Most markets today are buyers’ markets. So your sales team may be having a tough time. That’s where professional sales leadership really comes into its own.
Increase your communication rate
When times are tough your people need more contact from you. E-mails and circulars are fine; phone calls and meetings are better.
Lead from the front
Go out more with your team, not less. Salespeople do not respect managers who claim to know what it’s like out there in the market but never see customers. Maybe even run a few accounts yourself to show how it’s done.
Help your team to set priorities and manage their time
When business is quiet there is always a temptation for salespeople to fill their day with any sort of activity – even if unproductive and costly. Remind everyone of the basics of customer grading, opportunity management and task prioritisation based on (definite) cost versus (potential) value.
Publicise successes
But only those which arise from good practice and which contain a lesson or some motivation for the rest of the team. No one is inspired by learning about someone else’s “lucky break” if it really is pure luck!
Lead by example and practice what you preach
Having been told by his team how difficult it was to get good appointments one Chief Executive picked up the phone and made appointments for them. There were no further complaints!
Invest time in training and development
Combine the key sales management roles of ‘motivating’ and ‘coaching’. Some vital messages for your team are :
- Keep on doing the right things – even if these appear to have no results;you will reap the rewards when the market recovers
- Look for the customers who still do have money – they may be hard to find but they always still exist
- Use your contacts and network endlessly – ask for referrals; use networking websites; keep selling actively to existing customers
- Selling is a “numbers game” in most markets – sales results come from a combination of “Quality of Selling Effort” and “Quantity of Selling Effort”; selling in a recession requires more “quantity” however good your “quality”
- Your competitors’ best customers are your best prospects – unless you have 100% market share (!) you can always get business by outselling your competition and taking market share from them; you need to “sell the difference” and a important part of that difference is you!
- Customers’ priorities and motives may change in a recession – have you changed your sales approach to match?
Sales management is both a special skill and a specialist set of skills. Sales Managers are at their most valuable when their teams are selling in a recession.
TACK’s range of Sales Management courses give guidance on how to implement these sales management techniques effectively.
If you’re a sales leader responsible for delivering targets through your people take a look at our range of sales training courses within your organisation, we’d love to talk to you so please get in touch by email info@tack.co.uk or call 0845 072 0144.
