Great article here from the Harvard Business Review titled The Hidden Advantages of Quiet Bosses. Oh, where to begin on this one? I have seen this thought process play out firsthand with many customers and even in my own career. In the sales world, extroverts are generally held in higher regard than introverts – that has been my experience. This same value structure typically plays out in promoting salespeople into sale management roles. The extroverts often get the position. However, here is a differing position put forward in the article: To be sure, extroverted leaders have important strengths. However, they also tend to command the center of attention and take… Read More
Continue ReadingAccountability Is The Key
In recent weeks we have been dealing with a handful of sales managers who all have a different approach to the position. They are all in different industries, but their sales all have many similarities. One of the sales managers has progressed the best so far with his new salesperson during the onramping time. One sales manager has had to fire his salesperson (yes, one we placed) due to many reasons – many of which were the salesperson’s fault. The third sales manager has been tentative with his salesperson, but she is progressing well. The one variable that has had the biggest impact on success has been accountability. The sales… Read More
Continue ReadingDefining Excellence
Selling Power released an archived article titled Four Elements of Excellence. The short article provides a well-thought description so let’s cut right to the chase. Here are the four: 1.) Goal Setting 2.) Commitment 3.) Feedback 4.) Organizational Support I would say that is a good list. The one that jumps out is goal setting. This is something we see in the sales arena often, but not in a good way. Many sales managers believe an annual quota is all the goal setting a salesperson needs. But let’s jump back to the article: Without specific goals, you’ll never know whether you’ve achieved excellence because you’ve never defined it. Hence, the… Read More
Continue ReadingManaging The Rant
Bob Rosner has a unique perspective on managing employees in his latest Working Wounded post – Stop Workplace Whining. The setup: A study by In Touch asked employees, “Why don’t you speak up at work?” More than 1 in 4 said they remain quiet because “there isn’t a good way to speak up” or “management doesn’t care.” I’ve outlined below three dos to reduce pressure at work and have everyone engaged in the problem-solving process. For more, check out Rant, Repair, Rave on workplace911.com. I’ll leave the whale example at the beginning of his post for you to read on your own (it is funny and disgusting all at once).… Read More
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