'How to Start a Sales Fire'- By Christine Beckwith- Vice President of Realtor & Sales Management- AnnieMac Home Mortgage

The 3 Vital Things for Sales Managers to Start a Sales Revolution

I can remember exactly where I was sitting when I realized one winter morning that my district, which I had been managing from last place in the company, took over the first-place position in our company.  I had thought it would have taken a lot longer. Don't get me wrong, it was hard work, it was a ton of climbing and when we were tired we did not rest. We had done the impossible, by many people’s standards. 

For more insight on this journey feel free to watch the short video clip on my website at www.visionyoursuccess.net in the Video section and labeled 'Movin' On Up' as nobody tells that story better than the people who worked for me that year.  I'm proud to say that is not the first and it wasn't the last "come from behind" win I have had either. 

I love the underdog and as such, I've been known to take on a few projects in my career and prove that with leadership, teamwork, inspiration and a clear vision, you can create an army of people all marching towards a meaningful goal for nothing more than the win. Money set aside, trophies set aside...just for the bragging rights, in all seriousness, I have seen it over and over and over in my sales career.  

 I have mastered the winning potion in different markets with different people in different times.  It all comes back to 3 basic things but they are 3 things that management often overlooks when they are placing sales leaders.  After three decades, I know this to be the truth, as I always hashtag at the end of every article, #mysalestruth, which for me is the absolute proven truth.  

Here they are:

1.  A Common Cause:  

• What is your teams "common cause". What unites them? Are they united for that matter?  That said, when I took over groups of sales people I would interview each member and ask them what motivated them and what their goals were. I asked them what was working and what wasn't working. More often than not even with large groups it would always come down to two or three things.  These things won't surprise you but they are a killer when they don't exist. People want to believe they are doing something greater than a job. They want a "cause".  They want to understand the meaning and bigness of their work. It's the same reason we pick up books to escape our realities and we listen to music to be moved. Why we pick movies on a current mood. If as a leader you can drive your sales people to their cause, like in the mortgage industry "making the oldest American Dream come true" than you suddenly go from having a sales team to having an army of soldiers who are out to bring a cause, a movement and a market to a new level.  So, I ask again, WHAT IS YOUR CAUSE?  Do your people know?   

2.  You Need to Be a Coach: 

• As a leader of your team or organization, no matter how big or small, how do you lead?  We all have different styles. However, does your manager make you better than you are?  Do they push you outside your boundaries and comfort zones? Do they help you expand on your strengths, build you up and make you feel the positive environment that is necessary for true growth and fellowship to thrive? The answers here all must be yes.  See, the hardest thing I ever did was standing up and giving a speech to a weary group of sales people in last place. I recall lying awake til 4 am and thinking about how important the words were that I spoke. I knew if I didn't find the right words that first large group meeting they wouldn't buy in and they would not follow me.  It wasn't a long speech but it was a vital one.  I had to show them I heard them in their individual meetings. I had to give them a plan to follow and a vision. I showed them where they were right then and I told them they would never be there again, to remember how they felt right then in last place but to know that did not define them.  I gave them a cause and I showed them a vision of climbing the ranks in our company. I showed them how we would do it and I made each of them believe their individual job was vital for our success. I also explained that if some of them didn't buy in that we would not accomplish it and that I also knew it would take time and steps.  I then told them we would meet monthly and I would update them and then I handed out pins and told them to wear them to remember our cause and their purpose.  I can't tell you how many times someone would knock on my door to ask if I had a pin because they forgot one. I had created the vision. Then I measured their actions and we celebrated our progress. I gave speeches that were like locker room half time speeches and then I sent them out on the field for another month.  
• You must know you are coaching a team when you lead a sales force.  You show me the guy who points out all you do wrong, doesn't have a vision, tears you down instead of builds you up and quite frankly doesn't get in the ditch with you to shovel while yelling "shovel harder" and I will show you a "manager" not a "leader".  Being a Leader means being a coach. Every day be a coach. When things are bad, help them create a new play plan. When they are on the DL, let them heal and send in your back up guy, work as a team. When they win, stop and pop the corks, celebrate, jump up and down, laugh and applaud them.  These things are vital to the health of an organization. 

3.  Hire Consistently: New Blood Creates Competition!

• The Green Sales Guy/Gal: We all know the new green sales guy/gal that comes in looking like Barbie Banker with their new brief case, new suit and a huge smile on their face. While we, the crunchy old bitter and jaded sales crew looks on with inner angst knowing we are going to have to listen to their gleeful and eager presence until they reached our burned-out status. Sound familiar? Ya, well guess what? The best thing for your bitter, old, jaded and worn out sales people are young, eager and green na?ve sales people who will run through walls for you. You know why? Because it will make your old folks pick up their boot straps and start jogging, whether they want to or not.  Nothing creates energy like...well energy.  
• Look Around: So, look around, if your office looks like they are ready for nap time then you need to change it up. There should be frequent cubicle changes, office changes, seating changes, cow bells on the sales floor, blue lights, contest boards, motivational posters and frequent fun short spirited meetings where you are bringing in new guys regularly. When you are growing, you are saying we are healthy, we are thriving, we are expanding and we are good. It's security.  New blood will shake the entire mix up and that is a good thing.  I once had a wise manager tell me to never stop recruiting. Even if I had reached a sales nirvana, have 3 more sales guys on deck.  That is something I can tell you when I was in the hiring seat I evoked in my sales managers and on my sales teams.    If you don't believe me, once again I defer to my little documentary movie I referenced in the beginning of this article.  Check it out for yourself.

These are just 3 things that will start a sales fire on your sales floor, but all of them are truthful and forgotten trades in many circles. I see minds coming together sometimes in meetings pulling plans and reports apart and they are looking for the answers on ROI and other growth metrics and what they aren't looking at are the three magical things above. I have won sales contests with inexperienced guys and gals. I have won as an inexperienced sales person. I have seen novice guys kick the crap out of veterans and I have seen veterans re-invent themselves with this advice. “Will” will always win over skill. Trust me, if you can't evoke WILL you can't start a fire. If you  CAN evoke this inspiration then all you must do after is keep that fire going.  Good Luck!

#mysalestruth