| An effective sales manager juggles many balls in fulfilling his responsibility to the company, but perhaps nothing is more important than his willingness to get out “in the field” with the sales team itself. According to Vistage sales management experts John Asher, Jack Daily and Paul Goldner, sales managers can exert great influence and provide vital guidance during field calls with their salespeople.
“As the world grows more complex and reliant upon technology, the need for the personal touch has never been greater,” Daly says. “If a sales rep is having some problems, the sales manager can help find the solution, primarily through observing the rep in action.”
Of course, the sales manager accompanying a rep into the field must show some restraint. “Unfortunately, some managers take over the sales presentation themselves,” Goldner notes. “This undercuts the sales rep’s credibility, damages his individual selling style, and negates an opportunity for the manager to observe the rep in action.”
Asher’s advice: Map out your joint strategy before making the sales call. “The sales manager and his rep should review and refine the approach the rep will use in the field. How can the manager support him? Can they leverage a situation to gain access to key decision-makers in the customer’s organization?”
This is a distinct possibility, since in many cases the presence of the sales manager can elevate the sales discussion; it can also “free up” negotiations, when the sales manager is empowered to offer better terms and conditions than would ordinarily be offered.
“After the sales call, the manager and sales rep should take a close look at what happened,” Goldner says. “The focus should be on the salesperson’s strategies and techniques — what worked and what didn’t. This kind of personal attention is, in itself, a powerful motivating tool.”
Coach in the field, not in the locker room, Daly says. “Too many sales managers are busy shuffling papers, filling out reports, sitting behind their desks. They should be out making calls with their salespeople, helping to train them in ever more productive sales techniques. If you’re not training, you’re not gaining.”
Daly recommends three kinds of “coaching calls” — on-site visits (to customers or prospects) with the sales rep, in order to provide coaching and feedback for improvement:
- Joint call. Working as a team, the sales manager and sales rep participate equally in the call. “These double-up calls not only increase sales, they make wonderful learning experiences,” Daly says. Following the call, ask the sales rep three questions: What worked on the call?? What didn’t work?? If you had to do it over, what would you do differently?
- Training call. The sales manager runs the sales call while the salesperson silently observes. At the end of the call, debrief the salesperson by asking: What did I do that worked well?? What could I have done to improve the presentation?? If you were making the call, what would you do differently?
- Coaching call. Set up a series of calls with the same salesperson on the same day. The salesperson runs each call and the sales manager silently observes. Don’t debrief at the end of each call. As the two of you drive from one call to the next, ask the salesperson these questions:
What is our purpose on the next call? What is the value of the account? Who is the key decision maker? What is his or her highest value need? What is the customer’s market share? Who are the customer’s competitors? Are we positioned to take over the account? If so, how? What is standing in our way?? Who are our top three competitors? What type, piece or share of business do we have? ?What are the three biggest obstacles to getting more business?? How can I help you back at the corporate office?
Wait until the end of the day and then collectively debrief all the calls. “More important,” Daly says, “don’t step in and rescue a sale when the salesperson makes a mistake. If you take over the call, it defeats the purpose. You must be willing to lose a few in order to develop your people. The goal is to observe patterns of behavior throughout the day and then provide quality feedback and coaching.”
Typically, salespeople don’t enjoy “coaching days,” but they need them in order to learn and grow, Daly says. “As the sales leader, your job is to raise the bar and help your salespeople grow by coaching in the field.”
©2007 Vistage International.
(Editor’s Note: Vistage is the world’s largest CEO membership organization with more than 14,000 members in 16 countries. Eight times each year, Vistage CEO Group members participate in workshops lead by expert resource speakers. The first West Sound Vistage CEO group is chaired by Ken Sethney. Interested members of the business community can learn more by contacting him at (206) 780-9145.)
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