Managers – You Can’t Lead Where You Won’t Go

This was one of Bill Brooks' favorite principles. He always preached that managers need to get out from behind their desks and get into the field. This doesn't just mean sales managers, but also VP's and C-level executives. Top organizations have executives and managers that "walk the walk."

I made a sales presentation to the executive team of a Fortune 500 financial company. The CEO, CFO, COO, Divisional VPs, and Directors attended the meeting to evaluate our company against five others for training and consulting services. During the Q&A portion of my presentation, the COO asked me, "Why is it that when other organizations do sales training they get results, but when we do it we don't see any change?"

Being the blunt, direct person I'm known to be, I responded, "The difference is everyone in this room. If you decide to work with us - or any of the other five companies you're considering - you will be choosing an excellent organization with success stories from clients who've achieved positive results. We all have excellent tools. The difference is what you do with those tools. You're fooling yourselves if you think you will see strong results simply by choosing a training company, then going back to your offices to wait for the P&L to change. Great organizations drive training from top down - they not only establish expectations, but they get out in the field and set the example for those expectations."

Here's an example from the NBA: Mitch Kupchek is the general manager of the LA Lakers, and Michael Jordan is part-owner and GM of the Charlotte Bobcats. Recently, the hosts of a sports talk show interviewed an NBA "insider" who observed that Mitch Kupchek goes to practice every day. He also attends almost every game, before which you'll find him down on the floor talking with the media and meeting the fans. He's also highly visible promoting the Lakers in the community.

In contrast, Michael Jordan drops into practice about once a week. He's rarely seen at games - and when he does attend, he's not out talking with the press and the fans - nor is out promoting the Bobcats in the community. The Lakers are competing for the championship and the Bobcats were at the bottom of the standings all year.

If you want to be one of the top organizations in your industry, look at where you've set the bar for your sales force, your executive team, and yourself. How often are you and your executive managers visible in the field, setting the example?

As Bill Brooks always said, "You can't lead where you won't go and you can't teach what you don't know." (Sales Management Principle #6)

Never Forget What Your Customer Wants

One of the great rewards of being a sales trainer is hearing back from your students that what they're doing is making a difference in both their personal lives and the lives of their customers.

Following a recent seminar, one of the sales managers in my class forwarded to me a testimonial letter one of his newest salespeople received from one of his customers. This young sales rep was relatively new to the business, but apparently he took his training on the IMPACT Selling System very seriously.

It the letter, the customer mentioned he had spoken with other salespeople from the same organization in the past, but in each case he never saw enough value in the opportunity to make the decision to "buy." Specifically, the customer said the person sitting across the table never asked what he was looking for or showed true concern for what was important to him. In his words, the "level of comfort" or "personal connection" was never made.

The customer went on to say all that changed when he met the new salesperson. He walked the customer through the entire buying process, exemplified the utmost personal attention and professionalism, answered all the questions and committed himself to what the customer needed and wanted. In the end, the customer said the salesperson created value that was more than just a short-term benefit - he created long-term value that would brighten his entire future. As a result, the customer made the decision to "buy" and has no regrets. In fact, he wrote the testimonial on his own because he was so pleased with the entire buying experience.

Isn't it ironic that a newer salesperson that practices the "basics" can outshine an experienced representative? How about you? Do you still work to establish the level of comfort or personal connection that makes a customer want to buy from you? If the answer is "No," remember the words of Zig Ziegler who said, "You get what you want by helping people get what they want."

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