Managing a Sales Staff Means Understanding How Your Workers Communicate

Bob Rosner from ABC News did a great article on this topic.

"Recently, I learned an amazing trick that many women have turned into an art form. When asked a question they don't want to answer, women might pause, smile and ask a question. Most guys' egos immediately kick in and they answer the question and forget all about the unanswered question.

Salespeople, especially the really good ones, can be equally adept at controlling a conversation. That's why it's important as a manager of salespeople to get your own ego out of the way and really focus on what your people are saying. I've included some questions below to help you to do this.

Do you ask more than tell? I remember once asking someone on the street in China a question. He nodded his head and I kept thinking he understood what I was saying. After a few minutes of this I finally realized he was just being polite and didn't understand a word I was saying. That's why it's so important to ask challenging questions that force people to reconsider their assumptions and then to listen intently to the answers. It's also very important to always let them suggest solutions before you start offering your own.

Do you adapt to their style? I had a boss who never wanted to visit my work space; we always met in his office. Are you like that? It's important to make your coaching more about the workers. Find out how they learn the best and what topics they think are the most important to discuss. The more you make it about your people, the higher the odds that they'll start improving their performance.

Do you provide specific, fact-based and practical feedback? Specific, fact-based and practical -- what a concept. Many bosses talk in riddles!  It is often really hard to sort out what they are really trying to say. That's why it's so important to make your feedback relevant to the issues that your sales people are struggling with.

Do you filter the demands on their time? Salespeople make money when they are selling. Yet so many companies drown them in meetings and "admistratriva" (don't look that up in the dictionary, I just made it up). Do everything you can do to focus their efforts on making you money and eliminate everything that doesn't.

Do you model the behavior you'd like to see from them? If you want a customer-focused sales team then model that behavior. Ask a lot of questions, focus on their concerns and be responsive to their needs. People learn by example, so set a good one.

Follow these tips and your sales force will answer your questions the right way -- with huge sales." 

   Robert Rudy   www.paradoxadvisors.com