Back to Basics
Doyle Slayton | Jan 04, 2009 | Comments 56
Sometimes managers have to remind their people to get back to basics. A sales manager recently sent this letter to his team in preparation for their return to the office following the holidays. After emailing it to his team, he sent me a copy and called to ask for my opinion. After our discussion, I told him I could offer him something even better. I promised to share it with my readers and get all of you to contribute your thoughts and opinions. Now that I think about it… I’m sure he wasn’t the only sales manager looking to get his team re-focused and fired up after the holidays.
Team,
I hope everyone is well rested and ready to hit it on Monday. I want everyone to begin selling for February. January has come and gone and now we need a renewed sense of urgency to begin driving BIG revenue numbers for February. I cannot stress the
importance of having a successful quarter (and why wouldn’t you want to
make the most amount of cash possible?).As of noon today, it doesn’t look as if I will be going to the corporate office on Monday
and Tuesday. They are swamped with year-end and I don’t think we will be able to devote the kind of time necessary to strategizing, so it will be pushed until the week after. So, I want everyone to be at our Monday meeting at 8:00 a.m. Please do not be late. Going forward, I do not want to have to wait for anyone to begin our meeting. We will resume at our normal 8:30 time beginning the following Monday.I want for each of you to also come in with a strategy for our new quarter. I have spoke to each of you individually today either by phone or email regarding your numbers. The expectation should be crystal clear…you know what you need to do, what I want to know is, how are you going to do it? Please have this prepared when you come in for your one on one immediately after our 8:00 a.m. meeting.
Expectations for 2009
1.) Dress Code: I know I allowed casual dress in 2008 when we didn’t have appointments, this will change for 2009. I did this as an experiment and I’m going to change it as it does not promote the idea that we are here to conduct business. Is it comfortable to cold call in jeans…yes, but what sort of attitude does it promote in our office setting? Casualness. We need to be as nimble and ready to close and pick up
business asap! Here’s an example: I was in the office on Wednesday when I got a call from operations regarding one of our accounts. We were missing paperwork for one of our clients. Well, I needed to go pick up the business, but I was in jeans and a sweater! It caught me off guard, and if I had been dressed at least with slacks and a dress shirt, I could have gone immediately to pick up the business. This situation really made me change my mind, so going forward, we are back to business attire in the work place everyday, unless I decide to relax it (for blitz days, etc.)2.) Working from Home: I was very clear about this policy in a previous email, but need to revisit it one more time. There will be times when I allow this, but only if I give
you permission to do so. I have never believed in working from home, except when you’re the only rep for a company and you must work from a home office. Each of you is reimbursed every pay period for travel. When you don’t have an appointment, the company is essentially paying you to drive to work…so, I expect you to be here no later than 8:30 unless you call me first.3.) Vacation/PTO: When you request a vacation day, I need to know at least two days in advance. Also, when you request it, do so in the form of a request. I do not feel it’s appropriate to tell me that you are taking a day off…it needs to be asked. If we are in a crunch period, I may suggest another day that is more appropriate for your business. You are expected to come to work everyday.
4.) Attitude: This is the most important. I think we have a team of WINNERS, not losers. This being said, I know we will lose some deals, but we will win more than we lose. Please keep and maintain a winning attitude. To be a winning sales person is to maintain a positive attitude…it’s 100% mental! If you have the will and the drive to win…then you will! Do we get stressed out? Of course, but that’s when it’s time to talk to me and
take a step back…I will help to bring you back in the game. I take care of myself in this respect (I went and got a massage when we lost “ABC Company”…it’s important to treat/pamper yourself from time to time) and I will sometimes demand you do the same…you need to stay healthy and mentally fit so that you can be the best that you can be.MG,
District Sales Director
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Filed Under: Blog • Featured • Leadership • Reader Questions • Sales • SalesTaxi
Wow, thank god I do not work for this manager, our sales manager is much more effective without being demanding and a dictator.
