The Sales Manager’s Role in Tough Times

Does the sales manager’s role change when times get tough? “In a tough economy…the job of the sales manager becomes more important than ever,” says Dave Lakhani, president of Bold Approach and author of How to Sell When Nobody’s Buying (Wiley, 2009). “When salespeople get nervous or feel unsure, particularly when a large percentage of their income is at risk, they tend to become unfocused and go in too many directions. Gathering those nervous, scattered energies and bringing them back into focus is crucial.”

So how do you do that? According to Lahkani, you concentrate on the following aspects of management:

Listen. Just as you listen to your prospects and customers to draw out pain points, you need to listen closely to struggling reps. “The fastest way to get a slumping salesperson back on track is to listen carefully to that person,” says Lakhani. “One of the things that causes salespeople to overreact to a challenge or to change their focus is not being heard.”

Assess. Accurately assess what the salesperson is telling you. This may require some research to see if what you’re being told is true — in other words, is the problem the person is presenting or the explanation for poor performance accurate?

Plan. Once you’ve assessed the situation, develop a plan of action. Maybe the rep just needs some direction or could benefit from training. Maybe the issue requires a redesign of a product line or changes to your CRM system. If the problem lies outside the sales department — with IT or marketing, for example — develop a plan to address it.

Reassure. Express your confidence in nervous reps and their ability to succeed. Remind them how others have overcome challenges that were similar to theirs. And don’t forget to offer praise for measurable victories, no matter how small they might seem.

Refocus. Get your reps refocused on the core skills that have made them successful. Lay out steps for accomplishing tasks. Have reps document what they’re doing so they can evaluate it later. Match what they’re doing with what they did on successful sales to see what’s missing.

Mentor. Coaching and mentoring are always crucial roles for the sales manager. Also consider having veteran reps mentor your newer reps to keep a constant focus on improving skills.

Monitor progress. “This is where many sales managers fail,” says Lakhani. “They do every other step of the process but then fail to follow through and monitor progress.” Schedule regular progress reviews, just as you would schedule meetings with prospects.

Challenging times separate the weak from the strong. It takes a skilled manager to see a team through tough times. Make these elements of management a priority, and you’ll take a giant step toward helping your sales team weather the economic storm.

For more information, visit www.boldapproach.com.