A quote from JustSell.com’s daily email:
“Never tell people how to do things.
Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”-George S. Patton (1885-1945)
U.S. Army general during WWII
It is a good reminder for sales managers. One thing we discuss with sales managers is letting your salespeople fail. I’m not referring to big deals, top prospects. Instead I am referring to smaller opportunities where you know the salesperson is going to get a lesson.
Here is why it is key. We have a customer who has a sales manager who has become the closer (for lack of a better word). Essentially, he has chosen to avoid coaching his sales team and instead has them bring him in at the proposal stage. He takes over and closes the deal.
Now, this sales manager is a highly-skilled salesperson, but a poor manager. The impact of his managing is that his team has not developed the skills needed to complete the final qualifying steps and move the prospect to a close.