Bust Harmful Sales-Management Myths and Coach for Survival

Danita Buy

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 performance.

Truth: Keeping salespeople in the dark about their performance is counterproductive. Metrics provide salespeople a tangible way to track their performance at any given time, so they and you always know where they stand.
There are metrics and ratios in each step of the sales process that are harbingers of issues that may be vital in determining 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: Assessing salespeople is a waste of time and money. I can identify development areas myself or use the cheapest assessment I can find.

Truth: An accurate 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 coaching program that clearly documents plans, processes and progress. Each salesperson must have a customized plan based on the findings of a proper 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 67 Tips to Raise Revenue in a Recession, a booklet that can be downloaded at salesgs.com/ebook.html.

Bio: Danita Bye

Nationally recognized sales management and leadership expert Danita Bye has built her reputation on building and inspiring intentional, 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 national and international businesses to the next level. Her excuse-free approach to sales management, combined with her leadership acumen, enables sales staff and sales management to increase sales, boost profitability and create predictable revenue streams, all while reducing sales costs.

As a 10-year veteran of the Xerox Corporation, Danita consistently achieved award winning sales performance before leaving Xerox to become an equity partner and national sales manager for Minneapolis-based Micro-Tech Hearing Instruments, where she increased annual revenues from $300,000 to $10 million in just seven years. Danita has authored articles in Upsize Magazine, The Hearing Review, the Star Tribune, and Business Journal, where she was recently honored as one of the its Top 25 Women to Watch. Danita also featured as a guest on “The Ruthless Entrepreneur television show” which will begin airing on Oxogen Network in 2010. Her new book, Sales Management in the No Excuse Zone, is due for release in 2010.

Danita can be contacted at Danita@SalesGrowthSpecialists.com or 612-267-3320