I was motivated. Ok so I wasn’t. This was a policy memo and not a back to the basics on selling memo. You need to get them fired up and not by telling them you are too busy for them. Remind them of the basics of selling. Selling yourself, your product, your company. Knowing your customer, handling objections, closing and following up. Give examples of recent successes. Getting back to the basics means telling them the basics on selling not company policy of work hours and attire.
Wow. Sounds like someone needs to relax or just go tell someone that they’re going to take a day off. Unless this is a used car dealership or some other non-professional office I have pity on anyone who works for this person.
Yikes! The topics of dress code, working from home and vacation days should have been relayed in his Monday morning team meeting, not in an email! These sensitive topics simply do not come through well in written form. If his aim was to motivate his team to sell more, he failed.
While I believe the manager’s intent was to fire people up and start anew, the email takes a particularly negative and distrusting tone. It sounds like he is admonishing his team.
I find it de-motivating and uninspiring. That is an avenue that should be pursued ONLY after motivation and inspiration have failed – and should be pointed at those who need a more parental tone.
Well I think you forgot why you wrote this memo. It was to be up beat and positive, full of motivation and uplifting. This was a very negative way to present your needs. The dress code could have been addressed as a company policy change to help you stay in the mind set of work instead of referencing how poor your staff dressed or looked. The vacation request should follow your policy but the way this reads you let them know you are in charge and will determine their time off. The master who will grant the wish. This e-mail to your team comes across as very controlling and demeaning. The working from you home issue shows your lack of trust in your sales team. If your team is not making the number then they should be in the office and you can control their movements and help them with the coaching that will be needed to make the number. I would use the work from home as a reward to those who are making the number. There are ways to present these things that can be in a more positive way.
I loved it! I forwarded to my own manager and suggested he consider using some of it in our Monday meeting.
Wow…how utterly uninspiring. This is not leadership. If this was meant to motivate the team, it would fall way off the mark. How about less “I” and more “we”? Just my 5 cents worth.
I have to agree with the majority – this was not inspiring. To have this sent while still on vacation/holiday starts the feeling of dread for the Monday return. Even with policy statements and changes, the message should always focus on What’s in it for THEM – that is how your sales etam (just like prospects in a sales call) WANT to take the action you suggest.
You have time to salvage this by starting your Monday morning meeting with a “my message came across very direct” – and set a more collaborative and inspirational tone to start out the new year with your team WANTING to succeed and work WITH you.
euuwww! that was the worst letter I have ever read! I felt totally demoralized after reading it and I certainly would NOT have been motivated by it AT ALL!! This letter just beats the reader up. Some of it I would reserve for an in person discussion.
Tell me what company this is – I want to stay AWAY!! This manager needs some major lessons on how to lead. Why do I care about the BIG revenue numbers? I could go on, but the bottom line is, I think this email stinks.
That letter was virtually a caricature of how not to lead people effectively. Being authoritarian incites resentment, not results. Demands don’t motivate. Where is the cooperative team building?
This is an expired style of management from the last century…I don’t think this is the way to approach your team at all…Especially the sales force where flex timing and other elements are nowaday essential in creating a good working environment and meeting job satisfaction.
I am too tired to comment in depth on the whole article about this inept, in my opinion, sales manager. The trend from casual Fridays got way out of hand. Has no one read “Dress for Success? A well dressed sales person automatically has a better attitude and self image. A good friend of mine who owns part of a totally custom apparel store said it like this: He said he didn’t care if I purchased custom apparel from him or not but he offered this advice.
The product that I sell requires calling on the CEO, President, or Vice President of HR. My friend said that at that level, in order to achieve success, you must make a great first impression. That means that you must be dressed equal to or better yet, better than the big guy.
Why, you say? Because that first impression counts as an overwhelming part of the first impression and if you are dressed as well as the CEO, or better yet, better, that CEO will value you as someone who is worth listening to and knows that of which he/she speaks. A good part of the battle has already been won.
