Mike Cromwell and Dave Gilbert had a chance to talk to Jeffrey Pearl of OTG Consulting, and the conversation went to how to treat your salespeople.
“Your people are your best asset.” – Jeffrey Pearl
Most businesses have some kind of sales team; the go-getters, the ones who chase a quota or grind the deals until they close. But, as Jeffrey Pearl states, “I would always dig in and try to figure out what made that person tick. Why are they there? Why are they in sales? Why are they working so hard?”
By being frank and open in your coaching sessions with your sales team members, you can begin to understand those motivating factors. This will be unique to every person on your team, and while it seems very close to Dreambuilding exercises, it takes on a new form when you, as a mentor, help to realize those goals.
“If you know [what they are working toward], you manage them that way and try to help them get their goals, personally.” First and foremost, if business goals are not aligned with personal goals, then you can be sure you are not getting the maximum output from your salesperson. Finding a way to tie those lines together helps you motivate and lead at the highest level.
Related Blog: Two Extremes of the UCaaS Salesperson
You can do this in the professional space by going on sales calls with your people. You bring a certain level of clout, as a sales manager, director, or chief, and that presence reinforces your commitment to helping your team achieve its goals. You might be surprised by the impact of your presence has on even the most mundane sales call.
So realize your salespeople are people, first and foremost, work with them to align the company goals with the individual goals, and be a partner to their success. Use your experience to mentor your team and be that force multiplier toward your shared success.
After all, if you decide to be the guy in the office who ignores his people until and unless they miss a quota, you are not really leading at all.