Part of any sales manager’s responsibilities should include a training component with their sales team. Although we are an advocate for a formal sales training program for individual salespeople, and have developed a one-day course we offer clients and other companies, it’s not a replacement for the need to have a sales manager train the members of their team.
If the sales manager carries an individual sales quota, along with their team responsibilities, it’s even more important that they get out of the office and work with their sales team in the field. Why? If you want to learn something, teach it to someone else. There is nothing like a lesson or two to hone your own sales skills.
Why then do I see sales managers who refrain from getting out of the office and working with their salespeople? There may be more than just one answer. Many will claim it’s a time problem; with all the demands of managing staff, operations, reporting, and customer service, they can’t afford to be away from their desk.
Others will say that they are spread thin and that the number of sales staff prevents them from working one-on-one; they will revert to some level of training on the agenda during a larger sales meeting. There is another group that tells me that their salespeople will resist making joint calls with them – the salespeople will tell me they don’t want their boss along for fear he or she will jeopardize the account relationship.
As a sales manager, you should seize every opportunity to hone your skills and stay in top selling condition. Let’s face it. If you don’t use your sales skills on a regular basis, you are likely to slip-up or make a mistake. The only way to stay sharp is to be put in everyday selling situations. Even those of you who carry a quota or account responsibility require the added dimension of accounts assigned to others. The more the variety of situations, the better prepared you will be; not just for yourself, but to coach others, too.
This is an excellent time to add this to your list of New Year’s resolutions. Working on your professional skill set is as important as staying in top physical condition. Seize the opportunity to mentor to your staff. But, remember that mentoring is a two-way street. Just as we may offer advice and counsel to others, we can learn from them as well. Don’t be so quick to intercede thinking you have a better way. Before you extend that helpful hand in a selling situation, take a moment to observe; you might learn something in the process.
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