A sales organization behaves like a school of fish.
While each member is an independently thinking body, there is a unified personality that is hyper-sensitive to the movements of the whole. Disregard this group personality and risk reduced productivity, high turnover and slow hiring. But, like a school of fish, trying to control the movements of the body can result in unpredictable and erratic direction changes. It’s not follow the leader and it’s not ESP, its hyper-sensory awareness of the dynamics around them combined with a learned system of reactions.
An example:
- The number one sales rep on a team is well liked and known to be a hard worker. But has also been with the company for some time and has a pipeline built over years.
- #1 is recognized at the sales kickoff with everyone truly happy for them.
- It is noted during the award presentation that #1 did an outstanding job of leveraging senior management to help close the bigger deals contributing to success.
- After the kickoff, management announces that they are willing to go on as many customer meetings as needed to bring everyone up to #1’s level and all are encouraged to schedule four of these meetings per month.
- All good, right? Everyone’s pulling in a unified direction.
- Well it turns out that newer reps find it difficult to engage at the customer’s senior level without first building ground swell with their teams.
- The “encouragement” to book senior meetings early in the process makes them feel like they are failing.
- They would like recognition of and help with creating pipeline through a sales process that builds to an executive meeting.
- When a non-performing rep leaves and spreads the word that it’s because they didn’t have enough SMG meetings, other reps get nervous and start answering the phone when recruiters call…
Everything was great until a singular conclusion, based on the experience of one person, spooked the school. Senior management thought they were putting themselves out there to help everyone toward success but they weren’t attuned to the signals of the school.
Here are five keys to staying in touch with the organism:
- Establish a game plan and stick to it…until you change it (you know what I mean).
- Here’s what we’re going to do.
- Here’s why.
- Get your hands dirty: “Let me join/listen-in on that call.”
- Communicate, Communicate and Communicate!
- Explain over and over what and why.
- Then remember that the most important part of communication is listening.
- Listen and change when what you hear makes sense.
- Then communicate the change…with attribution.
- Understand your sales process stages and communicate expectations for each
- Don’t focus myopically on one stage, sales is a progression.
- This enables you to coach different people differently.
- This is not a cartoon: no pianos dropping on people’s heads.
- When things aren’t going right, communicate some more.
- Make sure people know that:
- They will hear in their manager 121s what needs fixing.
- They will hear again.
- They will hear with a follow up email.
- They will hear in a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
- A “Get-Well-Plan” not a “Get-Out” plan.
- Their management will work with them to succeed.
- They will hear how it’s going.
- Most important are your first line managers.
- They need to be comfortable bringing you bad news; telling you your baby is ugly.
- They need to be coached to walk the fine line:
- I’m not your buddy…
- …but I know what it’s like to be in your shoes.
- I support my management…
- …but I can get a message to them without throwing anybody under a bus.
This results in people who: understand their roles, feel they are getting coaching that improves them professionally, feel they can make suggestions that will be heard, are secure in their job because they know where they stand. Now there’s a good chance that, when the school shifts, it’s to your benefit.
Good Luck!
Please comment. It would be great to have a conversation about selling and to hear a story or two. If I don’t reply instantly, feel free to talk amongst yourselves until I get back ;-).Good luck and good selling!
Image by Vince Vassallo via http://vincevassallo.blogspot.ca/