Anyone who has managed salespeople knows how difficult a task that can be. We see it often in companies where clouded communication occurs daily. I think most of you could name numerous situations throughout your career where management communication simply broke down or worse, did not even occur.
SellingPower.com’s article – There€™s No Communication Around Here! – dives right into this topic. Clear communication covers many transgressions. We’ve posted about this topic numerous times since it is so important. In case you had doubts:
The latest Watson Wyatt Communication ROI Study found that companies with effective communication practices have a 19 percent higher market premium and a 57 percent higher shareholder return over five years than companies with ineffective practices. That€™s because ineffective communication practices lead to conflicting internal goals, blindness to what other divisions are doing, turf wars, low morale, and more, says Dianna Booher, CEO of Booher Consultants and author of The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know (McGraw-Hill, 2007).
I’m not sure what determines “effective” vs. “ineffective” communication in this study, but the principle seems valid. There are 3 wise tips within this short article. Here is a shortened version of each one:
1. Are you correct?
Do you communicate with truthfulness every time? If not €“ if you spin the truth to make things sound rosier than they are, or omit information, or outright lie €“ then you destroy your credibility and your reps€™ trust in you…2. Are you complete?
Managers withhold information for many reasons, but the number one reason is because they believe it gives them power. On the contrary, managers who withhold information are usually resented and regarded with mistrust…3. Are you clear?
People generally assume their communications are clear and that any misunderstanding is the fault of the listener. In fact, misunderstandings are usually the fault of the speaker or writer. That€™s because the three main culprits in confusing communication are lack of specificity, excessive jargon or wordiness, and burying the key message…
To quote Billy Joel, “It’s a matter of trust.” Some of the best managers we have assessed have not possessed the greatest sales management skills. However, they have been strong communicators with their team (obviously amongst other traits). Conversely, we have also seen managers with strong skill sets but poor communication abilities – and they are rarely as effective as the former managers.
Focus on clear communication and your team will be far more cohesive and based on the aforementioned survey, more successful. Please contact us if you want to understand your team members’ preferred communication style.