A friend of mine called me because she was very frustrated with her manager – the sales manager. We agreed to get together for lunch and discuss her situation.
“He always contradicts me in from of my clients and prospects. He’ll tell me that no discounts are allowed and then he will make a call with me and discount the price after I have told my client that this is not possible. I lose all credibility with my client!” Sound familiar? “Then the insult to the injury is that from that time on the client calls my boss to discuss needs and terms. I feel like all I’m good for is to find leads for my boss to sell (and take the credit for).
“Sometimes the CEO wants to go on calls with me. He goes out with me and offers small free pilot projects. That’s something my boss will not let me do. So, there I am again looking like a third wheel in front of my client. I can’t sell if I don’t have credibility with my clients.“
She was right, people only buy from people they view as trustworthy. Losing credibility in front of the client can only leave one conclusion – she is not trustworthy.
There are several endings to the statement, “people buy from …,” another of these is that, “people buy from peers.” I have also heard that stated as power buys from power or people buy from people at their same level. What this sales manager does not realize is that he is taking status or stature or power away from his sales person every time he contradicts the sales person in front of the client. Many times the sales manager or CEO (or any senior manager calling on clients) don’t even know they are causing the problem that they have noticed in their “weak” sales force – lack of credibility with the client.
Contrary to some people’s opinion, sales is a science, a process, not an art. The sales manager and the sales person should agree on that process and a set or series of stands or positions that the sales person is empowered to use. With this approach the sales manager is freed up to focus on exception situations and the sales staff finds more success on their own. That’s a win-win for everyone.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust people and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” Management will be surprised how much success is found when the staff is trusted to succeed. Hire good people, empower them with trust, process and coaching, and get out of their way. |
