Execution: The Magic of Sales Leadership

"There is no magic!" Oh, really? We hear grand stories from many organizations -- stories of new business strategies, exciting marketing concepts and sales programs designed to accomplish corporate objectives. Then initiatives are defined, people assigned and six months later...nothing. The cycle of frustration continues. Nothing has changed.

Sales leaders must understand that if they fail to show progress on planned commitments or display a lack of attention to detail, the sales team will pick up on that behavior, and that will translate to their sales performance. Sales calls are no longer crisp, activity levels drop off and negative attitudes build up.

While I normally don't like to use sports analogies, the correlation between a coach's success and his or her ability to prepare for each event and manage details is easy to draw. Some make their point with noise, emotion or quiet resolve, but the truly successful ones understand the power of execution.

Several years ago, I asked a professional football coach for his weekly schedule, including practice times, team meetings, lunches, workouts, etc. Every hour during the week leading up to the Sunday kickoff was mapped out with the expectation that players would be ready and coaches would be prepared with game plans. All that would be left was the execution.

This is the same idea that sales leaders must take to the office each Monday. And each month and each quarter, in forecast meetings, sales training, coaching sessions -- everything this blog has covered over the past years.

Sales managers and owners must set the pace with excellent strategy and well-defined tactics, and understand that they create the culture necessary for high performance.

With many of our clients, we like to share the following target areas to set the expectation of change and to help them understand how successful organizations are managed:

• Discipline: Training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or character.
• Accountability: Obligated to give a reckoning or explanation for one's actions.
• Control: A standard of comparison for checking the results of an experiment or process.

If you've had well-designed plans or made assignments but haven't experienced how to make change occur in your organization with effective execution, send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I'll send you our "Execution Success Roadmap." It will help you set expectations and provide both you and your team with the means to keep yourselves on track to successfully execute.

Ken Thoreson, president of Acumen Management Group Ltd., "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory and platform services have illuminated, motivated and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Move up and move ahead! Acumen Management provides keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. 3f4qb8v9ge

Posted by Ken Thoreson on March 09, 2010