What would get a sales professional kicked out of a customer’s office?
A great question to be sure. Clearly, any egregious or particularly offensive behaviors will earn you the heave ho in short order. For the purposes of this piece, let’s concentrate on the no-no’s. For help, and some additional perspective, I called upon my buddy Michael Binstein. Michael is the owner of the 25-unit Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
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Darryl, what do you make of the following situation? My salesperson failed to execute in an important account and we ended up with egg on our faces with the supplier. I was very clear in laying out what was expected and I even prepared a handout and mentioned the supplier visit in a sales meeting. I don’t understand why simple instructions can't be followed...
Well, that depends on exactly what you did to give your sales professional the best chance to meet your expectations.
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Is it ok to “lose it” with my sales team every once in a while?
Depends what you mean by losing it! Many years ago, I saw legendary Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight "lose it" in a major way. He threw a chair clear across the court before he was asked to watch the rest of the game from the locker room.
Yes, you can let lose, but how you do so makes a huge difference.
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I have an individual who I’d like to promote but I’m worried about his personal relationships with the people he’d likely manage. Should this concern me?
Moving from buddy to boss isn't a transition that everyone can make. I believe it to be the most challenging of all management situations, as going from someone’s friend to someone’s boss is tricky! It’s imperative to make it clear that he is going to have to adjust to a whole different set of professional and social demands. Read more
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How do I get my people to see the consequences of their actions?
Simply ask: "If we’re talking 6 months from now and nothing has changed, what might you be telling me?" The key is to get your people thinking about the consequences of their actions.
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