Solomon Says: "All of sales is a return on investment equation, the sale happens when the buyers perception of return exceeds the investment."
It was a simple question when asked really, though it resonated with the fear and uncertainty of a team member who had lost all sense of trust and credibility with her company. I was saddened for her as a sales professional and even more, saddened that in one more place in the world, the mission and vision of sales professionals are taken off course not by our battles in the marketplace but more in our battles with our own companies.
The question itself merely asked whether or not she should give an honest answer to the question from her HR department about where she wanted to be in 3 years. Their apparent hope was to provide her guidance and direction in building her career. She posted the question to AzSalesPros and its 635 members for discussion and received the usual answers back. Well thought out, honest and based on their perspective, accurate.
The problem was she didn't want to tell her company what her goals were because she didn't want them to know her intent is to open her own business and leave the company long before her 3 years are up. She was concerned for her position if the company found out she was planning on leaving. Normally a good sales manager will understand that intent and help the sales person achieve their goals. The problem here is that the question came from HR and merely the fact she asked the question of the group suggested she did not trust the company altogether.
In my opinion a smart sales manager will recognize their sales people with the same respect as their customers. Because the goal of the sales manager is to help the sales person produce as much as possible in as short a time as is reasonable, treating them with the same respect as a customer forces two things. Done well, management understands and supports the needs of the sales person and also done well, management develops trust and credibility with the sales person.
Just as in selling to a customer, management can only do that by building a relationship with the sales person. This company seems to think HR has that relationship with its sales people, either that or it has no clue what it is doing and HR asking about goals seems like a good idea to them. Frankly, that the sales manager can not answer that question is to me a red flag of poor management already. So I am saddened for this professional whom I have known for a number of years and mentored quietly when invited.
Sales managers, the reason to build the relationship and discover what is important to your sales team is simple. The sale happens when what is in it for them is greater than the cost of acquiring it. When you know the goals of your people, when you nurture their achievement of those goals, than when the going gets tough, you not only have the trust and credibility to bring them through, you have the capacity to help them accomplish their goals. Your bonds with them will strengthen and your capacity to aid them through tough times will increase. It is really just that simple.
So if someone wants to go start their own business? Yes even then support them. Why? Because you need their trust and you need to support them for them to be willing to support you. Further, everyone else in the company needs to know if it is safe to trust you and they will learn by watching what you really do here. And one last thing on this rant, the fact is the lifespan of an average sales person is somewhere between 2 and 4 years. You will be replacing a big chunk of your team regularly. It doesn't matter if one of them wants to leave, you have to be constantly planning for succession anyways.
Salespeople, you need to set goals. Why? for the same reasons I have mentioned above. When the tough times hit, clarity of knowing what and why you are doing what you do will pull you through. One of these days I will write about that. Meantime keep one question in mind at all times, "What do you want?"
Respectfully submitted,
Michael D. Goodman
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