INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT – Matt Golimowski

It’s inevitable, but all sales businesses and salespeople go through slumps. When this happens, the first thing we do is assess data in an attempt to figure out where to focus. Is it the Salesperson? A particular account? An entire vertical? Seasonality? Competition? Has the market changed?

Today, we are going to discuss the Salesperson. How do you assess their skill set? Looking at the data applies here as well. We can look at how many accounts they are seeing or how many demonstrations they complete daily or weekly. We can even look at where their process stops to figure out where to drill down. Is it stopping at the close? The greeting? The demo?

Sometimes we get so involved in looking at the data and statistics that we neglect to look at what’s most important, our personnel. If we simply point out to them, “You need to get your sales up,” you will most likely continue the current pattern. They already know their sales are down, and if they knew how to fix it, they would.

But to truly know what’s going on, it’s essential to do a go-n-see. There’s an important phrase that every manager or business owner should adhere to. INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT. This means YOU will need to get out in the field with them. 

I can’t tell you how eye-opening it can be going out with your salespeople. We assume they are prepared, have polished presentations, and have excellent communication. That may or may not be the case. Here are some questions to ask yourself while observing your Salespeople:

• Are they prepared?
• What are they saying?
• What are they doing all day?
• Do they have an elevator pitch?
• Does their presentation flow smoothly?
• Are they pitching a product, or are they offering support?
• Do they have the right selling aids with them?
• Do they have enough product with them?
• Are they persistent and push forward or do they give up easily and feel dejected on a no?
• Are they understanding the objection and overcoming it with the right features and benefits?
• Do they have a walk-away commitment?
• Do they know what the next step is?
• Do they have a follow-up plan, and does it make sense?

You may discover that you and your associate are not calibrated on your expectations or what good looks like. Inspect what you expect. Utilize this time as a teachable moment and provide feedback. Make sure they are clear on what your expectations are. This time in the field will prove invaluable and will ensure calibration going forward. Your associate will appreciate it as well.