In the average sales organization, the successful sales reps get promoted to managers. These "new" sales managers are suddenly tasked with leadership and training.
In these situations, there is one common liability.
The salesperson's biggest strength now becomes the sales manager's biggest weakness in leading a team.
Notice I said leading a team, not managing one.
Here's why this happens.
Top sales reps don't diagnose and document their sales routines and processes. They just do it, as the sneaker commercial so aptly says. So, when they are asked to advance the same superior results in a large group, they can't do it.
Why?
Because these individuals are exceptional "drivers." Most of their past success was due to their personalities and abilities. But personal attributes are not transferable to the masses.
Sadly, most superior sales performers, when promoted to leadership positions, are unable to truly lead. They can't analyze and teach their personal sales processes in a way their sales teams can digest.
Solo reps who move into the management sphere tend to manage people versus coaching critical competencies and behaviors.
Most of us can only stretch within the boundaries of our own seeded characteristics and attributes.
Sales leaders must understand sales systems and processes, and STILL be flexible. They need the majority of their salespeople to accept it, own it and benefit from it.
If you are familiar with my sales system, the Business of Core Competencies, you have experience in identifying and measuring critical core competencies and essential performance metrics. You are competent in the art of running your numbers, not running after quota.
Sales leaders understand there are a finite number of scenarios in any selling process. If you identify, train to and measure each one of them, you are on your way to excellence.
They shine a light on the most critical competencies, enabling the most people to routinely win.
Sales leaders train to each one of these competencies, but they do so by priority. They understand that training to multiple missions at once will achieve few results.
Sales leaders consider results-oriented training a process versus an event. They don't just talk about it at sales meetings, or attend seminars that superficially touch on it. They extract the most important critical competency, such as creating new opportunities, and peel back every element that comprises it.
They break apart the elements into single scenarios. And they attach powerful routines to each scenario.
Sales leaders spend time developing systematic approaches to essential competencies. And they do it so their people can outperform the standard.
They set up training campaigns to improve the ratios of success in each competency. Operational effectiveness equals better competency routines. Better than whose, you ask? Your competitors', of course.
Sales leaders understand their essential competency ratios and performance numbers. They can relate them to their revenue objectives. The first priority for training jumps right off the page.
It slaps them in the face.
Sales leaders also set realistic goals in line with their performance ratios. They set "benchmarks" for each competency. and train specifically to that benchmark.
Jim Tressel, head football coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, gave a pre-season interview. This was after winning the 2002 National Football Championship. He said, "We've decided to identify a number of important performance benchmarks, and effect training to meet them each week. For instance, we found that over the last 15 years, when we gained at least 200 rushing yards in a game, we won the game 98% of the time. So we are training to routines that will help us get better at the competency of running the football on the ground in order to reach that particular benchmark more often."
Another great college coach, when interviewed about his coaching philosophy, said, "You develop the best game plan you can, build systems and processes to help support it, train everyone how to work within it, and then let the players go out and unleash their natural abilities. You let them play the game between the lines."
Sales leaders believe that sales reps will be accountable to results, provided that leadership:
(1) Identifies the important competencies required for success;
(2) Supplies targeted training with appropriate structures for learning and application; and,
(3) Measures the degree of improvement.
Sales leaders are dedicated to transforming "C" players into "B" players, and "B" players into "A" players.
They hold themselves accountable to develop or invest in relevant training systems, learning structures and support tools. They want most of their people to routinely meet or exceed company revenue goals, as well as personal career objectives. They know that they must provide the setting and the tools that foster this kind of achievement.
Their seat-of-the-pants skill sets are excellent. The challenge is to convert them to transferable processes and routines that focus on essential competencies.
The sales leader, as opposed to the sales manager, knows one thing for certain. The self-sustained success of his people depends on it.
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