Managing sales performance is a fundamental sales management skill. Learn how to effectively manage sales behaviors to get your sales team to generate great results consistently.
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***Video Script ***
While there is a lot of emphasis on Sales Coaching and Sales Leadership, the most fundamental skill that a Sales Manager needs to develop, Managing Sales Performance, is often overlooked.
Perhaps that is because many organizations take it for granted that their managers know how to effectively manage performance.
Unfortunately, that is a huge mistake. While many sales managers may have been able to produce very good results themselves in their prior roles as sales reps, this doesn’t necessarily translate into the ability to get their sales teams to consistently generate great results.
Behaviors vs. Results
The inherent problem lies in the focus on results as opposed to the sales behaviors that drive results. This is especially true since today’s CRM systems provide real-time measurement and reporting of results. While it helps to see to monitor this information, it is important to note that it is rear-view-looking information. These metrics are based on results that have already occurred as opposed to the underlying behaviors (leading indicators) that drive results.
A good analogy that demonstrates this point is weight loss. Someone who wants to lose weight cannot simply get on a scale daily and record their weight. While there is likely to be some fluctuation day to day, the results are not meaningful unless they are taking specific behaviors (e.g., modified diet, exercise) that will impact these results.
Going back to improving sales results, sales organizations need to carefully think through the key results they want to monitor, and then determine what behaviors will drive those results. The key distinction is that results (lagging indicators) should be monitored and behaviors (leading indicators) should be monitored and managed. In the example below, if the desired result is new customer acquisition then the following key behaviors would apply:
Desired Result:
New Customer Acquisition
Key Behaviors:
- Developing a territory plan including a comprehensive list of prospective customers
- Creating account plans that map the key decision-makers and influencers
- Setting first-time meetings with prospective customers
- Adding new opportunities to the sales pipeline
As an example, if a sales organization decided to monitor 10 results, this could potentially lead to as many as 40 behaviors (assuming four behaviors tie to each result) managers would need to monitor and manage.
From a practical standpoint, it is best to focus on 2 - 3 most important results, and then manage the corresponding 8 -12 behaviors that drive those results.
Managing a High Performing Team
Once these results and corresponding behaviors have been identified, then managers can turn their attention to truly managing performance by following the following four steps:
- Communicate performance expectations
- Monitor and manage specific behaviors
- Monitor results
- Provide regular feedback
Going back to our example on new customer acquisition, a manager can now communicate the number of new customers they would like the salesperson to acquire, the specific behaviors that will lead to those results, and the timeframe for completion.
Most importantly, they need to make sure that they are providing ongoing feedback. This should include providing encouragement based on the achievement of key behaviors (e.g., "set 10 first-time appointments last week"), and proactively discussing any performance gaps they are seeing (e.g., "I thought you were going to submit your account plans last Friday and I haven’t seen them yet") while there is still time to course correct.
Ultimately, sales managers live in a results-based world but their ability to achieve those results is driven by managing behaviors.
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