Define and Conquer

Many salespeople routinely assume over half a dozen roles – from lead generator and negotiator to customer service representative and quality control inspector. The diversity and number of roles often leave salespeople wondering where the responsibilities of each one begin and end. When uncertainty leads to role ambiguity, role conflict and work overload, increased frustration and decreased sales often follow. To keep your sales force running like a well-oiled machine, make sure your salespeople have specifically outlined responsibilities and know how to fulfill them to satisfy both company and customer.

Role Ambiguity

Salespeople experiencing role ambiguity may be confused as to others’ expectations of them, and question their understanding of or ability to meet managers’, customers’ and colleagues’ demands. Salespeople who do understand their obligations and responsibilities may lack the information or direction required to fulfill them efficiently and effectively. A survey of 116 real estate salespeople in a midsized southwestern city predictably revealed that role ambiguity reduces job satisfaction and promotes feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

Role Conflict

Salespeople experiencing role conflict are torn between the demands of their managers, colleagues or customers. A customer’s desire for a longer product warranty than management is willing to extend is a classic example. With close ties to both company and customer, the salesperson may not know how to resolve the conflict to the satisfaction of both parties. Survey respondents reported that role conflict increased job tension and their desire to leave the company and often negatively impacted their personal lives as well.

Work Overload

Work overload is a natural consequence of role ambiguity and conflict. Salespeople who are uncertain of others’ demands and how to meet them may waste time pursuing inefficient solutions. Faced with conflicting demands, salespeople may try to reduce the tension created by trying to please everyone – a strategy that often proves costly, time consuming and ineffective. Overworked salespeople are prime candidates for burnout and typically contribute little to your sales team’s effort to increase sales and productivity.

The Solution

The best medicine for role ambiguity, role conflict and work overload is prevention, so follow these hints to make sure your salespeople stay well trained, well informed and productive.

1.Provide training that specifically addresses the problem of role conflict. Programs should discuss how salespeople can reconcile the different expectations of company and customer to arrive at solutions agreeable to both parties. Training in relationship marketing, for example, stresses the long-term company/customer relationship designed to benefit both.

2.Reduce supervision. Role conflict often stems from a salesperson’s inflexibility to meet customer needs. Salespeople under the manager’s eagle eye may feel less room for creative solutions to customer demands. Give your salespeople breathing room and the authority to solve problems for themselves.

3.Give your sales team extensive, detailed training on your expectations, their responsibilities and how to fulfill them. Lead by example and try writing fictional case studies that present salespeople with common role ambiguity-related problems and solutions.

4.Decrease your own span of control. With fewer salespeople under your supervision you have more time to offer personal attention and guidance to your team.

5.Prevent work overload by taking measures to prevent role ambiguity and conflict, and by limiting territory sizes, product line diversity and nonselling-related responsibilities.

6.Keep the lines of communication open. Reassure your salespeople that they can come to you for help with their questions and problems. Ask them regularly if things are running smoothly for them and if there are any issues they wish to discuss with you.

Role ambiguity, role conflict and work overload can wreak havoc with your sales force, but are easily preventable. Pay careful attention to your sales team and address questions and obstacles before serious problems arise. Your sales team’s steady sales, productivity and job satisfaction will reflect the extra time and effort you invest in their preventive maintenance.

By Drs. Robin Peterson, Uday Tate, Eric Pratt

A Hat For All Seasons

A good way to train your salespeople to wear many hats may be to role play them in front of a video camera. You might even try buying real hats and labeling them with the different roles salespeople play during the course of a week of selling.

Salespeople should try wearing the customer hat to see how it feels to make the decision to buy. They should wear the manager hat to see how the responsibility of management can change a salesperson’s perspective. They should wear the customer service hat to see how important the role of service is in maintaining good repeat sales. They should wear the listener hat and do nothing but actively listen when they have it on. They should wear the closer hat and try to come up with new closing lines for a variety of situations.

Salespeople can probably think of a dozen or more hats to wear during this exercise. But the point is simple. The more hats salespeople wear and the more comfortable they feel in them, the more adaptable they will be when it comes to crunch time in the field.