You the founder? Quit hiding from the sales team!
Posted on 28. Oct, 2009 by Sellemental in 6.5) Sales Management
So here is the question: if you were on the front lines, if you were the one talking to customers, picking up the phone, selling prospects on the vision of your company … what would be different?
Most executives and founders will tell you, “well … everything would be different.” Exactly … but what specifically? Say we could clone you and put YOU on the front lines … how many more sales, more saved accounts, more raving fans? Would you close bigger deals, or more of them? Try to list five or ten specific effects.
Almost certainly things would be different … but let me give you some perspective on this. Things are different but it is not because you have a weak or lazy or inferior team. It IS because you get the vision in a way that almost no one else does. Your sales team, they have heard the vision and they see the big picture – but it’s a bit like reading a book on wilderness survival vs. living it. When you get out there in the wild you don’t necessarily know how to react to unexpected situation. Unless … unless you’re a wilderness expert.
As the founder, as an executive at your company you ARE an expert.
If you want sales to increase we suggest you jump into the fray and spend more time listening, coaching, advising, and mentoring your sales team.
We know from experience that this may be the last thing you want to do – the last thing you have time for. Listen, do this for a month. Sit with the team, coach, coach, coach. Then go back to your other work for a few months. Come back in three – do one more month and you’re going to have a group of clones on your hands. What would be different about sales, about your company, about your financial results if you were on the front line? Everything! So go work it.