In this month’s SMAC-Tampa Roundtable we had an excellent mind-share regarding training and motivating salespeople. Here are three recommendations the group shared that are proven to keep your team’s selling edge sharp:
1. Perform Routine Call Calibrations
Call calibration is a scheduled time when you sit with a salesperson while they dial prospects and clients. You listen and take notes on each call and then coach, answer questions and assist in the salesperson’s ability to sell and service. This is not used as an assessment of the salesperson for performance evaluations. It is simply a time set aside for coaching and training to ensure they are growing in their strengths and improving upon their weaknesses.
2. Stand and Deliver
While for some salespeople the dreaded role-play is something to be avoided, it still stands as a great tool for bringing them out of their comfort zones and into the game. It is far better to practice selling skills on our peers than on our prospects! During your sales meeting invite the team to offer up scenarios they encountered during the month. After they have explained the scenario, challenge other salespeople to role-play the conversation with the prospect as if it was happening live. Use a ball to toss back and forth as you engage in questions and answers. Make sure they are on their feet so they can really engage. Then have the team offer feedback and suggestions to engage their critical thinking for each situation.
3. Individual Report Cards
While most sales managers conduct a semi-annual or annual review of their salespeople, we can also use this tool of individual monthly report cards to help our salespeople see their value. This is more than a commission statement on goods sold. This report card is based on the individuals P&L like accounting would use. Taking into account their salary, benefits, expected ROI for the company, etc., put together a report card showing exactly how much monetary value their sales are bringing to the bottom line.
Do you have a great sales manager tip or are you interested in joining a SMAC Roundtable? Contact Thom Pirone at info@smacflorida.org.
