Selling.2.YES Mar '16

What to do when "you" whiff at your Q1 number

March 2016

March Madness doesn't only refer to the annual spring basketball ritual that grabs our attention, it can refer to the realization for some that the year is off to a baaaaad start. At this point in the calendar, you know where you stand for Q1 and it's agreed nobody wants to be in a deep hole before Q2 starts at the end of this month. When a Sales Exec whiffs at his/her Q1 number, both Manager and Sales Executive feel the pressure - and both are responsible to work as a team to turn things around. Here are the two different perspectives that may help you, and your collaborator, get back on track:

"Your quarter wasn't too good, what's your plan now?" said the Sales Manager.
The myth is the manager wants to see pain and suffering on the part of the sales executive. The truth is he/she wants to see a plan. The rep should know that whiffing at a quarterly number happens - it's not the end of the world - but it's NOT okay to NOT have a plan to present to the manager.

The sales executive's plan (and approach):

1. Prospecting. The first thing the manager wants to see is a plan for stepped-up assertiveness against prospecting activities. Show him/her your list of people who can truly effect your business. Tell your manager you're dedicating three hours a day to getting sales calls so you can improve your pipeline immediately.
KEY TIP: Get your manager to personally help prospect against your list. He/she must know people who can help you, so push hard to enlist his/her help.

2. Account planning. Whether your company has a formal account review process or not (shame on them if "not"...and, call Core 6 immediately, we can help)... review your quarterly account plan and revise it to reflect a new strategy per each key account. Think critically about the things you're doing to push business forward and challenge yourself to develop refreshed thinking and methods per each account.
KEY TIP: Make your manager review your strategic thinking and add to your knowledge of how to attack each account. Ask him/her for candor regarding your approach so you can learn and grow the business.

3. Skills assessment. Whether your company has a formal performance review protocol or not (shame on them if "not"....and, call Core 6 immediately, we can help)... present your management with your self-assessed skills report card so you can discuss areas where you need support and training. Admit to your manager where and how you're struggling - odds are, your manager has been there/seen that and can provide good assistance.
KEY TIP: Ask specifically if your manager can provide individual counseling sessions or, engage outside experts like Core 6 to help you develop your skills.

"Can you take a look at my plan and help me with it?" said the Sales Executive.
This is a good response and approach by the Sales Executive. However, it assumes the sales exec knows how to create a plan to help bounce back from a slow start to the year. Either way, here are the three things the manager must do to help his/her sales executive:

The manager's plan (and approach):

1. The plan itself. Most sales execs will not know how to specifically address a slow start - a whiff of Q1 - which means you'll have to teach them how to create a specific and actionable plan including timeline performance milestones. As for the plan itself, follow the above: prospecting, account planning, skill assessment.
KEY TIP: Be patient through the plan construction phase, you'll probably need to provide a lot of coaching through many revisions of the plan before you get to the point where the work against the plan can begin.

2. Determine the root cause. There are many reasons why a sales exec can stumble out of the gates in the winter, and you as the manager need to dig to find out why. (Ya can't fix what ya can't diagnose.) We are all humans and often times there are non-business issues that cause performance to dip, so the manager will need to maintain understanding and compassion while working with the sales executive.
KEY TIP: Successful managers don't shy away from addressing personal issues that affect a sales exec's performance, yet needs to handle everything with grace and sensitivity. Business is business, and if personal issues are a problem, the manager must do what he/she can to help.

3. Diagnose quickly. Look no further than these three areas to help understand why the sales exec is struggling: either he/she is not making enough sales calls, the sales exec is struggling to effectively manage a sales call, or, something fundamental has shifted with the sales exec's list of accounts that doesn't align with the company's offering.
KEY TIP: Watching a sales executive blow a quarter shouldn't be a surprise to the manager if he/she is monitoring the three key levers discussed above. Which brings us to the most important tip: the manager MUST stay involved with the sales exec at all times....do not take your eye off the ball. Even your best producers need to be monitored.

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Selling.2.YES

What to do when "you" whiff at your Q1 number

March 2016

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