Do you often walk down “memory lane” along with your sales reps?
Let us face it, if you are a sales rep, chances are you were possibly a very good one. Way before you became a sales manager, a sales VP or perhaps a company owner or maybe a sales trainer, you just cranked. You crushed it. You’re God’s gift to sales.
In fact, you’re so good, you were probably recognized by your manager and were promoted up the ranks to the position you are in now. Or maybe you started the business that you presently run.
Your salespeople could not care less when it comes to all of that.
And so I want to ask you, do you find yourself starting lots of conversations with your sales executives with: “Well, while I was a sales rep”?
The problem is that your salespeople don’t care about just how fantastic you had been when you were a sales rep.
Your sales reps simply care about how great THEY are being a sales reps.
So, whenever you walk them down memory lane waxing poetic regarding your previous exploits “way back” when you were “one of them”, you completely ruin your sales management leadership.
Due to the fact when you discuss your previous sales achievements, you’re making 2 major errors:
1. You underscore the “separation” between them and you by subtly telling them that you’re “management” and they’re “front line employee”. This imbalance generates resentment over time if you’re not very careful.
2. You pull the spotlight away from them; thereby minimizing their value indirectly.
A better thought, would be to bite your tongue if you want to launch into one of your “when I was a sales rep” diatribes.
Instead, place the sales person on a pedestal and force yourself to stay firmly on the ground.
Pay attention to what they’ve to say.
Ask them questions on how they will approach this specific sales call.
Pay attention to Their suggestions and creative approaches.
Besides, your time for individual sales glory has passedyour salespeople are the superstars now. Keep in mind that you don’t make money if they do not make money. So make them feel good about themselves by letting them take the glory.
So give them the stage to make their own memories with out you reminding them of yours.
So someday both you and your sales person can walk down “memory lane” arm in arm, waxing poetic on the big sales wins that you really won
with one another
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