Sales Are Won in the Field, So That's Where You Have to Manage

You Can't Manage From The Office:

How can you know what your producers are up to if you never see them in action? Asking them for progress updates, without ever checking in personally, isn't enough. This is especially true for younger salespeople, who might not have enough knowledge or experience to explain where they are in a sale, or what their strengths and weaknesses are. Staying in the office also puts you at another disadvantage by showing your producers you aren't willing to get your hands dirty. We all respect leaders who let us know they're willing to go where we go. Not only does it make them more genuine, but it gives a real basis for teaching and recommendations. Nobody wants to be critiqued by someone who's never seen his or her work. Do yourself and your team a favor and get out into the field once in a while. A couple of quick trips can save you hundreds of hours in emails, phone calls and meetings.

Coaching & Listening In Field:

Great sales managers are excellent listeners. Think back to your selling days. When were the sales really made, the orders really closed? When the prospect told you what they needed, and why. You may have moved to the corner office, but guess what? Nothing has changed. Listening is still the best way to find out what's happening. Listen long enough, and sales people will tell you everything: what customers are buying, where your company and industry are headed, and so on. If you want to speed that process along, get out of the office and start listening.

Rarely Can An Email Replace Nose-To-Nose Contact:

No manager ever made a breakthrough or inspired their sales team by asking "did you make any sales today?" Trade those kinds of questions for the more specific. Ask your team how many leads they generated, where a client is in the sales process, or how they feel they are handling objections, price challenges, etc. Better yet get in the car and visit a customer with the sales person. It might take more time and attention, but you're going to find out things you can't any other way. No email can take the place of sitting in from of the customer. No email can replace coaching in the field. There is a lot to being a sales manager. Some of it is technical and scientific, but most of it just comes down to leading people. Get it right and they'll follow you, but you have to know what's going on around you - and you can't do that without getting out of the office.

Field Coaching Builds Respect & Credibility:

To get the most out of their sales team, every manager needs at least two things: respect and credibility. In many cases, these come naturally from the manager's own successful career. The staff knows the manager can walk the walk, and so they listen to what's being said and taught. But whether managers are superstar salespeople, or if they've never sold a thing, nothing takes away their standing faster than asking their staff to do something they can't or won't do themselves. Sometimes this shows itself in unrealistic demands, as with the manager who asks each member of his team to make a hundred cold calls each day, even though he's never made one himself. When you get out of the office you show them you are willing to do the work. Keep your credibility in mind when dealing with your staff. Don't set goals you know they can't meet, or ask them to perform in a way that you know isn't feasible. You might think you're motivating them, but what you're really doing is setting the conditions for them to tune you out. Remember, being an effective manager is all about good leadership, and great leaders aren't just followed for what they say, it's what they do that counts.