Go forth and multiply.

We all are now well aware of how sales has changed in the connected world, in terms of the buyer journey and the affect this has on prospecting and sales process. What hasn’t changed though is the need for professional sales management which enables and motivates salespeople to achieve the best they can.

Just recently a good salesperson I have known for many years rang to tell me about the largest software deal across his company in 3 years that he just closed. However, all his Manager had to say was “about time” and that most of the work had probably been done by the reseller (which wasn’t true). The salesperson said to me that all he wanted to do was tell his boss to “get you-know-what”. In fact, he said that every salesperson should have the right to tell their boss at least once a day to go forth and multiply!

This experience of salespeople not having their successes acknowledged by their manager remains far too prevalent. In fact with the changed environment for sales as mentioned earlier, there is even greater pressure on salespeople, with only the good ones achieving notable success. Unfortunately that pressure has flowed onto Sales Managers many of whom fall back to mere bullying in order to try and get the results they may have achieved in years past.

So what we have are successful salespeople adjusting their sales strategies and techniques to meet the new buying process paradigm being managed by people who are locked into the old ways. These old style managers still believe that so many cold calls, so many prospecting emails, so many meetings, so many demonstrations, and so many proposals, will lead to exceptional sales success. And when a salesperson closes a deal, the message they get from those managers at best is one of relief only with a focus on the next sale, rather than celebrating the win.

So to all such Sales Managers out there “go forth and multiply” but please don’t generate more like you in doing so!