12-20-2013
Most sales managers believe that they invest their time growing and developing their people. But in reality, even though their intentions are good, that?s not what they?re doing.
Are you?
If you?re like most sales managers, you probably talk with sales candidates during the interview process about how important your sales organization considers the development and growth of salespeople to be. But actions speak louder than words. What do you actually do to make that happen? You may spend money on sales training, even hire a great sales trainer to come in and spend time with your team, but are your sales managers regularly reinforcing that training, coaching the sellers, growing them, and looking for developmental opportunities? Providing sales training is important, but investing time to grow and develop people is a different thing.
It?s what you do on a day-to-day basis that determines whether you are a developer of people or just a manager. That is the difference between spending time managing sales versus investing time developing salespeople.
But it?s not easy to make time to grow your salespeople!
After all, you have hundreds of e-mails that need your attention, a few dozen reports that must be completed and sent up the ladder, and a line of salespeople standing outside your door asking you to sign off on something so they can move it forward. At the same time, you have six to 10 internal meetings that you?re required to attend and that you have to be prepared for every week. Even though you may want to invest your time in your people, unfortunately, you?re tasked with managing the paperwork of the business. This situation is very common ? but just because it?s common does not mean it has to be this way. The best sales organizations are asking sales managers to make developing salespeople a priority.
And it?s not optional.
Spending time managing the business is important. But there will soon be no business to manage if you don?t invest your time growing and developing your people. Talented people want to grow, and they want to know that their leaders consider them valuable enough to invest in. If you don?t focus on developing your most talented salespeople, they will eventually find somewhere else that will. An exodus of top talent, increased turnover, and missed budgets that make it increasingly difficult to recruit top talent ? it all perpetuates the downward spiral.
Here are some ways you can invest in growing your salespeople. You can do this!
? Take the time to identify and understand their individual talents, and then align them with accounts and assignments that will grow them and help them to succeed.
? Spend time in the field with your salespeople ? not to close the business for them, but to coach them and help grow and develop them. It?s impossible to coach someone from the office if you?ve never seen them in action.
? Show them you care. Not just about hitting their budget, but you actually care about them. People grow when they know you care.
? Give them feedback, and make sure it?s specific and frequent. Imagine how it would make you feel if no one ever told you that you were doing a great job. Or if no one ever gave you any feedback except to tell you that you?re doing it wrong. And while the frequency of feedback is important, it?s also important that the feedback is specific. A simple ?great job? is not enough. To really help someone grow, you need to let them hear the specifics.
I could list a dozen more ways to invest in growing your salespeople, but I know your plate is full. Start with these, and let me know how it goes. Also, if you?ve found a favorite way grow and develop others, please share it with me:
E-mail me at mattsunshine@csscenter.com or reach me on twitter @mattsunshine.
Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend
