Leading from Outside the Corner Office

Leading from Outside the Corner Office

(from my blog at http://www.robertdavidhays.com)

Sales managers have a tough job.  Not only are they charged with inspiring and motivating a sales team, they’re also responsible for the administrative efforts that go along with running a business and ensuring profitability for the organization.

So, whether you’re a team of one, or you share the duty of growing business with other sales professionals, here are a few ideas to help your leader, well…lead.

Support the newer reps

Most every organization has a mix of sales representatives ranging in years of experience with the company, and the needs of those individuals vary depending on a lot of factors. 

Your ‘rookies’ in particular are not only working like you to build a book of business, but they’re also trying to learn the ropes and improve their product knowledge.  When was the last time you scheduled a pow-wow to share your years of experience, and help them avoid some of the pitfalls you ran into early on?

Brainstorming retreats

When was the last time your team got together outside of the office, in shorts and flip-flops, to share ideas and discuss challenges in the field?  We as sales people tend to live on an island and work like a horse with blinders on in our territories.  Maybe someone else on your team is running into a similar issue with a customer and has figured out how to overcome it.  Perhaps there are some protocols or processes that you could simplify if you all put your heads together.  Leave refining your solutions for another day.  Just make it fun, and be sure that it’s a free flow of ideas without criticism. 

Expand your marketing efforts

The internet has dramatically changed the dynamic of business development.  Does your company have an online presence?  Do you?  Are you capitalizing on social networking sites to stay in active contact with your best customers?  How are you using it to find new ones?  You don’t have to be an expert, just do it, and the more informative and authentic – the better!

Networking

In your business, there are likely common groups or associations in which your customers convene.  How actively are you initiating opportunities to support these organizations?  Do they need presenters?  Help at a community outreach program, like a soup kitchen or Habitat for Humanity?  Chip in!

What do all of these things have in common?  Aside from making your boss happy because you’ve taken a few things off her plate, not to mention helped energize the rest of your team.  Every one of these activities is also likely to help YOU stimulate sales activity. 

By helping the newbies you’re likely to refresh your memory on some ‘back to basics’ sales skills.  Brainstorming retreats are certain to stimulate the ‘ol grey matter for a new way of approaching your business.  Kicking up your marketing efforts is sure to improve exposure of your company to potential clients, and remind existing customers why they buy from you.  Networking has a similar outcome.  When you’re in front of customers in a non-business setting, they realize that you have a heart and aren’t just out for the sale with every interaction.  And guess what? – That makes them want to buy from you even more!

Leadership comes in many forms, and not always with a title attached to it.

Good selling!