A very good friend of mine owns several high end custom apparel stores, the corporate store is in Dallas. He told me up to six or so years ago, they let their employees wear nice but not real nice apparel. He decided to have them wear custom apparel and in about six months, their business grew about 60%.
The main thing is that people buy from people and if one of them is he best dressed, they have a big step up on the competition. I became a believer and my clothes are on the way. Good selling and successful selling in 2009.
Bob Getz
817-371-7894
I thought the article was excellent! Being a sales manager myself, these are the types of issues that sales people need to be reminded of. If you didn’t like it…you need to look at your own work ethic! Most folks who do not appreciate a good shot in the arm are usually under performers.
I too was a bit taken back by this note. I have spent a lot of time over the holidays thinking about how to best compete selling and managing mostly virtually and have just started a blog about this very subject. I think it is very hard to get top sales people to want to dress a certain way (unless they are with customers) and report to an office these days. And, if managed correctly, I find people much more productive in a mobile or home working environment.
I think this depends on the team. If you have a group of highly motivated senior sales people, I would probably fire someone whom I had to remind about such rudimentary sales basics. But if I had a junior team and was driving to drive a certain behavior that would be a different story.
This is so bad it has to be fictional. This Sales Director embodies all the negative attitudes he says he doesn’t want! Without straying too far from the content, may I suggest…
Hi Team,
Enjoy a refreshing weekend as we enter February for a standout Quarter! Whatever point you reached in January, February is a fresh start. I have done the numbers carefully on where we are and want to be in the next 2 months, and know this is a realistic achievement – with room for a few inspiring performances! We all like the cash rewards for performance but achieving collectively will also place us ALL in a stronger position for the next quarter!
The corporate office is buzzing with activity at the moment but as our department’s success is a top priority, management has nailed a good chunk of time late Monday morning for strategizing, which I am already preparing for. But it is important that I take your collective brainstorming to that meeting also, so this means we need to bring forward our regular Monday meeting to 8:00 a.m. this week only. It will be vital that everyone is present and ready to start by 8.00.
I have spoken to each person today, reviewing your goals and numbers. After our 8.00am Team meeting, I will have time with each of you individually to make sure everyone is crystal clear not only on targets but on how you will achieve it. I would like you to bring your own plan on paper for achieving your target to our individual meeting.
Our success in 2009 matters
‘Small’ things can make the difference. Any questions on the following, please chat to me personally.
1.) Dress Code: I noticed a parallel with casual dress and the lack of appointments in 2008, so this is an obvious area to lift. It brought a casualness in the office even when cold calling, and obviously low expectations for appointments. Business attire affects our attitude and reflects we are ‘in business’.
2.) Working from Home: While sometimes convenient, this brings some difficulties, which I have communicated in an earlier email. Your presence makes a difference in the office to others, so I reinforce our office start time is 8:30, unless you call me first with an exceptional circumstance.
3.) Vacation/PTO: As we work in a Team who performs and respects each other, all requests for a vacation day need to be presented to me at least two days in advance.
4.) Attitude: Winning starts in our mind and I know you all have what it takes. Winners know what they want and do what others aren’t prepared to do. They keep hold of the bigger picture and do enough to learn and improve from experience! Winners are happier and healthier. I am here to coach and mentor you in success and have been where you are, so if there are elements of stress don’t hesitate to come and talk to me. I have learnt I must take care of my physical and mental health, to perform at my best, and am happy to share what I have learned.
See you 8.00am Monday!
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s reply.
Liz, I would love to work for you – ha, an EXCELLENT note; taking the same information and adding a positive spin, this is how our sales manager responds. As a salesperson for the last 28 years, I would be ready, excited and motivated to go to the meeting Monday morning at 8:00 am sharp!!
