8 + 2 Tips for Executives wanting to Help Field Sales

It is that time of the year again, you are half way through the year and within reach of achieving the annual sales plan so far, and want to:

1. Help the sales team achieve their goals,
2. Mix with the big dogs at key accounts,
3. Overcome obstacles at an at risk account,
4. Get windshield time with the sales force.

Realize that most activities done now won’t have an effect this year.  Most sales cycles are 12-18 months, so use this opportunity as a great relationship builder for the longer term.  Management can play a much bigger role in building or destroying sales than most companies realize.  One of the best organizations I joined assigned each one of the officers to assist on two domestic and two international key accounts.  I was able to build external and internal company relationships through this activity. It was a great experience for me and launched my career from being an “inside” guy to an “outside“ guy.
A lot has been written on this subject.  Here are my Top 8 Tips-all basics, but that’s what makes common sense so uncommon:

1. Make customer visits early in the planning year to launch new strategic opportunities. The sales team will leverage that visit through the year.
   
2. Predetermine with the salesperson what your role will be in the meeting. Do research for each visit-understand sales, returns, credit standing, projects before you go. Tell the salesperson what questions you will ask so he can prep the customer.
3. Tell the customer how the salesperson will follow up directly with them. This allows the salesperson to establish a working relationship with their top dogs. You have provided your team access now let them take over.
   
4. Allow the salesperson to control 100% of the call. The salesperson should introduce you, start the call and most importantly to ask for the order.
   
5. Take brief notes in the meeting. It shows sincerity, follow up and respect.
   
6. Recognize the salesperson’s achievements in the meeting. Tell them about how that person has contributed to the organization and that person has a future in your organization.
7. Thank the customer for their business to date and know what $ that is.
8. Park your ego at the door. Arrive the night before or early morning-like a salesperson would do. Stay in the same type of the hotel as the salesperson and eat at restaurants of their choosing. Be a regular person-the whole sales team is watching.

Don’t:

1. Go off 1 on 1 with the customer for substantive discussions without the salesperson, they need to hear everything and follow up to any commitment that could be made.
2. Negotiate anything in front of the customer-then you become the default decision maker in the future.

OK, you are back in the safety of the HQ bubble appropriate follow up actions may be:

1. If you follow up with the customer (and you don’t need to follow up with everyone) always CC: the salesperson.Include the salesperson’s name in the body of the message so that the customer will view the salesperson as an extension of you.
2. Keep the salesperson’s Sales Manager in the loop, respect the hierarchy and communicate directly with the Sales Manager
3. If you have sales experience this can be a coaching opportunity for the sales rep.Prepare a one page follow up-handwritten is OK if it is legible.
   1. What did the salesperson do well-5-8 bullets
   2. What they did that could be improved-<3 bullets
   3. What they didn’t do that they could have -1-2 bullets

Be proactive in wanting to meet with customers.  Never allow for your lack of sales experience, busy schedule, limited language skills as an excuse not to be present with customers.  Don’t try to be the three day wonder that spends time in the field once every blue moon and believes they have captured the pulse of the market when they are back in the bubble-have the visits be part of your mantra.  Make these visits part of your annual objectives-set a goal and achieve it-it will be visible.

There was a December 2015 blog about monthly sales planning for  Sales Management: http://www.jimthomasintl.com/blog/archives/12-2015 how are we doing so far?
Good Selling!
 
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