Three Things a Manager Needs to Know
One: Yes, they are working despite the fact you can’t see them
That empty chair you're looking at where the sales rep usually sits? That doesn't mean the rep is golfing, shopping, or at Krispy Kreme hardening an artery. You cannot manage reps the same way you manage the rest of the employees. Let the wild ones roam.
Two: Bark less. Wag more.
An attaboy can go a long way. Reps are driven in large part by fear. They are afraid their clients will leave. They are scared of the future. The new ones hope they don’t get fired today. A simple, “I believe in you” can calm them, change the tone of their sales calls, and give a rep the encouragement and support they desperately need and want.
Three: Investing in Your Salesperson Pays Dividends
A smarter rep is a better rep, no? Send them to seminars. Reach out to your vendors and ask what free training they have to offer. Give them an annual budget to spend as they wish on training (you know, I hear that Sales Vault is a helluva investment).
And speaking of The Sales Vault, Bill Farquharson has created a website where successful, curious, and engaging sales people and selling owners in the graphic arts hang out to share ideas, tactics, and solve each others’ sales challenges. Go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill at 781-934-7036.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.
