A business newsletter with Pizzazz!
"We help leaders become better marketersDon't forget to reward your good sales managers with more than just an occasional pat on the back. Remember, good sales managers are sometimes hard to find and even harder to replace! My recent discussion with a young salesman prompted me to again ponder whether or not you can really motivate a salesperson. My thoughts are this month's insight.
Feel free to forward Insights & Joy to friends and associates
Subscribe directly by e-mail to rpmorgan@morganmarketingsolutions.com and writing "subscribe" in the subject box.
Check our web site for: $ Million Marketing Tips, Insights & Joy Archive, Speaker's Directory, and our Article Library!
Really, can you motivate a salesperson?
Really, can you motivate a salesperson?
Smiles
make the day! Wouldn't it be grand if politicians would fight poverty with
something besides tax increases? If
politicians refrained from saying nasty things about opponents, many would be
speechless! It
never occurs to some politicians that Lincoln is worth imitating as well as
quoting. Those elected because of their gift of gab are often
defeated because of their gift of grab. Half of all accidents happen at home. Apparently the rest
happen in voting booths! If you lie to people to get their money, that's fraud. If
you lie to them to get their votes, that's politics! The only thing dirtier and harder to clean up than a
small boy is politics. $ Million Marketing TipsI was chatting
with a young salesman last week. He is a representative for a large company and
he was grousing about a recent day spent with his sales manager. He related
that his manager came from a different division and does not yet have
a detailed understanding of the product line or product capabilities. They made
two calls that day.
One call did not result in
a sale and the sales manager was of no help during the interview.
Later, the manager took extra pains to criticize in a very negative way,
offering no helpful ideas on how the sales representative could have
improved his presentation. The day seemed to be turning into a salesperson's
disaster.
The other call
went very well and a large order was closed. Again, the manager
sat mute during the entire sales interview. Later, the
intrepid sales manager phoned headquarters with the good news...and gave himself
credit for having closed the deal that day! For the salesman, the thrill of the
sale was gone along with its positive boost in self-confidence.
My young friend was angry and frustrated. "When I don't
get the order, my manager jumps on my back and issues veiled threats
about losing my job. When I succeed, he takes credit for the sale.
I feel like throwing up my arms and quitting when he's around or on the
telephone. I'm one of the company's best producers year in and year out, but I
try to avoid him when I can. He can't help me, but he can sure throw a wet
blanket on my whole week. How do jerks like him get to be sales managers
anyhow?"
His story made me shake my head. I have seen similar
situations many times. It seems that management, especially sales
management, is far more likely to demotivate sales people than to
motivate them. In fact, I question whether a manager can really motivate a
salesperson. Having been on both sides at various times, I tend to think that
sales people motivate themselves for the most part. I would love to have a
dollar for every time a salesperson has told me that his or her own office is
more of a problem than the competition!
I don't recall ever gaining any extra motivation from
films or rah-rah presentations. I believe that the motivation to gain business
is embedded into good sales people. A salesperson has an internal need to
persuade others and to achieve goals. I still get an emotional high when someone
tells me, "You've got a deal."
Perhaps the best role for a sales manager to adopt is as a
positive coach and troubleshooter. The best sales managers I have known
stay in the background, solve problems, act as a helpful tool when called upon,
celebrate individual successes, give full credit to the salesperson, and act as
their team's coach, mentor, and protector.
As a sales manager, I often thought that my most important
job was to help my sales people by removing the internal obstacles that stood in
the way of their field efforts. Problems like slow price or credit approvals,
backorders, shipping delays, and oppressive administrative work are issues that
an experienced sales manager can address for his team. Being the team's
cheerleader and coach is much more fun than being the feared and hated
supervisor who quickly chastises failure and takes personal credit for each
success.
Fortunately, a salesperson's record of achievement is
there for all to see. The sales manager's boss will surely be able to tell how
much of a salesperson's success is really attributable to the manager's effort.
Given the transparency of any sales manager's tendency to usurp credit for
his salesperson's success, I continue to be amazed by the number of
incompetent managers still in place. They do seem expert at one thing,
finding new methods for de-motivating their front-line sales
professionals.
Company officers should be alert for the telltale signs of
poor sales management. The most obvious one is turnover. When top producers
begin to leave, the first place to look for a solution is within the ranks of
first line sales management. You cannot depend upon exit interviews to point out
problem managers. Those leaving often give other reasons for changing jobs. They
may not want to give the real, negative reason like, "My sales manager is a
complete jackass." Another area to examine is compensation. If the company or
division has recently modified its sales compensation plan, check the effect the
change had on each person who quit. Finally, don't forget to examine your own
policies and actions. Are you part of the problem?
Reward your good sales managers with more than just an
occasional pat on the back. Remember, good sales managers are sometimes
hard to find and even harder to replace!
It's just
politics...unfortunately
If there were only two politicians left on earth, they
would form a new committee!
Many a politician who considers
himself far-sighted is a poor judge of distance.
A politician described
himself as the backbone of the legislature, but others said they wouldn't go
quite that high.
Old politicians never die...but many are reelected far
too many times!
The politician, when at a fork in the road, will attempt
to go in both directions.
No office holder is as bad as he is painted by
the opposition, or as good as he is white-washed by his
friends.
TIP: Assume that you can
improve what you are doing...then do so!
Amazing Facts!
Marketing Facets - The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis
Marketing Facets - The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis. Marketing Facets is a practical resource for those involved in determining the current health of a company and gauging its future prospects. I designed my 103-page guidebook to be a supplement to other evaluation procedures and information normally gathered during a thorough due diligence or business valuation process. The workbook takes a holistic approach, assembling facts and management assumptions in key areas to help analysts form and support conclusions.
Marketing Facets is a valuable resource to private investment fund managers, individual investors, venture capital specialists, investment banks, and valuation specialists. Marketing Facets can also serve as a guide for C-level executives who wish to perform their own company analysis as part of normal business planning, or in advance of efforts to refinance, acquire or divest.
Marketing Facets is available in electronic form via the Internet, on CD/ROM, or in print with a ring binder.P.S.
Ninety-five percent of our engagements originate as a referral from helpful people like you! If you know someone who:I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the situation with you.
Our ideal client
is a business owner or CEO between 30 and 60+ years old. Usually with a financial, engineering, or production background. Who is often impatient, and interested in improving company performance. Comes alive when you ask, "How's business?" He, or she, is practical but also enjoys the finer things in life. So, you may see my ideal client driving a Lexus or SUV to Neiman Marcus...and to Sam's Club. Who do you know that fits this description?A client
speaks: "It is hard to believe
that our relationship is now more than ten years old. We continue to benefit
from your professional
assistance in the United States. We were your first
client and we are very proud of both your progress and our
own."
Jose Suarez M., Industrias de Hule Galgo, S.A.
de C.V., Mexico City, D.F.
To unsubscribe, e-mail to rpmorgan@morganmarketingsolutions.com and write "unsubscribe" in the subject box.
©2006 Morgan Marketing Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Other distribution permitted with proper attribution.
Richard P. Morgan CMC
Morgan Marketing Solutions,
Inc.
Two Galleria Tower, Suite 10008
13455 Noel Road, Dallas, TX
75240-6620
Telephone 972.931.7993 fax 972.931.0542
email
Author, Marketing Facets
- The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis