Is it micro-management or accountability and coaching for sales excellence?

Stop it, you're micro-managing me!

It's a familiar phrase. Sales people sometimes feel they are being micro-managed. And sales managers are sometimes afraid of falling into what they see as a trap. But the reality is quite different...

What we often tell sales people is that they have to sell precisely. "Sell precisely. The wrong word, the wrong action, the wrong tone of phrase, etc... can lead to results with a major economic impact.

So yes, we need to get into the details of how salespeople sell. You have to get into what MIGHT be perceived as micro-management. But it really isn't.

A parallel that is useful in understanding the difference and the best approach to take in developing sales people is, as always, that of sport. A very good sales person is like a professional athlete. A professional athlete is surrounded by coaches, people who help them with every possible and imaginable aspect of their sport. If we take tennis as an example, Alcaraz's coaches will grill him on his serve, his forehand, his backhand, his volleys, etc..., etc.... And they'll go into great detail. And when they perform well, they won't rest on their laurels. They're going to look for the percentage improvement. Again and again and again.

They'll watch the films, they'll do practice sessions, and they'll debrief again ad nauseam. All to achieve excellence. Just like the Top Gun pilots, so that when they're in the arena they can perform at their very best.

Do athletes or pilots enjoy this constant challenge? This repetition, this approach to detail? No. But they accept it, and with gusto! Because they know it helps them to become better. And they want to become better.

Consultative coaching skills are not natural though, I talk about them in this post. But they do include

1. Debriefs effectively after important calls

2. Is effective on joint calls

3. Asks quality questions of salespeople

4. Understands the impact of a salesperson's sales DNA

5. Can demonstrate an effective sales system(methodology and process)

6. Is effective in obtaining commitments from salespeople (based on their personal motivations)

7. Consistently trains skills and behaviours (consistency is one of the 5 pillars of Curiosity)

8. Understands the impact of a salesperson's willingness to sell

9. Is effective at integrating new sales staff

10. Has a passion for coaching

The key thing among all this list? And the one thing that differentiates real micro-management from a salesperson who is "closely managed" for success?

The sales manager's understanding of the salespeople's desire to develop (point 8) and of their 2/3 or 5 year vision (point 6). This is what coaching conversations should focus on. The development of a sales person must be done because the sales person has declared his or her vision, his or her desire to succeed has been assessed and it is important for him or her to do everything possible to succeed. That's why he or she needs help.

Not just to ensure that they deliver the organisation's results. That's just a small part of the objectives. Otherwise, yes, we're getting into micro-management.

So if you're a company director or sales manager, and you want to develop a culture of excellence with your sales teams, isn't it your job to develop Alcaraz by getting into the details? And not feel guilty about ensuring that your sales people sell the way you want them to, not the way they want them to? So that they get the results they want?

If you want to develop excellence and you sometimes feel in micro-management situations that bore you, let me know, we can discuss it.