Bravo
IMHO, this negative, Neanderthal, SOB should be teaching reform school or guarding prisoners…My advice to his staff – start perusing Craigslist and emailing resumes… My advice for him – start reading “How to win friends and influence people!”
We are sales consultants and one of the things we encourage our clients to do is to get their team to present a territory and departmental plan – along the lines of what this SD termed “The expectation should be crystal clear…you know what you need to do, what I want to know is, how are you going to do it?”
One of the real difficulties we have found is that if the team do not have a framework to work to they do not get specific enough the and the exercise looses its power.
We ask our clients work to a template that details all the opportunities they will be working on in the following ‘buckets’:
1. Suspects – those targets which the sales person ‘suspects’ may buy but has not engaged with
2. Prospects – qualified opportunities that have confirmed they are ‘shopping’ but have selected their preferred supplier
3. Sales leads – opportunities that have confirmed they are buying and that you are the chosen supplier – you are discussing terms.
For each we ask them to detail the following: -
1. How many suspects will move to prospects, prospects to sales leads and sales leads to confirmed sales per month/quarter
2. How many new opportunities do they need to go into their suspects, prospects and sales leads each month/quarter to comfortably achieve target?
3. What are the goals, what do they hope to achieve at the suspect stage the prospect and the sales lead (this helps qualify territory pipelines in subsequent sales meetings). For example, who they will be dealing with, what introductions they will be looking for, what information they are looking to get that will help them build the business case ect…
4. Outline of a typical meeting agenda that they would submit to the client meeting prior to going on
5. A list of things that would ‘stop’ them achieving their plan i.e. legal, pricing etc
We find by being specific like this the quality of what the sales manager gets back is better and ongoing it’s easier to manage, as the activities are clear.
Wow,
Here I am starting my Monday with SalesBlogcast and I was almost sad that I did. Until I read all the comments.
Liz Blake’s rewrite was fantastic, along with some of the comments about good content – bad delivery, and the note about the difference between hearing and reading some messages.
My only addition is along that line. I always tell the people I work with that email has no tone of voice – so if you are looking to set the tone for your team, talk with and send an email out after the meeting to reinforce your message.
Lynn
As a recruiter focusing on sales talent, I would love to have the list of original recipients for this “inspirational memo”. No less that 50% of them will head home with a mental note to freshen up their resume that evening or weekend.
The memo does inspire. It inspires people to look for opportunities where they are treated like adults.
I am going to hug my sales manager this morning for not being anything like the person that wrote this letter. There is a way to get everything across that he needed to be said, but his style leaves more than a little to be desired. Maybe he wants to “clean house” and start with a new sales team for 2009…this memo would surely make me want to rethink where I am working.
WoW, no touchy feely or nothing. I hope he finds other ways to inspire his staff. Gook luck
What I find important after all the comments above is that the sales manager does not allow the salesforce to participate in the process of finding a solution. Even if the salesmen arrive at the same solutions, at least they may have the feelings of providing input.
Also, the sales manager erred in the vacation/PTO matter. I suspect he’s in for an unpleasant surprise the first time a salesman takes two weeks off on two days notice. A better rule might be two days notice multiplied by the number of days to be taken off.
Welcome back, …To Hell! Muwah ha ha ha ha. Prepare for another year of torment, mortals…
I beleive this entire team needs to be assessed. If I were the manager and thought I had the issues mentioned in the letter, I would hope that I would be smart enough and in tune enough to realize this is not only a sales team issue this is a management issue.
1. Do I have the right people on my team. If so I would not need this letter.
2. We all need to be assessed to find out what needs to be done for this team to be more effective.
3. As the sales manager, it’s not “all about me” and the problems are my teams issues not mine, If I’m doing the right things, then why the letter. Ultimately I as manager am resposible and should not be blaming my sales team for my short comings.
