Turn Top Sales Performers Into Great Sales Managers 

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Many new sales managers think they are good at managing salespeople because they excel at selling. While selling may have come naturally to them, it’s not innate for everyone. And now, a frontline manager, it’s their job to recognize performance barriers and empower their reps. 

 

But a promoted salesperson often has a hard time letting go of the adrenaline rush that comes from being in the action and chasing big deals. He or she may end up taking charge of a customer relationship and finish the sale, undermining a rep’s motivation and confidence. Equally problematic are first-line managers who expect everyone to produce the same exceptional sales results they delivered – but without providing any coaching or constructive feedback.  

 

A recent report from Gartner found that the average sales manager spends only 21% of their time coaching – it simply gets pushed aside. Turnover becomes high in situations where businesses are not producing skilled reps who have learned to achieve revenue growth on their own. Progressive organizations, however, recognize that teaching managers how to deliver personalized coaching and training – which ultimately produces high-achieving team members – has a greater impact on overall sales performance than just training the sales reps alone.  

 

We were recently hired by such an organization. Their new sales rep team was being managed by their superstar salesman – who was also new to the role. With his compensation tied to the team’s revenue numbers, it was understandable that he wanted to “make it happen.” He was involved in every account, micromanaging the reps, constantly asking for updates, solving problems, and often stepping in to save the sale as quarter-end approached. While the compensation was good for all of them, the manager was exhausted and the reps felt unappreciated, unmotivated, unfulfilled and eventually, unable to work under such conditions. 

 

Major change was needed and teaching their first-line managers how to coach their direct reports on sales skills was priority one. We helped the organization link its sales process to practical, teachable selling skills, setting up a structure for skills coaching based on individual sales reps’ needs. The change came slowly but steadily. Because the managers were trained around conversations on current account strategies and within the parameters of their busy schedules, they developed muscle memory around their new coaching skills through practice with their teams.  

 

Results followed, with an 11% increase in revenue from existing customers, a noticeable increase in the new opportunity pipeline, and a happier, more productive team. So remember, if you’re looking to drive sales productivity, make sure coaching is a part of your process.   

 

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On Leadership and Service to Others: President John F. Kennedy

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Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the JFK Museum in Boston while on a business trip to the area. This visit had been on my bucket list for some time, and I had immersed myself in reading about President John F. Kennedy to prepare for the experience. Little did I know that the real essence of JFK’s leadership and service to others would come to life in a whole new way as I walked through the museum.

I was already aware of the pivotal moments in Kennedy’s life, such as his journey to the Oval Office, his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his unwavering support for the Civil Rights movement. However, being at the museum allowed me to delve deeper into the complexity, danger, and the level of involvement he had in both these monumental events.

It would be odd not to be in awe of the pressure and responsibility that Kennedy faced during those harrowing days in October 1962. The world stood on the brink of nuclear war, and it was Kennedy’s leadership, his calm and measured approach, that steered us away from potential catastrophe. The crisis underscored the true test of a leader, showing how one handles adversity and the lives of millions hanging in the balance. Kennedy’s decision-making during this crisis demonstrated his resolve and his commitment to safeguarding not just American lives but the entire world.

The additional profound impact JFK had on shaping the world was through the establishment of The Peace Corps. While these two major crises unfolded in the 1960s, Kennedy was also laying the foundational work for the Peace Corps, which would go on to become a beacon of American goodwill and humanitarianism. This organization exemplified his vision of service to others, both domestically and internationally.

Visiting the JFK Museum was a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of President Kennedy’s leadership and his unwavering commitment to service. His ability to inspire others to serve their country and the world is a testament to the kind of leadership that transcends time and continues to shape our world today. In an age where leadership and service are more crucial than ever, Kennedy’s example remains a beacon of hope and inspiration, one that would could certainly use in our next President.

 

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In Person and/or Virtual: We Cover Your Training Requirements

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There’s no doubt that sales training is an investment; but, when done right, it’s one of the smartest investments your company can make. Small improvements in selling techniques can make a huge impact on revenue. What would it mean to your sales results if your average reps were producing as well as your top performers?

