Sales Prospecting Perspectives

What does it mean to be a manager, director, SVP, VP, President, COO, CFO, or CEO, outside of the responsibilities listed in the job description?  It means upholding duties, meeting goals, and contributing to the company.  Sometimes, executives seem to forget the last portion: "contribute to the company."  Many people automatically think, “Well, I'm doing a great job fulfilling my duties, so of course I'm contributing to the company.” But that's not always the case.

You know the type of people who come to work, grab their coffee in the morning, and immediately go to their desk without making conversation? They may go to meetings and respond to everyone via email, but you never see them really interacting with anyone. When it comes to sales and marketing, your management should be socialites, good listeners, engaging people, and supportive coaches! 

What makes exceptional managers?  People who genuinely care about others, who actively listen to what's going on in each other's life (whether it be business-related or even sometimes personal), and who help motivate individuals within their team.  Allow yourself some time each week to visit with your team, ask them how things are going, and inquire about any upcoming projects or work.  

Depending on the office environment, sometimes the most engaging conversations do not happen in conference rooms: they happen when you’re grabbing coffee in the morning, or when you’re walking down the hall in the office.  You will probably uncover more valuable information in that 15-minute coffee conversation than you would have within a formal hour-long sales meeting. You already know what's on your agenda for the day, so don't bother telling your team how busy you are.  Instead, ask them about what's on their agenda.  Ask them if they need help with anything or if they need any support from you - make that an open dialogue.  For all you know, they are waiting on an email that you forgot to answer in order to continue with their project! (We've all forgotten that one email before!)

It may take some time to understand each individual, including how they work, what motivates them, what frustrates them, and how to effectively challenge them.  Once you have established a working relationship with your team, make sure you give credit where it's due by recognizing individuals.  Work on helping individuals further their capabilities so they can become better and more efficient within their role.

Assisting team members and coaching shouldn't only be applied when strategies need correcting; that's sending the wrong message.  You should be open to helping and coaching your team even when you're having an All-Star month, because each member should be continually growing and your team as a whole should be tackling challenges more effecieintly. Scratch the "Always Be Closing" mentality and implement the "Always Be Helping" strategy - whether you're in the green or the red.

Most people would like to get the most out of their career, and being in a management role means contributing to your company by motivating your team to do well for themselves.  Once that understanding starts to build, you will notice that your team may be happier, more comfortable and more confident when taking on additional tasks, meaning they're motivated to do well.  

When team members have a great coach who possesses all of the above traits, nine times out of ten they'll want to do well not just for themselves but for their coach.  On the other hand, as a coach you want to set your team up for success and help them get to the next level so that they succeed and so that their performance also helps the company.  This give-and-take relationship in sales and marketing can go a very long way and make or break your department’s numbers. It’s in management’s best interest to not only fulfill their duties but also to contribute to the growth of the company and to the growth of their team.