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