The Problem
“If you think the problem is “out there”…..that thought may be your problem.”

The above words, which were spoken to me by my boss over 20 years ago had a profound impact on my development as a sales manager because he was suggesting that I should consider what role I may have played in the sales productivity problems that I was facing.

When it comes to confronting underperforming salespeople – be they underperforming “newbies” or senior tenured reps who have fallen on hard times - the fundamental mistake most sales managers make is that they manage results, instead of the behaviors and activities that lead to the results. It’s entirely rational that we sales managers focus on results because that’s how we are measured and, of course, compensated. Unfortunately, it’s not very effective. Here’s why… (See Below)

(Continued . . .) A sales “result” is what comes about as a consequence of the sales process(es) that preceded it. Sales managers who manage by results – by which I mean a sales manager who waits until a poor result is produced and then confronts the salesperson about the poor production, is like a general manager of a factory who stands in the shipping department counting the number of products produced by the factory that are ready to be shipped. If there are fewer products produced than the manager was expecting he now learns that he has a problem, unfortunately he doesn’t have a clue as to what went wrong inside the factory during the production process that caused the poor production.

B + A = R. Behaviors + Activities = Results. To be an effective sales manager you must focus on the input side of the production equation, the behaviors and activities that contribute to the sales results.

Many sales managers haven’t clearly defined the behaviors and activities that sales reps need to be successful. Here’s a test for you. Suppose I was to email five of your salespeople individually and ask them to reply to the following question: “Please describe to me the specific behaviors and activities you need to perform to achieve the sales results your company expects”. How many different answers would I receive? Often times when I have asked this question I receive a different answer from every salesperson. So, there is a lack of clarity regarding that company’s “standards for success.” All salespeople understand the results the company expects, but they often lack a clear understanding of the “what’s and how’s” they need to do to produce those results.

Now, imagine that you’re a salesperson. You’ve just had a bad month. Your boss confronts you about that bad month, but he or she doesn’t have a clue what caused the bad month. So the manager “pushes” the button sales managers always push when they don’t know what caused poor production: “You’re not making enough sales calls. Increase your activity level and you’ll sell more.” How does that make you feel? Chances are, you feel demoralized. You would appreciate a more constructive coaching discussion, but you’re not getting it. “Now, your boss tells you, “get out there and sell more.”

The Solution
Here are some additional questions that this presentation will answer:

• What part of the sales process should I pay the most attention to when coaching?
• What are the four components of a performance standard?
• What are the two components of productivity that every sales manager should consider when diagnosing a sales productivity problem?
• How can I re-energize a senior sales rep who has become “stuck in a rut”?
• How should I confront an under-performing rep when I don’t know what the cause of the problem is?
  

Kevin Davis is the president of TopLine Leadership Inc., a company that provides sales and sales management training services that dramatically increase productivity. Kevin has 28 years of sales, sales management and training experience. Many successful companies, including IKON Office Solutions, BellSouth Business Systems and Bayer Diagnostics have adopted Davis’ sales method as their company-wide “language of selling.” Davis’ “Sales Management Leadership in the 21st Century” seminar has been delivered to over 20,000 sales managers.

Kevin is the author of Getting Into Your Customer’s Head: 8 Secret Roles of Selling Your Competitors Don’t Know (Times Business / Random House), which was voted one of the best sales books by Selling magazine, and one of the top 30 business books by Soundview Executive Book Summaries (out of 1,500 titles considered annually).

Prior to starting his firm in 1989, Kevin was a sales representative, account executive, sales manager, and district general manager during a distinguished career with Lanier Worldwide, a Fortune 200 company. In each of Kevin’s positions he earned Lanier’s Chairman’s Council award, presented annually to producers ranking in the top five percent. He also earned Lanier’s prestigious “District Manager of the Year” award. As a sales manager, Kevin hired, trained, and coached over 250 salespeople.

Here are what past customer's are saying about Kevin's previous sales training:

"This methodology is a must for any organization wanting to get the most out of their account management system. It has helped us create, manage, and win more complex, multi-level sales opportunities."

"Our sales force is comprised of salespeople with 12-25 years of sales experience. Most of these salespeople have already attended the leading sales training programs. It's quite an endorsement that every one of our sales people told me that Getting Into Your Customer's Head is the best sales training program they've ever attended."

What participants say six months after training:

"With the emphasis toward the customer buying versus the salesman selling, my approach and questioning skills put me in a better position with an account that I had not been able to get anywhere with. The end result - a $36,000 sale!"

"I closed the XYZ account shortly after our training due to an ROI letter."

"The training has made me put myself in the place of the customer. I am better prepared and much more professional in my approach. I feel more confident."

"I’m much more aware of the political forces inside my key accounts, which has helped me get to the 'Power Broker' more quickly than I had in the past."

"The training has improved my needs analysis/questioning skills and I’m more effective at convincing prospects there is a need to address these concerns."

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