manage them to reach their income levels while screaming past budget.  You can inspire them by your inspiration.  You can hire givers and not takers.  You can.

Contribution.  Yes, it really can be all about getting up today and giving your best for the benefit of others - forgetting yourself and making what you do better to enrich the lives of others.  You can decide to do this.  And, if you want to - you will.

So, if you are a father - it’s all about your kids, it’s all about them.  If you marry - it’s all about your mate - it’s all about her or him When you sell it’s all about your prospect, or client or customer, your vendors, and your fellow employees.  When you manage, it’s about the salesperson.  It’s about their income, their home, their family, their broken down car, their kid’s education.  It’s about about THEM.  Your contribution to THEM. 

Now, go out and make things better. Catch this spirit.  You can, so do it.  Better still, be that way. 

You know, many days I think my dog Cassie did this better than I did.  Oh well, I’m just fighting and striving to get better like all of you.  Lance.

13 Ways Sales Managers Coach Poorly

Sales managers coach poorly when exhibiting the following behaviors. 

They ...
1.  Throw new salespeople into a job without a well thought out training and ramp up process.
2.  Do not help a salesperson develop a sales plan.
3.  Do not care about their salespeople as individuals.
4.  Focus on meeting budget numbers instead of achieving each salesperson’s income target.
5.  Manage salespeople as if their motivational and learning nuances were the same.
6.  Do not express encouragement either one-on-one or in team settings.
7.  Manage without developing and teaching a face-to-face (or telemarketing) sales process (steps, tools, and skills).
8.  Pound on their salespeople for results instead of managing an activity process or series of strategic moves (large accounts).
9.  Use fear as a primary motivator instead of positive imaging.
10.  Micromanage a salesperson’s time instead of giving them innovative expression.
11.  Allow bad behaviors or performance to continue without an immediate discussion or confrontation.
12.  Do not use a sales board or other visual representations to show individual/team progress during sales meetings.
13.  Retreat to themselves and do not have one-on-ones or go on appointments with their salespeople.

Please add your own - especially the ones you’ve experienced and dislike the most.  And, then move away from these and get better.  You can.  Lance.

Coaching the Best - The Sales System

What’s a system?  It’s a bunch of connected pieces which work together in an organized manner - one that produces a certain state. We cooperate or exist within systems in everyday life.  Examples include solar systems, financial systems, and digestive systems.  The purposes and proper functioning of these systems create an effect upon our lives - bad or good.  One of these, the solar system, operates on a precise path of planet orbits and gravitational power - all under the influence of the sun. 

In the sports world, each year we see coaches fired or forced to resign.  Their systems (driven by their attitudes and beliefs) no longer win ball games at a rate that boosters, fans, and other stakeholders want.  The coach’s influence, channeled through a system, no longer produces wins at accepted norms.  Result?  Coaches resign or leave. 

The next coach brings a new system.  New and existing players learn different standards, behaviors, practice schedules, skills, schemes, pre-game routines, and on and on and on ....  Everyone hopes the new system will lead the team to greatness or to a level that satisfies all who watch and participate.

Interestingly, while the next coach does bring a new system, the coaching areas remain the same.  The coach recruits.  The players practice.  They play defense and offense.  The plays may change.  The skills may be sharpened.  And,new learning tools may be introduced.  But, the major parts of the game remain the same.  There really are a finite number of system areas for a sport ... and, they will always remain the same.  Recruiting, offense, defense, practice, plays, etc.

And, the system for coaching a sales group also has a finite number of areas or stages.  They are ... (1) Knowing People; (2) Managing Processes; (3) Building Teams.

Knowing People begins in the recruitment system.  During the screening, profiling, and interviewing stages of a best practice recruitment process the tools used there help select the best new recruits.  They also provide initial input of strengths, weaknesses, and motivational information for coaching a salesperson as they join the team.  Subsequently, as the sales manager interacts with the salesperson during sales planning and on sale calls, additional information gathered helps the sales manager coach necessary skill areas or counsel attitudes. 

Best practice tools in the “Knowing People” stage include personality profiles, individual coaching Information sheets, foundation interviews, sales plans, sales calls, and one-on-one review meetings.  As their skills improve, coaches learn to ‘read’ personality and motivational triggers.

For example, some players like public recognition.  Others do not.  Coaches also learn when and who to challenge, when to teach, and when to leave someone alone.  A bell-shaped performance curve with performers ranked best to worst across the curve, provides a visual gage for planning coaching time and training strategies.

Managing Processes. Three process areas exist in sales team management.  The strategies, tools, and skills used in these processes vary with the length of sales cycle, type of selling, and market.  Even so the process areas remain the same.  Great sales managers learn to manage unique people within processes that they customize for their company. 

The process areas they manage are: (1) Sale planning; (2) Activity management (or strategy management for long sales cycles), and (3) Face-to-face selling.

Many types of tools, skills, and strategies may be used to makes these process areas effective.  Some common ones are ... sales planning forms, prospecting and approach activities and methods, activity ratios, sales funnels, closing ratios, sales boards, 30 sec. introductions, sets of open-ended questions, standardized presentations, responses to typical fears, concerns, and objections. etc.  A sales team functions better when the coach creates the process steps, and teaches the use of the associated tools and skills which help the sales people reach their commission and income goals.

Finally, Building Teams creates a sales synergy greater than a group of individuals. 

High performance team meetings, celebration events, team planning and review sessions, sales team training, and team goals are all examples of tools that make this coaching stage a reality.

When team members help each other “off camera” - meaning they call each other with encouragement or advice, then a sales managers effort multiplies in productive output. 

A sales team board, strategy sessions, and other important teaming events combine to help the individuals excel.  This teaming focus also carries over into the treatment of service, installation, and customer care representatives and administrative staff.

Great sales managers, as with individuals, learn to read ‘team tension.” They find ways to manage stress to productive levels - to bring a balance between encouragement and the effort toward goal achievement.

Knowing people, managing processes, and building teams are stages for best practice coaching.  Each one connects to the other and together they make up an organized framework.  We must know people well as individuals to coach them well.  And, it’s better to coach and teach people a process rather than beat them up for results.  Then, together, we can improve a process and the use of its skills and tools.  When we do this the entire system improves itself.  Sales and incomes rise.  Now, go and make things better.  You can do it.  Lance.