Great 1:1's with your sellers changes everything!

My team coaches 18,000 sellers and 1,600 first line sales managers in all stages account planning, prospecting with impact, deal progression, win strategies, and negotiation skills. Sellers tell me that 1:1's are often informal, ad-hoc, and generally focused on a specific sales opportunity.

Sales Managers think they conduct 1:1's often and well. Sellers think they are ad-hoc and infrequent... something is wrong.

Many of the sales managers I coach lack a structured approach to 1:1 sessions, and these meetings are not regularly scheduled. When I searched "Great 1:1 meetings with sellers" on Google, I found over six billion results, indicating a plethora of opinions on the topic.

I coach sales managers to have a fixed agenda for every formal 1:1 session whether it's weekly or bi-weekly. There will always be informal coaching after calls, on deal specifics, or problem solving... but I'm talking about structured 1:1's so you can help sellers be the best they can be.

My perspective is that 1:1's... when done right, can have a huge impact on morale, teamwork, prospecting, deal progression, as well as win rates.

SO... what does a great 1:1 with a seller look like?

You want this to be consistent week-to-week for every seller. Same agenda to drive insights, deals, and wins. Here's a 1:1 agenda idea:

1. Personal Connection - "How was the weekend BBQ you and Sarah were throwing for your friends?", "How did the piano recital go?". Employees LEAVE companies most frequently because of an impersonal manager who sees them only as a revenue producer... and never connects personally. Know your sellers just like you know your clients... it will make them feel connected, seen, and appreciated.
2. Skills development - Every seller needs to continually enhance their product and selling skills. You likely have an on-line learning platform with on-demand training... and there are a lot of great books on value selling, challenger selling, overcoming obstacles, etc. You want your sellers continually developing their technical eminence and their selling skills. What doesn't get measured doesn't get done. Ask what they have been reading/learning since you last met with them. You are focusing on continual improvement. If they had a weak answer this week... you KNOW they will have focus on personal development and a better answer next week. The question WILL be on the agenda... it ALWAYS is!
3. Prospecting and Qualified Pipeline Development - Many companies large or small are weak on consistent measurement of prospecting activity... your companies future depends on it. There is no way to make next Quarter's numbers if you're not filling the top of the funnel. Today, it starts with a great LinkedIn profile, solid use of LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, or other tools. It continue with a professional connect strategy which we teach all of our sellers. If you don't know your customers and they don't know you... and you can not help them understand the value your product/solution brings in the context of their goals or pain... you'll be firing sellers because they didn't make plan. It's the sales managers job to KNOW what every seller is doing every week to meet new accounts and contacts. Cold calls still work, seminars work, text messaging works, email works, LinkedIn works.... BUT... sellers need a consistent plan they are executing against. Start with a great LinkedIn profile so your seller pass the "SNIFF TEST". After looking at your sellers profiles... with they decide they are work meeting with? Professional photo? Compelling Banner Image? Great Headline? Solid customer centric ABOUT section? Featured section turned on... and great content posted for your prospects to find?
4. Key Deal Review - Ask them to prepare a 1-pager for one or two key deals they are committing to for the month or quarter... maybe they are out further if they are complex. COACH don't CADENCE them on the deal. Have them explain the deal, the buying committee (and any gaps), and where they are on building relationships, understanding the competition, creating a solid value proposition (not a proposal and a price), any company politics. They should also share the decision making process, and what is important to solve for the client. Let THEM share where they have vulnerabilities... and coach them to find next steps to improve their sales position. Here at IBM we use software from a company called Revenue Storm, and leverage their Pursuit Profiler to help sellers think about their current status, vulnerabilities, and best next actions in each of 6 key domains.
5. How can I help, and any other open topics - Sellers appreciate ending the 1:1 on a positive note... knowing their manager "has their back" and is always available to brainstorm strategy or find a path forward... yet holding them accountable. BUT... you can not be their micro-manager or hero. To build a competent, self-sufficient team, you have help them find their way through great coaching. It's hard to tame your "Advice Monster"... at least it is for me.... but the rewards will be sellers who have ever-increasing competence in their own capabilities... leading to increased win-rates and revenue!

Coach them to "run it like they own it" ... because they do!

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Add a comment with your ideas on this article... and additional thoughts you have!

Carpe Diem, and Good Selling!

Marc