4. The manager is not holding his/hers people accountable.
5. They are most likely not motivating them one on one, not coaching them and not recruiting the right players.
If I were the mangers boss, Presdient of the company and read this email, I would evalute this team from top to bottom and make sure that I had the right people in place that were going to be effective in todays’s market. If not I would make changes very quickly given the climate of the economy and find and hire only “A” players and that would include a new manager if need be.
That a short version of what I see in the letter above and I agree with a lot of the answers. Changes may need to be done but that happens from the top down. I’m not sure I would be concerned that a sales person making quality, qualified appointments in jeans is a problem. The problen is who is making the appontments, closing business. Professional sales people with the right management and training know what to do on a face to face appointment. If not then they are the wrong people hired.
I quit, My manager is an ass.
I guess for some types of sales teams this might be effective, but certainly not all. It seems this is a young, inexperienced team that needs to be told to be professional.
So, this guy says that the number one expectation is the dress code? How uninspired! In my organizations the number one expectation is to MAKE YOUR NUMBERS! Isn’t that all that counts? Is this guy going to reprimand his #1 producer for working from home?
As a manager you should NEVER treat everyone the same. Your top producers need to be managed much differently than your bottom 20%. A good manager knows this.
Lastly, you can never manage someone’s attitude. You can only manage their behavior. There is a big difference between the two. I don’t care if a guy has a lousy attitude unless it’s resulting in unprofessional behavior.
That’s my opinion.
I worked for this guy. I no longer do. The entire 2 years were degrading and unproductive for the entire team. When you hire experioenced professionals, the goals and expectations need to be clearly stated, support to meet those goals needs to be provided from day 1….then let the pros do their job. This guy was a top producer, made manager with no management skills or any desire to obtain them. A big ego, bad temper and “I’m sooooo much better than you slugs” attitude does not a good mamanger make!
Good Morning Edward,
If you are recruiting sales talent in Houston, TX – I’m looking. Where may I send you my resume.
Regards,
Susan
Hi there,
I agree with SJ regarding the need for clear goals and expectations – but what’s more important is leading with vision. What’s the company’s mission? If you’re going to kick off the year and try to give them an energy boost, link up the goals with the company’s mission/vision – you’ll get more bang for your buck that way!
Who gives up on January on the 5th??!! This whole email is way off base. The SM needs a check up from the neck up.
Classic! The definition of sales manager, one who has no idea how to manage sales people. Most all whom have been hired into the position have no experience or failed at sales. It sounds like this guys job is on the line, so he inturn has transferred the match lit under his fanny to the “team”. The “team” should as a group go over his head and ask for this demotiving individuals’ job or become an addition to their team. What a wonderful message to send your subordinates that you promise to continually work on the wrong end of the problem.
Happy New Year Doyle.
Great discuss to start off the year. Let me share my two cents:
- Working from home: I think in this day and age it should be allowed. Myself, it is a one-hour commute, so on days of snow storms (which can double my commute time)I work from home. Further, I have found more people take my calls from a residential number compared to a work number.
- Vacation days – Everyone needs them. This manager seems like he micromanages just a bit too much.
- Attitude – Yes, a positive attitude is essential but that in itself will not close the deal. You require product knowledge, occasional assistance (from mentors, colleagues).
That is my humble opinion.
Mark Secko
Mantralogix
Sounds like Glen Gary Glen Ross. I thought coffee is for closers
Many fabulous entries above – I’ve enjoyed reading them all. Without reiterating everyone else’s comments, I would venture to say 8 out of 10 managers mistakenly believe that a direct/negative approach will motivate people, even with the attempt at softening the message with some positive comments. Folks, remember your grade school grammar class, anything that follows the word but cancels out what was said prior to it. “Great job, but….” But I digress! A true leader understands that positive reinforcement is most effective when done publicly and constructive criticism is best done privately. People don’t excel when under a fear/avoidance response. I also agree that this manager would have been better served following Liz’s well thought example and instead rewrote the memo in it’s entirely- however I would expect his/her overall management style is embodied in this memo and thus he/she more likely requires an entire rework on their overall leadership/communication style.
