YourSalesManagementGuru by Ken Thoreson, Acumen Management Group
Blog archive
Mow Your Lawn
The first quarter is over and sales leaders are capturing forecasts for the next two months -- and hopefully celebrating the achievement of their first-quarter results.
I am sure not everything has been smooth. After the last 90 days of working with a variety of clients and speaking at a variety of conferences, I've found that the odds of some "uneven" achievements and unexpected events are real. In one client's case, we didn't hire the salesperson we wanted. In another, a salesperson left without management knowing it would happen. And in another, the marketing campaigns didn't launch on time.
Just like my lawn.
As I drove into my garage last week, I realized it was finally time to mow my lawn. For the first time this year, my lawn looked uneven in growth. Leaves had nestled into the grass, some weeds had extended themselves and it resembled something far different than what I had hoped to enjoy. There is work to be done. I am sure after this afternoon, when I hope to mow, that the results of a fresh cut will level off the growth, the leaves will be mulched and generally it will begin to represent a well-groomed lawn. The next treatment of fertilizer will stimulate better growth.
You should consider having the same view of your sales team: Evaluate your team, determine who needs to be "groomed" or "cut," and find out what treatments you must begin to accelerate your growth during the second quarter. This is necessary in order for your summer sales to generate the necessary look and feel that you desire.
In past blogs, we discussed how to create your quarterly sales training programs and coaching sessions with each salesperson. Hint: Now is a great time to hold one-on-one salesperson review meetings. What worked? What didn't work? What new steps and actions need to be implemented to increase performance? Develop a mutual action plan where both you and your individual salespeople agree on those actions and use that to coach and manage for the next 90 days.
Enjoy the spring and position your team to truly enjoy a wonderful summer season of selling. What are you plans?
Posted by Ken Thoreson on April 01, 2013