How Much Sales Management Do You Need?

Correlations between managing salespeople and parenting children abound and here’s another one: Neither come with instruction manuals.

A few weeks ago, my Tuesday LinkedIn Question of the Week was:

“When it comes to sales management, I need …

• Support and guidance weekly
• An occasional check-in
• Nothing. Leave. Me. Alone.”

Before I continue with this blog, take a second to weigh in with your response. Okay, here are the results as of Thursday, March 18, the day before the poll closed and the day I am writing this blog:

• Support and guidance weekly (10%)
• An occasional check-in (74%)
• Nothing. Leave. Me. Alone. (16%)

Naturally, what we ask for and what we get are two separate things. A rep can say, “Let me be” all she wants. That doesn’t mean that’s what she’ll get. Still, it’s a self-aware sales rep who knows how much management she needs. To hear one ask for none is not a sign of disrespect. It’s a rep who knows what she needs in that area and is not shy about stating that need.

In a perfect world, sales management is there at the precise time you need it. But in that perfect world, Tom Brady is still a Patriot, there is no Designated Hitter, and I’m riding an Indian Roadmaster.

Speak up, sales reps. Tell your manager/boss how you like to be managed.

You can’t always get what you want.

You can’t always get what you want.

You can’t always get what you want.

But if you try sometimes, you’ll find, you get what you need.

Live Workshops. Weekly peer discussions. On demand sales courses. Archived content organized by sales challenge. That’s The Sales Vault and it is only $35/month. Go to SalesVaultInsider.com for more or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.