Spend time with your people in the field

no responses yet | Add Reply | Subscribe to Comments (RSS)

**Note: This is the second part in a five-part series entitled, “The Five Principles of Sales Team Leadership.”

Previous articles in the series:

I’ve learned many things about developing relationships with the individuals on my sales teams. Some lessons I’ve learned the hard way; for others I’ve had a strong model and mentor show me the way ahead of time. But one thing I’ve learned for certain, through experience, is this:

The biggest indicator of how much you care about your team members will not be in what you tell them, but in how much time you spend with them. And that care is the basis for your relationship and credibility with them.

A Few Initial Thoughts

When a sales representative’s only contact is over the phone, they will ultimately feel isolated and alone. And the reality is, they need to know that you’re not only willing to lecture them on how to improve, but willing to show them as well. Demonstrating what you want them to learn and do is the key element. Telling someone does not help. People remember better when they actually see someone else do the task.

Not only that, but when you want someone to modify behavior, you need to show them and talk to them in an environment that is conducive to change. Sitting in your conference room or at a Starbucks is not the place.

Finally, when riding with a sales professional, always remember to reinforce their commitment to learn and to change because of the goals that are important to them (see principle #1); and to achieve these goals on time. If people don’t change, the results often won’t either!

So, How Much Time Should You Spend?

This is a trick question. The amount of time you spend with a sales rep in the field will vary with their level of experience and expertise in your industry and company. The newer they are and the less expert in certain skills, the more of a model they need to follow. The key is to ride along often enough that you can let them learn and develop a skill multiple times, so they can demonstrate progress to you.

Again, telling people what to do just doesn’t work for most people. We’re visual creatures. We need to see the skills performed with our own eyes in order to truly know how to do them.

Plan Ahead of Time

A successful ride requires a pre-plan by you, the manager. What did you discuss in your previous rides? What specific commitments did you each make? What stories do their numbers tell? Has this all been logged someplace? How can you reward them for the progress you’re going to see?

You’ve got to remember that this time together must make a difference, it’s not just to “spend time together.” Your goals and objectives should zero in on one or two skills at most that you can train towards.

How the Ride Plays Out

Once you’ve gotten together, you should talk for at least a few minutes beforehand. Collaborate with him or her to set specific, measurable goals and objectives for the day. Talk to them about your confidence in them, and remind them of why they’re a good fit for the position they’re in. Everything said in this time before the ride should be positive and uplifting.

Once you’ve started making calls, follow this simple pattern:

Talk about the behaviors you want them to master,
Demonstrate the behaviors more than once,
Recap what you did or didn’t do after the call, then
Allow them to demonstrate them for you on other calls.

Try to avoid “rescuing” your sales professional from a poor call, let it be a learning experience.

One Last Tip

Though both you and your sales representative should recognize the purpose of this ride, it’s good management etiquette to ask their permission to “coach them” before offering criticism or advice. You might even specifically say, “Okay, how do you think that call when, as far as what we’re focusing on today?” Once they’ve answered, if you’ve got specific advice to give them, simply say, “Can I coach you on that?” They’ll answer yes, which locks in their attention, and you can share with them your ideas.

If you want the individuals on your sales team to strengthen their skills and confidence, while you enhance your credibility with them, spend time with them in the field. It is the best use of your time as a sales manager.