Blasting Away at Theories and Nonsense: Motivating and Leading Salespeople
December 1, 2006
Theory: Salespeople are motivated by money
Nonsense: If they were, all of them would be successful.
Theory: Salespeople are motivated by strong leadership especially strong sales managers.
Nonsense: Maybe so, except do the people leading understand what leadership means?
Theory: Salespeople are a cheap commodity. If they don't work out, there are thousands standing in line
Nonsense: Most salespeople don't work out, and yet they continue to be employed in spite of fact that they aren't doing the job.
What are your immediate reactions to the three "theories" I suggested?
Do you believe that salespeople are motivated by money?
Do you believe that strong sales managers motivate salespeople?
Do you believe that salespeople can and should be replaced, because there are more where they came from?
I suppose your reaction depends upon whether you are an owner/general manager, a sales manager, or a sales representative.
Regardless, these three "theories" lead to a general paradigm that seems to lead managers, sales reps, owners, etc., to decisions about sales organization development.
The general paradigm: Hire reps and give them compensation packages, promotions, bonuses, etc., that match up with company sales/profit goals. Be sure to "lead" them well having a sales manager in place who will somehow translate corporate speak into action, and, if the rep doesn't workout, no problem. Just cut the cord, learn from the mistake, and hire a better one. After all, it must have been the rep's fault...
The danger here, and what I am "blasting away" at, is that decisions made on the above "theories," or "assumptions," can lead to some very mediocre, monolithic, and disappointing results for organizations attempting to add value through a focused, productive sales team. Organizations must do the necessary groundwork to support these theories and make them actionable and sustainable.
Consider the following:
I don't believe that compensation packages address what really motivates salespeople. If it were just a matter of throwing money at reps, then most of them would be meeting or exceeding their goals. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that money motivates.
I don't believe that organizations have a clue about what they want from their sales leaders. If the sales organization thinks throwing a "sales manager" in place is the trick to motivating the sales team, then sales managers wouldn't be coming and going like excrement through a goose.
I don't believe that keeping reps on board, if they aren't performing well, does anyone a favor. It drains the organization, forces others to pick up the slack, and means that customers, suppliers and stakeholders are going to be disappointed, if not hostile and resentful.
All of the above points out the problem perhaps not the ultimate solutions.
What are your options?
- Think about compensation as an important piece of the sales organization's success, however do not think that compensation motivates people who shouldn't be there in the first place. Have clear job expectations and behaviors in place, and don't compromise in the hiring/training/coaching process.
- Be clear about what "sales manager" really means. It isn't implicit. Many "sales managers" acquired their positions because they did well in the field. However they are totally unprepared and often inappropriately cast for the position. Everyone loses. Management must know what they want from the sales manager, and hire/train accordingly, before expecting the sales manager to be able to lead and motivate.
- Be clear about what "sales representative" really means. Like the "sales manager," it isn't implicit. "Sales representative" means different things to different people, organizations, managers, customers, etc. To be fair, the sales manager can't hire, manage and lead his/her sales team if the company isn't clear about the sales rep's expectations, behaviors, and performance metrics. And, if you are clear, cut the cord when needed. This will enable the rep to find work, or work environment, better suited for his/her makeup and aptitude.
Theories are great. However it is important to blast away at them to ensure that your organization can support anticipated outcomes with preparation, implementation and ongoing review. Otherwise, you might get the opposite of what you anticipated.