I would hope that this man/woman/Sales Manager realized he/she is in the 21st Century, from what I have read in that memo, I don’t believe this is their understanding. I would agree with most of the above comments and would ask that this Manager start re-doing his/her own resume. Micro-managing went out about 20 years ago, and working from home, I’ve done it for close to 8 years now! Most sales people in my Industry do work from home. What planet is this Manager from?
Happy New Year.
I had a boss that regularly went for “massages”.
This is the typical edict type letter from sales manager who does not have plan and is probably not capable of putting a creative one together. When in doubt – threaten, control and dictate!
All,
I was relieved to scan all the comments and be reassured that I wouldn’t have to cancel my subscription to this blog (which was what went through my mind as I read the “sales manager’s” letter
Just one add to all the comments…..a huge miss in a letter (or “live” delivery as well) to your sales force asking for all of these changes is what “I” as your sales manager am committed to doing for you to help you achieve more success. I’m a huge believer in Servant Leadership and yes…it does work in sales too.
Happy New Year
Diahn
Doyle
“After our discussion, I told him I could offer him something even better. “
And now we’re waiting to see what you did to improve his letter.
I agree with the person that said that if this was an issue, then it should have been brought up by phone or in person. An email to motivate and inspire your sales team to hit the ground running in February should be more helpful – give them some helpful sales tips or talk about what is expected from them as far as prospecting or closing sales. This email would have left me with a bad feeling about the coming year.
The original letter COMPLETELY overlooked the importance of getting those TPS reports in on time….
So are some points that might be worth mentioning to the team:
1) Yes, these times are unprecedented and tough. They will get tougher. Here is what to expect and what it means…
2) Our competitors will respond aggressively and try to earn every deal out there. Be ready and here is our strategy…
3) Our clients are in the same unsure economy we are in. They must make changes as well, and we must be a part of their new, smaller world. Here is how we fit…
3) Sell financially: Immediate cost savings and ROI are our born-again best friends. Let’s review our financial selling play book…
4) Bring every deal to the table. We must be creative where we may not have been in the past…
5) These times demand unprecedented commitment from everyone on our team. We all understand how serious this is and how tough it is. We need your best and we expect nothing less.
My two cents. And I still need those TPS reports…
I liked this one a lot better, but I wouldn’t have left the end of the letter on a negative note (which I consider all 4 of the ‘small’ things. Maybe it could have been ended by talking about innovative ways to reach the goals that you mentioned.
Sorry I’m late here. Since I Liz did a great job on the memo I have really only read her post.
Though I agree this is a fine rewrite of the memo, I believe there is a much bigger flaw in the manager’s thinking and action.
He is doing what a manager does but he is not taking the best course. The best course is to take a leadership approach as opposed to a management one.
The manager is telling people what they need or must do instead of giving them a reason to want to do it (leadership).
His memo doesn’t inspire his team to high performance, it commands them to do specific things. “The I’m the boss, your are going to do these things” mentality. And this is the way most managers operate (unfortunately).
Since I don’t have enough information to create a scenario for the above I will share a personal example of how to lead a group.
I took over a sales group, one of five for the US (they sold computers by phone). This was a brand new sales organization — sort of like the above new year.
I started by creating a vision –
I asked the group how long they thought it would be before management, top management would come looking for results. They agreed that within a month or so if noting was happening the rumbling would start.
I asked them if they though that the pressure would come to bare on their shoulders when that happened and they agreed.
I then asked them if we were the top producers do you think we would get a lot of slack — they agreed.
I asked each of them would they truly like to be the best team by far. The said sure.
I asked them if they were willing to do exactly as I told them because I had a plan that would make this happen. The said sure.
I asked them if they would mind working less time than the rest of the groups to achieve the results, and they said “How can we do that.”
I told them by working when we work and playing when we play. By being focused and disciplined at our task.
