| In the average sales organization, successful sales | | | | With the right systems in place, good sales leaders |
| reps get promoted to managers. These "new" sales | | | | understand their essential competency ratios and |
| managers are suddenly tasked with leadership and | | | | performance numbers, and are able to relate them to |
| training. In these situations, there is one common | | | | revenue objectives. It is important to set realistic |
| liability. The salesperson's biggest strength now | | | | goals that are in line with performance ratios, then |
| becomes the sales manager's biggest weakness in | | | | set "benchmarks" for each competency and train |
| leading a team. Typically, top sales reps don't | | | | specifically to those benchmarks.Jim Tressel, head |
| diagnose and document their sales routines and | | | | football coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, gave a |
| processes; rather, they "just do it", as the sneaker | | | | preseason interview the year after winning the 2002 |
| commercial so aptly says. So, when they are asked | | | | National Football Championship. He said, "We decided |
| to advance the same superior results in a large | | | | to identify a number of important performance |
| group, they can not do it. Why? Because these | | | | benchmarks, and effect training to meet them each |
| individuals are exceptional "drivers." Most of their past | | | | week. For instance, we found that over the last 15 |
| success was due to their personalities and individual | | | | years, when we gained at least 200 rushing yards in |
| abilities, which are not transferable to the | | | | a game, we won the game 98% of the time. So we |
| masses.Sadly, most superior sales performers, when | | | | are training to routines that will help us get better at |
| promoted to leadership positions, are unable to truly | | | | the competency of running the football on the |
| lead. They have trouble analyzing and teaching their | | | | ground in order to reach that particular benchmark |
| personal sales processes in such a way that their | | | | more often."Sales leaders believe that sales reps will |
| sales teams can properly digest. Solo reps who move | | | | be accountable to results, provided that leadership: |
| into the management sphere tend to manage people | | | | (1) Identifies the important competencies required |
| versus coaching critical competencies and behaviors, | | | | for success; |
| which hurts the bottom line. To be effective, sales | | | | (2) Supplies targeted training with appropriate |
| leaders must understand and know how to integrate | | | | structures for learning and application; and, |
| knowledge of sales systems and processes to their | | | | (3) Measures the degree of improvement.Sales |
| staff. They need the majority of their salespeople to | | | | leaders are dedicated to transforming "C" players into |
| accept it, own it and benefit from it.Going one step | | | | "B" players, and "B" players into "A" players. They |
| further, it is crucial for sales leaders to have | | | | hold themselves accountable to develop or invest in |
| experience in identifying and measuring critical core | | | | relevant training systems, learning structures and |
| competencies and essential performance metrics. | | | | support tools. They want most of their people to |
| Sales leaders should understand that there are a | | | | routinely meet or exceed company revenue goals, as |
| finite number of scenarios in any selling process. If | | | | well as personal career objectives. They know that |
| you identify, train to and measure each one of them, | | | | they must provide the setting and the tools that |
| you are on your way to excellence. True sales | | | | foster this kind of achievement.While their |
| leaders shine a light on the most critical | | | | seat-of-the-pants skill sets are excellent, the natural |
| competencies, enabling the highest percentage of | | | | sales rep, when thrust into the role of sales manager, |
| their sales force to routinely win. Sales leaders train | | | | must learn how to convert these skills into |
| to each one of these competencies, but they do so | | | | transferable processes and routines that focus on |
| by priority. They understand that training to multiple | | | | essential competencies. Thereafter, it comes down |
| missions at once will achieve minimal results.The | | | | to how effectively they can train, motivate and |
| importance of sales training comes into play for sales | | | | support their staff towards maximizing core |
| leaders, who must consider results-oriented training | | | | competencies, which ultimately increases the odds of |
| as a process versus an isolated event. They don't | | | | exceeding revenue targets.Jeff Hardesty is President |
| just talk about it at sales meetings, or attend | | | | of JDH Group, Inc. and the Developer of the X2 |
| seminars that superficially touch on it; instead, they | | | | Sales System(R), a blended training system that |
| extract the most important critical competency, such | | | | teaches sales professionals the competency of |
| as creating new opportunities, and peel back every | | | | setting C-level business appointments. |
| element that comprises it. They break apart the | | | | Jeff has been featured in numerous National |
| elements into single scenarios and attach powerful | | | | publications such as Business First, Dartnell's SELL!NG , |
| routines to each scenario. Sales leaders, like great | | | | Chief Learning Officer and Training Magazine with |
| business leaders, spend time developing systematic | | | | reference to Blended Learning Systems and |
| approaches to essential competencies. And they do it | | | | improving sales teams Key Performance Indicators. |
| so that their people can outperform the | | | | He travels the country conducting live X2 'Boot |
| standard.Sales training campaigns should be setup to | | | | Camps' and Train-the-trainer sessions helping sales |
| improve the ratios of success in each core | | | | organizations get more reps to Quota in less time, |
| competency. Operational effectiveness equals better | | | | shorten new-hire 'Ramp-to-Quota' and eliminate |
| competency routines. Better than whose, you ask? | | | | Turnover costs due to low sales activity. |
| Your competitors', of course. | | | | |