Sales managers use lies to get by. It’s that easy. They aren’t naturally malevolent (although we’ve all had some significant exceptions), but )… that lie). It’s something they feel is essential on their way to success. It is the result of an untrue belief and a truth about business. It’s not surprising that many aren’t prepared to follow the three easy steps required to fix the problem.
Let’s first examine the erroneous notion that salespeople won’t appreciate a sales manager that isn’t a successful salesperson.
Here’s a most crucial business fact: top-performing salespeople rarely are promoted to sales managers.
There are two primary reasons. The first is that they are valuable to the business they are working for, doing their best work selling, and. If they’re receiving a good commission, that could mean fewer earnings or potential income. They are also rule-breakers or at least rule-breakers. They’re not able to stop themselves because it’s their personality or style of behavior that’s proven them to be successful salespeople.
Top salespeople bend or disregard the rules without hesitation – because they’re able! As an untrained salesman and the most consistent highest-performing member of my group, I was questioned by my boss to adhere to a new reporting system, which was recently introduced across the entire company. I simply declined. Arguments I used were, “It’s expected to cost two hours per week to complete that form. In that time, I could have another client and earn another 10,000 in sales. Sales reports from my company are in the numbers. I believe it’s stupid for me to lose out on the $10,000 worth of sales by sitting in the office and make reports.” The manager agreed.
It’s not possible to put that kind of person in a position in which they’re expected to enforce rules and as an integral part of the system instead of someone manipulating it.
This is the type of person who is typically appointed sales manager.
A good sales performer who has been named the list of ‘Salesperson of the Month at least once, however, whose sales numbers can be better or equal to by a quarter of the sales team.
A conformist who has their reports in time. Someone who managers can count on to follow and interpret rules according to how they were meant to be.
These people-appointed sales managers follow the faulty assumption that the team will only appreciate the person who is a good salesperson; they begin to “brighten” their sales records. Their most successful month is now their usual month; their highest-ever sales performance is talked about as if it occurred every week. It’s a matter of: “The older I get older, the better I was.” They are lying, liars.
This is all completely unneeded. The faulty belief is simply that is flawed. In the future, it’s going to be much easier for the salesperson who is ‘gun’ to be admired by their colleagues at first, just as the champion athlete who is later a coach. However, this isn’t the only thing that makes the best leader or coach. The majority of the best coaches were not superstar players. You do not have to be an outstanding salesperson to be an exceptional sales manager. It’s true that respect can be more challenging to obtain, but it’s genuine. Below are the three actions to follow if you think that you’re in this group or, more likely, even if you’re not any sales manager at all.
Establish your value
Your worth to them is not as much. “This is how I got there, and you can do exactly the same” as “I recognize the problem, and what can I do to assist you?” If salespeople understand that your primary objectives include (1) to give them an increase in their selling times (2) to help make that selling time most productive, they will pay interest. Make them think of your accompanying visits as strengthening their credibility before the customer and helping in achieving tremendous success.
Be solid
Expect that they will push the limits. Don’t be upset. Just accept this as part of the package with the best performers. However, be aware that they’ll keep bendin’ and breaking the rules until they make them enforced. Be firm but not unreasonable. Do not let yourself get tired. Be prepared for them to continue to try. Perseverance is among their strengths.
Ask them to do something you wouldn’t
“I’d never demand you to do anything I would not do” is often a genuine assertion by sales managers – however, in general, it’s just a bunch of nonsense. Sales managers are frequently asked by their sales personnel to make statements or perform actions with their customers (for instance, to justify the cost or policy or to resolve any legitimate objection using persuasion abilities), which they would not be able to do. They make sure that they don’t ever meet the client so that they can be assessed.
Once you’ve let go of the lie, it’s easy to say, “I was told about this novel method of opening a meeting just the other day. You’re much more adept in it than I was. I asked myself, “If this can work for anyone, it might work for you.”
There’s no need to tell in deceit. Use these three simple guidelines, and you’ll get earned the respect of your sales staff.
Kevin is a seasoned conference speaker as well as facilitator, leader of workshops, and host. He has over 25 years of experience as a corporate trainer and fifteen years of experience as a professional speaker.
He owns his own business out of Brisbane, Australia, speaking at seminars and conferences across Australia, New Zealand, Asia as well as in the UK, which focuses on the areas of customer service, sales as well as humor in business ability to communicate. His clients include the largest organizations in Australia, including politicians, political figures as well as judges, Olympic athletes, and elite athletes.
He is the co-author of nine books about humor and communication in business. They are used extensively across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, as well as in the UK in the UK, and South Africa. He is a regular columnist on sales skills, communication, and customer service, as well as the business of humor for various business magazines. His writings have been published in major daily newspapers across Australia as well as Asia.
