The Exceptional Sales Manager | "Sales Manager" Archive

Stop talking

by Robert King
for Virginia Business
April 13, 2006

I hope you have had a chance to follow our story line of the Exceptional Sales Manager. We have looked at specificity in your feedback to salespeople. Also, we have stressed the importance of sincerely acknowledging the efforts of your salespeople at the time of effort. This month, let's take a closer look at an area in which you may be stunting the growth and development of your people and may not even know it.

Sales managers: Stop talking so much on calls or presentations.

A quick story.

Recently, I was in a networking situation with a potential business partner - we'll call him "Sam." Sam's sales manager - we'll call him "Chuck" - was also present. I asked Sam a question about his business, and Chuck proceeded to overtake the conversation. Then, unfortunately, Chuck started selling. Frankly, Chuck started overselling. Chuck overran and overstepped his salesperson, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of the potential customer.

Simple story, but I do not want to oversimplify this point. Sales managers: You must show some discretion when you are in a networking or sales situation with your salespeople. It makes no difference why you are there. You may be there because the person is new to the business. You may be there as moral support. You may be there as a closer. You may be there because it's the second call in a day and at the first call you really needed to run that call because of your particular expertise. It makes no difference why you're there. Unless you have been previously designated to run the call, stop talking so much.

Consider this: Your salespeople are the ones with the relationships or the ones who are developing relationships with prospects and customers. If you undercut your salespeople's credibility by taking over a conversation, you are doing more damage than good. Your salespeople have started a rapport with customers, who are not really that interested in what you have to say; but are interested in what the salespeople have to say. Otherwise, customers would not have allotted time to talk with them in the first place.

To reiterate: Your salespeople already have made connections with these prospects/customers. They already have made investments in these business relationships. Your unsolicited interference in this process interrupts the flow and can throw prospects/customers off course. Plus, you are potentially neglecting one of the most important outcomes of this opportunity: coaching.

Sales managers, when you stop talking, you get to see and hear what your salespeople are doing and saying in front of prospects and customers. We all know, or at least assume, that Chuck knows more than Sam does about product knowledge, experience in the marketplace, maybe even what's best for a prospect/customer in this particular instance. However, if you, Chuck, highjack the call, then you'll never know just how much or little your salesperson, Sam, knows about potential solutions.

If you allow your salespeople to complete their presentations or answer the tough questions, then you will get a crystal-clear picture of where they are in their development as contributors to your team. What you want to assess is their creativity, listening skills, attention to detail, presentation style, personality in potentially challenging situations, etc. These are intangibles that cannot be replicated in a mock/training presentation back in the office. Take the risk not to disturb these circumstances in order to make a highly-informed evaluation of your salespeople. It will serve you in the long run.

One caveat: Sales managers, don't give up the business. Wait until near the end of the call, and if you can see that your salespeople are going to miss a sales opportunity because of an inability to either close or conquer an objection, save the call. Come in with enthusiasm, confidence, experience, professionalism and get done what needs to get done. Later, you can download with your salespeople on specific areas of opportunities for growth so that when you are not there the next time they will be capable of handling a similar scenario.

I'm not saying that this is easy, but if you will demonstrate some restraint, you will see what you need to see, hear what you need to hear, and win the business yourself…if need be. The Exceptional Sales Manager understands when she needs to start talking and when she needs to stop talking.

Robert King is president of The King Consortium, founder of Executive Exchange and author of Are You An Exceptional Salesperson? He lives in Midlothian with his wife and two sons. To learn more about The King Consortium, visit: www.thekingconsortium.com.