Top Sales Manager Blog

Do your best sales reps feel disrespected when their sales managers assume they always have ALL the answers?

They hate it!

In fact, they feel that it’s a sign of disrespect, as well as a complete lack of belief (yours) in their inherent abilities (which they feel are enormous).

There is a “real life” trick that you can use to turn even the harshest dissenters into followers by simply changing the way you deal with them. It doesn’t take much, all it takes is for you to release a little control and let them feel the excitement of being on the business end of some kind of relevant policy change…especially one that directly impacts them.

So here’s the trick…clue them in on the decision making process, get them to make the decision for you, and you’ll see the sparks start to fly. You’ll also start to lead a whole lot more effectively in all aspects of your position.

And once you start leading this way, you’ll notice your salespeople are far more engaged and tuned into whatever initiative or blitz you spearhead.

The bottom line is this: salespeople love to be included in on the decision making process. They like to be thought of as important instead of just anonymous cogs in the machinery…and who wouldn’t?

All you need to do is just respect your salesperson’s opinions and in the end, they’ll end up respecting yours. And when you really need them to do something for your, they will do it…without question.

OK, here’s a “real world” example from the last few weeks:

I was in a meeting to determine some new “policy” that would definitely affect my sales team. The wrong decision would crush one of my senior reps territory sales for the remainder of the year. However, if it went our way, it could help him to blow out quota for months and quarters to come.

The problem was that I actually had no earthly idea what the right answer should be…so I was kinda freaking out. Worse yet, I could see that my turn was coming up soon…so I had to render an real opinion. Worse yet, my opinion could conceivably swing the vote…and I knew it.

So surreptitiously, (under the conference table so nobody would see), I text messaged my senior sales rep who would be most affected by the decision as to what they would do (knowing full well that he’s hyper-responsive and would immediately text me back).

Sure enough, (and lucky for me) I got my answer in under a minute, seemingly effortlessly relayed it to the group (as if I had known the answer for a milenium) and the decision was made…in my (and our) favor.

I called my sales rep after the meeting and told him the decision. He was thrilled. I actually think he was even more thrilled that I had asked him his opinion in a time of crisis (although I didn’t really tell him I was panicked – although I think he figured it out).

THAT is leadership. Unassuming. Transparent. Non-egotistical. Unconventional. Panicked in a time of need, yes.

However, real leadership that works.

The irony is, the more REAL you are, the better leader you become….

To learn more about sales management training, click here to get your choice of free sales management training courses.

Post a comment and tell me how you lead your salespeople in times of panic.

Filed under: Leading by ralphburns