Sales Management Coaching for Survival -

Bust Harmful Sales Myths

Danita Bye

We’re facing a deep recession, and the CEO’s, business owners and managers I’ve talked with are desperate to survive. They’re concerned about the feelings of hopelessness that have settled into their sales organizations as sales opportunities dwindle and competition for them is fierce.
Provincial sales solutions won’t solve our current economic challenges. Sales organizations that make it through this tough spell will do so because they are well-managed. Strong sales management processes — coaching, motivating, recruiting — can help power sales organizations through this tough time.
Now is the time to step up to the plate and be a strong sales leader and coach your sales team through this tough time and beyond. Following are myths about sales coaching I want to dispel and proven techniques that will help you engage your sales team in the right activities to get them on the right track.

Myth: Salespeople shouldn’t be bothered with constant feedback on sales performance.

Truth: Keeping people in the dark about their sales performance is counterproductive. Sales metrics provide people a tangible way to track their performance at any given time, so they and you always know where they stand.
There are sales metrics and ratios in each step of the sales process that are harbingers of issues that may be vital in determining sales coaching needs. How many dials convert to conversations with a decision-maker? How many conversations does it take to land an appointment? How many appointments before a proposal are presented? How many proposals turn into revenue?
Once metrics and expected performance levels have been established make sure your salespeople are constantly aware of their level of performance against these mutually agreed on benchmarks. Immediately address any gaps through coaching.

Myth: Letting your salespeople complete Sales Assessments is a waste of time and money. I can identify development areas myself or use the cheapest assessment I can find.

Truth: An accurate sales assessment ensures you focus on the right issues to leverage as a sales coach. An assessment tool provides objective information about personal selling beliefs that could possibly be sabotaging performance.
Without a clear idea of what the roots of the problems are, the time and money you’ll spend on solutions could likely be a waste. Each interaction you have with your sales force provides you with the opportunity to observe them and then to coach accordingly. Don’t miss a single one.

Myth: Since my salespeople will learn through their mistakes, given enough time, I don’t need to assess and coach them.

Truth: Given enough time, you could lose market share and sales opportunities. Provide resources to address weak spots now. While your salespeople may be able to recognize their own weaknesses, they may be floundering at resolving them. Help them resolve their issues as soon as possible through a sales coaching program that clearly documents plans, processes and progress. Each salesperson must have a customized plan based on the findings of a proper sales assessment that indicate weaknesses and areas requiring development.

Myth: As the sales executive, I should establish revenue goals for my salespeople, so they’ll know what I expect from them.

Truth: Your expectations could actually limit performance. That’s why it’s important to establish goals with each individual and clarify minimum- and high-performance expectations with regard to every activity.

The foundation of an effective motivational success system is an accurate understanding of each activity that contributes to sales performance, as well as results expectations. In addition to revenue, a goal for each activity should be documented early, prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. These goals help salespeople stay focused on achieving their personal goals within a range of acceptable performance.

The biggest mistake sales leaders make is discussing expectations late, after a salesperson is hired. This process should commence at the interview stage to weed out slackers and, most certainly, before the official hiring.

The new breed of sales leaders are in tune with each salesperson on their team and understand personal strengths and weaknesses, what revs a salesperson’s engine and what causes him or her to lose sleep. They use that information to create a coaching plan tailored for the individual. The leaders go a step further by understanding their own personal profiles and how they must adapt their communication styles to reach each salesperson.

Good luck and good coaching.

Danita Bye wrote Smart Sales Coaching, a book that will assist all sales leaders in this important component of their jobs. Get it here: Smart Sales Coaching

Bio: Danita Bye

Nationally recognized sales management and leadership expert Danita Bye built her reputation on building and inspiring process-oriented, no excuse, high-performance sales teams that deliver bottom line results. With her unique Fortune-100-turned-entrepreneur perspective, Danita helps CEOs and company presidents take their businesses to the next level. Her practical, no-nonsense approach to sales management, combined with her leadership acumen, enables sales leadership to increase sales, creating predictable revenue streams.

As a 10-year veteran of the Xerox Corporation, Danita consistently achieved award winning sales performance before leaving to become an equity partner and national sales manager for a Minneapolis-based medical device company. In this capacity, she increased annual revenues from $300,000 to a run rate of $20 million in just ten years.

Danita has authored numerous articles on sales management and leadership. In addition, she was a featured as a sales development expert on the TV show, “The Ruthless Entrepreneur,” which is currently airing on the Oxygen Network. Leadership Shift, Management Acceleration and a library of eBooks on critical sales management issues are available on the Sales Growth Specialists’ website.

Danita can be reached at Danita@SalesGrowthSpecialists.com, 612-267-3320 or 800-256-2799.

For more insights on Sales Strategy and Sales Process, visit www.SalesGrowthSpecialists.com.