We have 17 years of experience training sales teams, which means equipping them with the skills and tools they need to achieve sales goals. We are different from other training organizations because we don’t teach a one-size-fits-all course. Our curriculum is customized to your unique sales process and selling environment. Your reps will leave our course having learned and practiced the techniques they need to successfully engage with prospective customers to drive revenue.

We provide both in-person live sales training along with virtual sessions. While we love to engage in person with your teams, if you do opt for an online training experience, you can rely on our fine-tuned virtual event platform that allows you to maximize learning opportunities through group break out discussions, private and public chat features and a one-on-one coaching.

Whether you choose to hold your sales training in-person or virtually, take advantage of our Online Learning Portal which has helped hundreds of our customers’ salespeople reinforce what the sales skills they acquire in our workshops.

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Recognition as a Motivator for Success: Thank You to Harvest Small Business Finance

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On the final day of their Sales Kickoff Meeting, Todd Massas, the Chief Commercial Officer for Harvest Small Business Finance, took the stage for their Awards Ceremony. This is something many organizations do to celebrate top performers and build momentum going into the new year.

During the previous two days, Flannery Sales Systems ran a Sales Process Workshop for Harvest, focusing on key selling skills they can use to improve their overall performance. We had a great time. Their participation was excellent, we were able to cover many of the challenges they face in the marketplace, and we put a plan in place for post Workshop coaching so they can continue to practice what they learned.

Back to the awards. Todd recognized many of his internal team members who produced big results and represented Harvest’s value offerings to the market—there are a lot of talented people on that team. Then, to my surprise, Todd turned toward me and began to describe the valuable contribution Flannery Sales Systems provided during the Workshop. He said he saw our services as being pivotal to their success in 2022 and invited me to the front of the room to receive a “game ball.”

I was floored. Over the years, there have been many nice things said about our team and compliments made in the form of referrals and invitations to events, but this one really impacted me. How thoughtful and kind for Todd to do this in front of teams that we had just trained, and what a powerful way to bring a partner company into the fold in a new capacity for Harvest.

Thank you, Todd and team, we are grateful for the recognition and look forward to helping your team continue to build selling competencies and provide excellent service to your customers in 2022.

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How Much Is Enough for Your Revenue Pipeline?

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In Hollywood, many films are based on true stories. Don’t let your revenue pipeline be one of them.
There are 3 macro criteria you should be looking at now (and a few subsets thereof) to determine if your revenue pipeline has enough in it to hit your goals for 2021. Listen in to this video for a description of each, and make plans to adjust if there needs to be more in development.

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Dawn Barry and the DNA of Authentic Leadership

Have you ever experienced something that changes you in a significant way? Something that shifts the lens through which you view yourself, your work, and your relationship to the world around you?  I was lucky enough to have just this experience. I attended an event in which I had the pleasure of hearing Dawn Barry speak. Her topic was Authentic Leadership, and her message was so powerful, I felt inspired to share it with you.

Dawn Barry is currently the founder and President of Luna DNA, after spending twelve years as an executive at Illumina. Prior to entering the workforce, she attended the University of Vermont, earning her degree in Biology and playing Division 1 softball. Her entire career has been spent in the field of genomics.

But Dawn wasn’t there to talk to us about science — she was there to tell us about a turning point in her own career during which she learned what it means to lead with authenticity. In the early 2,000’s when Dawn was starting working, she was coached to lead like a stereotypical, old school, male exec. She was coached to dress a certain way. She had to maintain a serious demeanor. Feelings, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses were attributes she was taught to leave at home.

While preparing for a TEDx talk, Dawn got a sneak peek into the power of opening up and allowing her personal feelings to come forward. She was well versed in giving science talks, but her first few cuts at her TEDx talk failed to impress her coach. Her coach said, “I’m sure all this science stuff is important and interesting to you, but I’m bored. I want to know about you and why this stuff is important to you…. why should I listen to YOU?” Dawn tried again and still her coach pressed her, “where does your energy about all this stuff come from?”

