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Brian Tracy University: Staying On Top of the Job
April 20, 2009
By Brian Tracy
Once upon a time, a major company ran into serious financial problems. Over a period of two years, their sales volume had dropped precipitously, the stock value fell 80 percent, and the company was in danger of being broken up into smaller units. Something had to be done.
The board of directors brought in a new president, who in turn brought in a management consulting firm to find out what was wrong. And after several months of study and millions of dollars of man hours, they sat the board down and told them the reason for the company's problems:
Low sales.
Less obviously, but far more importantly, they discovered the sales manager was the most important single factor determining sales volume in the organization. Under the old management, the sales manager had been relegated to a desk job, filling out forms and paperwork. And the longer he stayed out of the field, the lower the sales in every area.
Today, with markets contracting, competition intensifying, customers procrastinating, and sales declining, the sales manager must get out of the office and into the field. You must go up to the front line where the soldiers are shooting and take personal charge of the battle. This can do more to influence and improve your sales results than almost any other action you can take.
Field supervision allows you to feel the pulse of the business. It is how you function as a role model to your salespeople and a company representative to your customers. It is an important way to inspect or to expect.
There are several advantages of field supervision. First, it builds stronger relationships with your salespeople. Since the quality of the relationship the salesperson has with the manager is the critical determinant on his performance and success, the stronger relationship you build, the higher his sales.
Second, direct sales supervision gives you an opportunity to observe and evaluate the work style, habits, and competence of each rep. It is the only way that you can really know how the salesperson sells, and then give them timely feedback to help them to be better in the future.
Third, direct sales supervision gives you direct, unfiltered contact with customers. It enables you to keep your hands on the pulse of your business, giving you direct customer feedback and information you can get in no other way.
Fourth, direct field supervision gives you a greater sense of control. You feel more on top of your work and attuned to what is really going on in your marketplace. This is something you can only acquire through first-hand experience.
The sales manager should spend a good 75 percent of his time in the field with his salespeople. The best way to go about this is to plan the day in advance. Have the salesperson set up several appointments, both with existing customers and with new prospects. You should begin first thing in the morning and work with the salesperson for the entire day.
Remember that the purpose of going into the field is not to criticize or berate the salesperson. Rather, it is to listen calmly, be a friendly representative of the company to the customer or prospect, and then to give positive and helpful feedback to the salesperson after the call.
Especially avoid judgment, blaming, or criticism of any kind. Instead, comment on the positive things that the salesperson did and said. After you have presented a couple of positive comments, ask the salesperson if he noticed anything he might improve upon in the next call. Always focus on the future. When you criticize a person for a past performance, they automatically become angry and defensive because there is nothing that they can do to change it.
By spending time in the field with your salespeople seeing customers, you can maximize your time and multiply your effectiveness. And in the process, you can make a tremendous contribution to the success of your business.
Brian Tracy is one of the top sales and management trainers in the world. He is president of Brian Tracy University online (www.briantracyu.com), which offers certificates in superior sales management and high performance selling.
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