In today’s demanding marketplace sales managers must have strategies for increasing sales and developing people. Besides enhancing relationships with customers making calls is the best opportunity to do both. This article outlines strategies for making three different sales calls that will drive sales and develop your people. They are:
• Training
• Joint
• Coaching
Each has a different purpose, strategy and the roles for both you and the salesperson are also different.
Training calls teach the salesperson how to do a specific aspect of the job. Your make the presentation while the salesperson observes. The key to a success is for you to demonstrate proper selling skills and techniques. Your job is to give the salesperson an effective model and make sure the salesperson understands how to perform the aspect of the job you have demonstrated. Before the call, make sure the salesperson knows:
- The objectives (both performance and development)
- The skills or techniques you are demonstrating
- His/her role
After, be sure to review the following:
- Were the objectives achieved?
- What helped?
- What hindered?
- How else could the call have been made?
Joint calls support a team approach. Both you and the salesperson have defined roles and responsibilities. Before, make sure you review the following:
- The objectives (both performance and development)
- The strategy
- What role will each person play?
- Who is responsible for each segment of the call?
- How will you interact during the call?
After, you should discuss:
- Were the objectives met?
- What helped?
- What hindered?
- How could the call have been improved?
- Who is responsible for following up on commitments made during the call (if any)?
Coaching calls are designed for you to observe and assess the salesperson’s performance. The salesperson’s role is to make the sales call. Your role is to observe and offer feedback after the call. Coaching calls are a true test of your listening and observing skills, not your selling skills. Before, be sure to cover:
- The objectives (both performance and development)
- The strategy
- Responses to obstacles that may come up
After, discuss the following:
- Were the objectives met?
- What helped (what were the salesperson’s strengths)?
- What hindered (what were the salesperson’s improvement opportunities)?
- How could the call have been improved or handled differently?
- What actions need to be taken next
Seating relative to the customer is important on each situation. The key is for you to situate yourself consistent with the agreed upon role and objectives. Use these guidelines:
Training calls-Position yourself closest to the customer so that the salesperson can observe easily. Also the proximity to the customer establishes that you are taking the lead.
Joint Calls-Sit side by side with the salesperson. This signals equality of your roles and makes it easy for “handing off” to each other.
Coaching calls– The salesperson should be closest to the customer making sure that you are out of the salesperson’s peripheral view. This positioning establishes the salesperson as the lead and helps prevent the salesperson from presenting to you instead of the customer.
To increase sales you need a well-trained and high performing sale force.Making sales calls with your salespeople gives you the greatest leverage points for developing them and making sales. To make sure you have successful call strategies set clear expectations and define roles.