Dan:
After several years as a top sales rep I was recently promoted to manager. I now have a team of ten reporting to me. Can you provide any ideas that will help
me lead my team?
Amy
Redmond, WA
Amy:
Great question! Congratulations on your promotion!
Your question indicates that you already have a grasp of the importance of leadership. I believe that great management is not about management so much as it is about LEADING your team. It's about helping each of your team members achieve her full potential. You can't do that by managing alone. You must lead!
One of the very best ways to lead is to build a sales team culture of excellence. What helps is to initiate a "Self-Learning Sales Organization."
As I look back on my own sales managers, I have a great appreciation for those who created an environment which stressed improvement, and as a result, a sales team culture of excellence. The best managers expected you to bring your "A game" every day. Superstar managers promoted an environment for self-learning by requiring a high level of professionalism and expertise on each and every task. They expected every team member to be on a continuous self-improvement plan to increase his/her sales skills. The very best sales leaders set the tone, sold the value, and then put a process in place to execute on the self-improvement plan.
How does this apply to you, Amy? I suggest that as a new leader, you will:
- Take a few weeks to assess your team.
- Share your vision of a team where ALL team members are expected to improve their sales skills and help other team members do the same.
- Create a self-learning sales organization process for that learning to take place.
Here are some ideas for implementing a self-learning sales organization:
- Set aside a particular time each week for team learning and improvement. You may decide that every Wednesday morning at 7:00 am is your "team time." NOTHING is more important than this weekly call. If you cancel or reschedule it even once, it sends a message you are weak about driving a team culture of self-improvement.
- Make one team member responsible for the topic each week. He/she should lead the meeting.
- Make the meeting about sharing best practices.
- Topics should be 80% sales skills best practices, and 20% about your product or solution.
- Homework should be required for each call. For example, you may require all participants to read a book or article. Share the key best practices from the author and discuss how they can be put to good use in your world.
- Make active participation in these weekly meetings a part of the quarterly and yearly performance review for each team member.
Do you need some inspiration for potential topics to review during your weekly meetings?
Click HERE: TTS NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Next month I will be discussing another great topic for the weekly meeting: How to consult with your clients and discuss your solution via the web! Be sure to add it to your list of key topics.
Good luck in your new role as sales leader, Amy!
Remember this great quote from Aristotle:
"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event, it is a habit."