Great article from BusinessWeek.com titled Let’s Hear it for B Players.  I realize “B Players” is difficult to define, but these are the:

…competent, steady performers far from the limelight.

What I like about this article is the fact that B players can consistently deliver for a sales department without demanding star treatment.  Unfortunately, their approach can cut against them also as they tend to be overlooked at times.

Here is their value stated clearly from the article (my emphasis):

B players, by contrast, prize stability in their work and home lives. They seldom strive for advancement or attention—caring more about their companies‘ well-being. Infrequent job changers, they accumulate deep knowledge about company processes and history. They thus provide ballast during transitions, steadily boosting organizational resilience and performance.

Yes they do.  Some B players will move up to A player status which is a sign of good sales management.  Others are content in their role and will excel within the sales dept albeit in a quiet manner.  They are typically lower maintenance than the A players and they rarely make mistakes like the C players.  Their consistent, if not eye-catching, performance provides the foundation for a strong sales department.

One thing the article does not mention is that A players are typically well-known in your industry and often are recruited out of your company.  They can develop a prima donna complex and become as difficult to manage as an A-list celebrity.  Every sales team needs A players to drive the big deals and close the marquee accounts.  But the B in B players should stand for bedrock.

The authors close the article with 4 strong suggestions for nurturing your B players:

• Accept differences. We’re all tougher on people who differ from us. If you’re an A player, avoid the temptation to undervalue B performers. Ask what they want from their careers, then match them with mentors who’ll help them get it.

• Give the gift of time. Track your communication patterns to ensure you’re not ignoring—and thus alienating—solid performers.

• Hand out the prizes. Since B players are promoted relatively infrequently, reward them in others ways. Even handwritten notes of appreciation can make them feel valued and motivated.

• Give choices. Rather than grooming only stars, allocate scarce resources—compensation, coaching, promotions—to high-potential B players. Promoting sideways can provide appealing career alternatives.

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You ever notice what a mixed bag of economic news we receive these days?  Here is one that caught my eye from CNNMoney.com (my editing):

The private sector gained 9,000 jobs in July, primarily among small businesses and the service sector, according to a report payroll manager ADP released Wednesday.

A consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com had expected a loss of 60,000 non-farm jobs.

Can you imagine if the “consensus of economists” bet on football games?  They would be making their predictions from the poor house.

Nonetheless, I heard a very interesting talk from John Sumser last week in which he discussed that national employment statistics are grossly overrated (my term).  His thesis is that economies are regional, even local (look for the “Mega-Region slide).  Weakness in one area (e.g. Detroit) is far different than growth in another area (e.g. Las Vegas).  Trying to combine these two into a national number is a statistic for national newspapers to use, but it truly does not have any application locally.

I couldn’t agree more.

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