Frustrated, Dawn let it all go. “I’ve been in biotech my whole life,” she said, “and watched both of my parents die of cancer over a one-year span with seemingly no insights from science – no molecular characterization of the tumor, no DNA guided drug choices, no personalized medicine. Meanwhile, I’m trying to climb the corporate ladder while taking care of my parents and raising two babies. After my parents died, I moved to California to work at Illumina headquarters to accelerate fixing this stuff.”

Her coach smiled and almost shed a tear. “Now,” he said “Now, I want to listen to you.”

By opening up, Dawn had created room for her coach and the TEDx audience to connect with her on a deeper level, and the result was powerful. Particularly in industries defined by innovation and change, leaders must emotionally connect with people in order to establish trust and encourage dialogue. Dawn’s years of projecting invincibility, of not showing her emotions, had actually hurt her ability to lead.

So, who are authentic leaders? They are genuine. They show their real selves at all times. They do not act one way in private and another in public. Authentic leaders are mission and purpose driven. Innovation is often being met with uncertainty, and that’s okay. Authentic leaders establish themselves as trusted stewards of change.

After Dawn’s talk, I spent some time thinking about what authentic leadership meant to me. I thought about how important trust and rapport are when I’m leading my training workshops — if my clients don’t trust me, how are they expected to adopt the methodologies I teach to improve their sales results?

How about the role of authenticity in the sales process itself? If a buyer doesn’t trust that a seller is motivated by fixing a legitimate business problem, rather than just make a buck, how effective can the seller possibly be? A sales person’s ability to connect on an emotional level and establish trust and rapport is critical to his overall success.

On a personal note, I find myself thinking about authenticity as it relates to other areas of my life. How I can be a more authentic husband, father and friend? How can I be brave enough to show my true self to those around me, and allow them the space to do the same?

Has authenticity played a role in your life — either personally or professionally? I’d love to hear more.

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Maintaining Momentum In Quarter Four

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This time of year brings thoughts of Thanksgiving, Christmas and 2024.  For some sales organizations it brings a number of worried thoughts and concerns as well.  Will we hit quota, is the pipeline as strong as it needs to be, and do we have the right players in place?  Are our buyers as committed to us as the information reflected in our recent correspondence? Or have they slowed the communication down?

For some, the pressure is mounting to close the year out in a strong capacity and it seems like requests are coming from every direction – senior management, buyers and the sales team.  Don’t panic.  There is time to assess the situation and make some course corrections.  Here are some solid steps you can take to bring in the 4th Quarter business:

  1. Grade your Pipeline. Do it early in the quarter (aka NOW) and often if the opportunities don’t seem as solid as desired.  Lower probability opportunities should be re-qualified and moved to 2024 if a Q4 close doesn’t seem to be realistic.
  2. Manage your Buyers. Some buyers will let the clock tick to the end of the year for concessions.    If a buyer senses that a seller is too desperate, too needy or tips his hand that he is behind budget, prepare to have your margin eroded.  Seek to establish milestones early in the quarter so buyers don’t feel like they are being pressured at Quarter’s end.  Negotiate from a position of strength.  If a seller reviews milestones with a buyer and offers Quarter 1 target dates, the buyer will believe that you have a full pipeline and may communicate a commitment to close earlier.  The seller must be strategic about allocation of time and resources.  If a buyer is not ready to move, adding them to the 2024 pipeline may be the smartest move.
  3. Maintain Business Development Activities. Start to identify opportunities for 2024.  Too often sales teams have moved from crisis to crisis and fail to understand that insufficient business development activities are the cause of the reoccurring nightmare.  Don’t buy the argument that sales staff can only step up their game under pressure.  Every major league coach knows that games are won on the practice fields and that good behaviors and performance are exhibited on game day only after detailed preparation.  Early business development activities insure that sufficient time is available for the lead to be nurtured.
  4. Assess your bench. Do you have the right people on the team?  What resources do you need to deploy to close the deals you need to hit quota?  Are additional skills and practice needed to increase your close rate?  What approaches are going to be the most effective with your buyers?  Is there an opportunity to improve the skill set of the sales team?  Can you role play the critical opportunities to maximize the potential for a successful outcome?  Is there a development plan for 2024 that you should be budgeting for now based on the assessments and opportunities for improved performance?
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