I then asked the to look around and what others were doing and see if they looked focused — they were not and the team members could all see it.
I said are you willing to be focused and disciplined for 6 hours each day? They said absolutely — I told them if they did so we would clobber all the other teams even if they worked 9 hours per day.
And we did, we clobbered everyone by a full 30% in total production over the next best team, we won 80% of the spiffs offered as contests each week and we made more sales than all the other groups.
What just happened? I gave the team a vision they could get inspired about, I showed them a place they could reach if they were willing to do the right things.
I then empowered them to do those things and they were successful.
This is the leadership approach. I never once had to discipline anyone on the team and I didn’t have to tell them to be to work on time or not take long lunches or breaks — they were totally motivated they did it on their own – only asking me for help when needed it.
Leadership rules
It’s a little soft about having plans prepared. The manager would probably shoot into the air if someone did not come in with a plan. Also I would suggest inviting people to send in their plans so they might have some feedback ahead of the meeting.
I think a little grammar checking would help.
Once again among four different problems, there is no invitation to participate in solutions except to see the manager privately. I would at least invite them to send back an email ahead of the meeting with questions and suggestions.
I hope this manager is laying out a big breakfast buffet to encourage his salesmen to feel they are welcomed back.
Overall, I give this an A-. The original was a C-.
Flyn, you are the supreme professional here. You are dead on about the way to go about this…, The letter from the Sales Manager is one I am familiar with.
Some ‘managers’ think they are so cool, when,in fact, they are so far from the mark. I have had managers that never sold anything. I have had managers that were crude, militant types, and I have had GREAT managers.The great one I will speak about…. I worked for him for 13 years. Every single morning I would pass his office and say hello before I started my day. If I could get a laugh or a smile out of that few moments in the morning.. I was motivated. He didn’t beat me up. He was always amazed at how well we were doing.. his ‘validation’ of our efforts made us all think we could do just about anything. And we did! A good manager, hires great salespeople, and let’s them do what they do best. A lousy manager hires anyone he can and stands there with a megaphone looking like an ass. I have had both….. When someone believes in you, and knows you are working towards a common goal..you don’t make up stupid rules that can hinder the overall process. Here’s one; Company mandates:
50 calls a day – documented in crm.
15 face to face a week….. documented in crm.
Total of 250 calls.. this includes research… 15 face to face for a commission of $80. a sale.. Get’s worse, the product was ineffective, had no marketing what so ever. I managed to bring in the largest dollor volume… BUT didn’t hit his ‘call count’!!So we parted ways. Good managers inspired, not scare. Great managers hire great salespeople. The first letter in this is from someone who sounds like he is being hammered from ‘upper mgt’ and had to play ‘hardass’ to keep his own job…
The result of this letter would have me out the door with my resume… fast.
Thank you for the complement.
Wow Flynn.
Well written and thought out. Leadership over dictatorship wins every time.
Mark Secko
Thank you.
You can bully some results out of people for a while but then it comes apart. If you lead them, you can get not only what you need but often far far more!
I could never have made the group in my example to part 1 do what they did — the only way that performance was possible is because each team member wanted it.
You deserve it. You are the pro. These guys that say they are managers and behave like this one….. shouldn’t be allowed to lead. Shame..
Assuming the original letter wasn’t actually a composite or fictional.
If he treats his salespeople this way, I can just imagine how he treats marketing and other support functions. Wait! Come to think of it, I might have worked with the guy.
Melissa Paulik
All good, valid comments (thanks). But my idea was not to critique the letter; I thought it would be a more ‘real’ learning experience if I worked within the content of the letter, to show how a different APPROACH to the exact same topics comes will evoke a completely different response.
A typical response by an authoritarian-style sales manager, one who subscribes to the belief system of “If the cat doesn’t like the way it’s being rubbed, then let the cat turn around”; “any sales rep who doesn’t agree with me is a loser”…..someone needs to seriously consider letting some of the hot air out of their EGO………