What Sales Managers Get Wrong About Deal Inspection

This article is a collaborative effort with Veracode's Chuck Pledger , VP for Revenue Performance.

While a lot of effort is put into training sellers on the sales process and product knowledge, less attention might be given to equipping managers with the skills to effectively coach their teams through complex deal cycles.

Key Points of Deal Inspection:

1. Teaching Managers to Coach: It’s essential to invest time in training managers, not just on inspection techniques but on how to coach their teams through challenges in the deal cycle. Effective coaching goes beyond inspection; it involves guiding sellers, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a positive learning environment.
2. Great Coaching vs. Fear-Based Leadership: Great coaching should be supportive, not fear-driven. Unlike a drill instructor who uses intimidation, a skilled manager should focus on building up their team—offering guidance, support, and encouragement. This approach not only helps in deal progression but also in developing a confident, capable sales team.
3. Importance of Deal Inspection: Deal inspection plays a pivotal role in sales success. It helps managers understand where the team stands in their pursuit of value, ensuring that all efforts align with the company’s objectives. This process involves assessing risks, identifying potential issues, and determining the best course of action, making it a cornerstone of a successful sales strategy.

In essence, investing in coaching for managers is as critical as training sellers. It ensures that managers can effectively lead their teams through the complexities of the deal cycle, ultimately driving greater sales success.

Goals of Deal Inspection:

1. Understand Risk: Sales leaders inspect deals to identify and assess risks in opportunities.
2. Catch Problems Early: Early detection allows for problem-solving before issues escalate or can't be solved.
3. Escalate When Needed: Knowing when and how to escalate a stalled deal to get results.
4. Teach Sellers: It’s also a teaching moment for sales leaders to guide sellers on best practices.

Where Deal Inspection Goes WRONG

How and where deal inspections go wrong isn't a great mystery. In fact, it's tied to how a sales manager was brought up in sales, how much pressure the leader is under, and how the organization sets standards for deal inspection.

Here are four scenarios that most deal inspections fall under:

Really bad

• Manager shows up unprepared, not reviewing data or notes.
• Conversations are repetitive, re-establishing facts rather than progressing from past discussions.
• Meetings are overcrowded with superfluous attendees who contribute nothing.
• Managers focus on their own agendas rather than taking a servant leadership approach.
• Chaotic and not scalable

Bad

• Lack of structured conversation, leading to inconsistency.
• The process feels like a challenge ("Stump the Chump") rather than a collaborative effort.
• Ensures the manager will need to be relied upon at every step.
• Ego-driven and not scalable

Also bad

• Just asking for facts.
• Not going deeper in getting context.
• Acting as just another management layer passing information upwards.
• Detached and inaccurate

Where Deal Inspection Goes RIGHT

• Pre-established structure with clear data expectations.
• Reviewing relevant information before the call.
• Asking questions that align with the deal's progress.
• Focusing on questions rather than directives.
• Empathetic and nurturing

These scenarios highlight the importance of preparation, structured conversation, and empathy in effective deal inspections. If you're a manager, which are you? If you're an executive, what expectation are you putting on your front line sales leaders?