| Many sales managers tell me that their | | | | sales performer step up and make an effort? |
| salespeople don't meet their expectations. The | | | | Empty promises and hollow threats from the |
| sales manager pleads, begs and even threatens, | | | | sales manager don't mean a thing. The |
| but the salesperson just goes through the | | | | salesperson still collects a paycheck and the rest |
| motions of selling and following through on | | | | of the team gets more and more frustrated with |
| proposals and sales calls. He or she never really | | | | the lack of decisive action. |
| engages in their jobs or careers. The sales | | | | If you have a salesperson that isn't performing, |
| manager simply doesn't inspire confidence, | | | | it's your responsibility to take action to find out |
| credibility or have a firm grip on the performance | | | | why and work to resolve it. |
| of their sales team. | | | | Here are just a few reasons why your |
| I could give you a long list of reasons why sales | | | | salesperson is not performing: |
| managers lack respect from their sales team and | | | | - Insufficient product training |
| why their credibility is shot. However, I want to | | | | - Lack of effective sales training |
| focus on the one problem that I see quite often. | | | | - Micromanaging sales manager |
| The quickest way for a sales manager to lose | | | | - Lack of leadership in the company |
| credibility with their sales team members is their | | | | - Poor sales hire - they're not "wired" for the job |
| lack of taking decisive action when dealing with | | | | - You inherited a poor sales performer when you |
| poor sales performers. | | | | started as sales manager |
| Too many sales managers, for myriad reasons, | | | | - And many, many more... |
| fail to address the issues associated with a poor | | | | I'm an advocate for always attempting to first |
| sales performer. They talk about them with other | | | | find the source of the lackluster performance and |
| people or managers. They listen to excuses | | | | fixing it, if possible. However, if you haven't |
| month after month. The sales manager may think | | | | discovered it through diligent analysis, then your |
| changing the salesperson's compensation plan | | | | options are reduced to either moving the |
| might help or even providing a new territory or | | | | salesperson to another position in the company or |
| product will fix the problem. | | | | removing them completely. |
| Instead, what really happens is the salesperson in | | | | In either case, your attention to this serious |
| questions monopolizes the sales manager's time | | | | problem is desperately needed on the part of the |
| and energy while the other salespeople shake | | | | sales team. It cannot function as a sales team |
| their heads and shrug their shoulders each night as | | | | unless you build the confidence of the members |
| they go home and download to their spouse. | | | | that you're right for the job. You must prove that |
| They can't figure out why their co-worker isn't | | | | you will make decisions that are in the best |
| pulling his or her own weight and why the sales | | | | interest of the team and have a strong desire to |
| manager isn't doing anything about it. | | | | create an environment of success for everyone. |
| Allowing poor performers to hang out too long | | | | Remember, the viability of your sales team rests |
| simply reinforces poor performance. If no | | | | on your shoulders. Don't let them down. |
| accountability is in place, then why should the poor | | | | |