Dear Manager,
Many of us have gained a lot of experience as sales trainers. Out of curiosity, I sometimes ask new associates what type of training they received in their previous position. I am surprised that many have received very little sales training at all. More often than not, I hear stories of individuals who receive a few hours of introduction, some kind words, a pat on the back, and as many order forms as they can haul to their car.

As managers, the vast majority of our investment in our sales staff must come on the front end. Natural ability and prior experience should not be expected to replace solid training. With this issue I want to pass along some very basic training tips – the “need to know” lessons for establishing a new sales region. Even the veteran sales associate may want to take a look!

RELATIONSHIPS are your future. And, if you are a new sales associate, relationships are exactly what you don’t have with your customers. This is the single greatest loss in the transition of a sales region. Relationships can neither be formed overnight, nor formed over the phone. The first few weeks should be devoted to face to face meetings at the very fastest pace one can muster. You need to resolve the unknown in your customers’ minds. If there is any “damage control” needed in the region, this effort will stop it in its tracks. This aspect is clearly more important than initial sales success.

PRIORITIES are always a challenge for a new sales associate. Where do you begin your relationship building? Become relentless in your introductions to your key accounts. Your top twenty customers will often represent 50% or more of your total volume. These customers deserve your full and focused attention. In fact, these customers deserve much more. You should provide a level of service and attention over and above that provided to your other customers. As the “movers and shakers” in your region they hold the key to your success. Think in creative terms of how best to gain and sustain their attention.

ORGANIZATION should become the first feel-good aspect of a new sales position. There is so much to learn, so much you don’t know. Only when you feel organized can you even begin to make those first steps on your own. Being unknowing is certainly acceptable, being unprepared suggests you simply don’t care. Review all sales materials, prepare a mock presentation, organize your files and brief case … at the very least, look professional.

AVOID CONCLUSIONS. It is only human nature to try to form conclusions after one day, one week, one month. At this early stage you have no foundation or global understanding from which to form an analysis. Friends and relatives will ask for your conclusions. Don’t fall into this trap. Your future success is determined by your ability to put your best foot forward, each and every hour, five days a week. It is not determined by conclusions drawn after week one.

ACCEPTANCE and a quiet confidence are essential in the beginning. The words, “there is always more to the story,” should ring in your ears on a daily basis. Change allows partial truth to go unsubstantiated. Your lack of background will set you up as a foil on occasion – there is no getting around it. What seems to be a crisis may, in fact, be a test of your resolve. Accept that you will encounter problems … three tomorrow, and at least three next week. Don’t get thrown off balance, simply solve them one at a time as professionally as you can. The greatest advantage a veteran associate enjoys is a more balanced perspective on solving day-to-day issues. Keep in mind that yours is not the first problem your customer has endured. Remember, they are only asking for an acceptable conclusion.

DECISION making must become a way of life. A sales organization must give the tools and confidence to its associates to make strong business decisions. I have always rewarded initiative, regardless of the decision. No one intends to make poor decisions. When they occur, learn from them and move on quickly. Most decisions can be resolved with common sense. Sales associates need the power to proceed through their day.

NEW BUSINESS is your life line. With territory transition comes at least some ebb and flow in one’s established territory. Accept that your predecessor enjoyed a few relationships that you may not be able to maintain. In fact, they may have only purchased the products you now represent to support a dear friend or distant relative. There will also be customers who simply did not like working with the previous representative. Your goal is to minimize the former and maximize the latter! Approach all customers with a fresh outlook, regardless of their sales history. Commonly, there is much more to a sales history than what is printed on the page. You must read between the lines and assess your opportunities first hand.

Don’t wait for new business to fall in your lap. If you are not prepared to schedule specific time in your day for new account development, you might as well consider yourself a glorified service person! New business is the backbone of each and every sales territory, whether an individual is willing to respond to it or not.

LOOKING BEYOND THE SURFACE in all aspects of sales is essential. It is the creative and often the most fulfilling aspect of what we do. Looking “outside the box” is the difference between the average associate and the extraordinary. Rules were established to protect the whole from the lowest common denominator. I have consistently noticed that a “special few” receive advantages by simply asking the right questions. No manufacturer will walk away from a good business decision, but the question must be asked! Regardless of stated terms, the right approach and preparation will insure success a majority of the time. Thinking in “what if” terms will reward you beyond your wildest dreams. You must be prepared to accept “no” upon occasion, but at the very least you will have primed the pump for future considerations.

TIME MANAGEMENT is the single greatest challenge of any sales associate. Every decision we make pertaining to time is at the expense of a better decision that might have been made. Our productive and revenue producing hours should be considered golden. Distractions, idle conversations and paper work should be held to a minimum and or banished to a less critical time. Yes, each productive hour should be considered critical to our individual success. Just how much more productive can we become? It can become a game that’s a lot of fun to execute! As each step in our day is planned, needed adjustments are made, and each of these strategies will reward us daily.

PATIENCE breeds confidence. Each day will present you with a new hurdle, challenge, and personal victory. There will be days that seem to have been wasted, while others will effortlessly fall into place. Each case is simply a part of the process. Balancing out the highs and lows in your week and month demands a solid dose of patience. Don’t confuse satisfaction with patience. In twenty-five years I have never found complete satisfaction, be it in sales or in this management letter. I will not allow myself the feeling of “having arrived.” We can certainly feel fulfillment, pleasure and gratitude, but satisfaction can be saved for our retirement.

Beyond these basic training fundamentals, insure that the very best product knowledge is presented to your new associates. Insist that they work with your very best veteran associates to gain a proper foundation for growth. On many occasions I have hired current or former sales associates to assist on a consulting basis. As managers, our single greatest responsibility is to “create an environment for success.” Beyond that, it is simply up to the those with whom we are associated to perform.

Personal Regards,
Keenan

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