I was having dinner at a local chain restaurant last night called Smokey Bones in Greensboro, NC. The service was outstanding … not just good, but outstanding! As we were sitting there (near the hostess stand) I overheard the manager call three of his staff together and say “I just noticed three customers walk in and no one greeted them. This is unacceptable. To be the best we need you to be the best … please greet everyone like they are important to us … because they are. Can you do this?” Of course they all said ‘yes’ and their service level (and attitude) improved immediately with an obvious sense of pride. They believed they were “the best.”

As I work with clients around the country it amazes me how many times a sales rep comes up to me at a break to tell me they are one of the top sales reps in their organization and say something like, “I already do what you are telling us to do, but it’s a good review for me.” More often than not when I speak to their manager he or she tells me something completely opposite from the sales rep’s view.

Managers … if your sales people think they are great and you don’t agree then it’s your fault!!! Outstanding managers set the bar high and coach their people to the bar and accept no compromise just like the manager at Smokey Bones. The entire staff at Smokey Bones reflected the excellence of their manager and they all looked like they loved working there and thought they were pretty good (even the three who were immediately coached by the manager on the floor.)

What does this mean to you as a sales manager? Quite simply … You can’t manage your sales staff from behind a desk. You must be out in the field and coach your sales team in real time just like the Smokey Bones manager did last night. If you’re an NFL fan … do NFL coaches stay in the office on Sunday’s and ask their players to send them the scores each quarter or are they on the side lines and coaching their players as they come off the field after a failed play? The best sales managers are great coaches who set the bar high and coach their staff to “hit the bar” without compromise.

There are a lot of Smokey Bones type managers around the country and I love to hear positive stories about such managers. I’m sure my experience at Smokey Bones last night triggered an experience you have had whether it’s a service experience or maybe an exceptional manager you worked for. Take a minute and tell me about it. I’d love to hear your story.

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