Doing Things Right: Plenty of time management books talk about doing the right things the right way - the basic definition of efficiency. That's not what this section is about; we are talking about integrity. There is not room here to walk through the spiritual, moral, and practical defenses as to why integrity matters; I will simply state that it does matter and operate from there - character counts.

While temptations to do the wrong things abound in a selling environment, there are three points that you need to keep in mind around the idea of integrity being important:

1. Your reputation is strongly tied to your company's reputation. As one is perceived, it clearly can affect the other. That means you have a vested interest in how your company is dealing. If they are playing fast and loose with the truth, you've got to speak up.

2. Initiative matters. When an issue arises through either an accident or poor judgement, how quickly you step up to resolve the issue, take ownership, and demonstrate a sense of urgency will determine the degree to which the other person considers you a person of integrity. They will either strengthen or weaken your reputation accordingly.

3. It's never too late to do the right thing. Just because time has passed doesn't mean the issue has been swept away - only in your own mind. People who feel cheated in some way have long memories. If you uncover an error that has or could harm someone else, water under the bridge does not mean the problem doesn't need your attention. More importantly, the right thing to do is simply the right thing to do. YOU DO IT BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT, not because you might get caught.

Let's look at that bastion of integrity and my favorite pool of examples for all facets of selling - college football. While some stories out there may offer varied perspectives on this, the gist is that a little college in southern California (that would be USC) not only failed to manage some issues with a prized recruit (Reggie Bush), the school was defiant toward NCAA investigators. The result? 13 vacated wins, the loss of 30 scholarships, and a two-year prohibition from playing in bowl games (BIG $$$). Star recruits are already asking to be released from letters of intent to play football for USC - and getting the OK. If USC had come forward (initiative), made immediate corrections (demonstrated ownership and urgency), and actually worked with the NCAA, they would have salvaged a great deal of their reputation and may have mitigated some of the penalties. Issues in selling are the same. Ignore, hide, drag your feet, when it is obvious the rules have been broken and the only conclusion drawn will be that you intended to skirt the truth and will do it again given the opportunity. That is not what you want being said about you.

You have but one reputation and it is critical to your success in sales. To borrow and old axiom - a good reputation takes years to build and a single lapse in integrity to destroy it.

Separating Yourself from the Pack: World-class athletes have a common strategy that is very often not fully appreciated - they submit themselves to coaching. Golfers, skaters, tennis players all invest in a coach. Even super-stars recognize that a coach is not just a nice-to-have, a coach is an absolute requirement in order for them to achieve their best. In most business settings, your boss is your primary coach. And, while they might be pretty good at bringing out your best, chances are high that you could find another person that could help you elevate your performance to an entirely different level.

So what does a good coach look like? Two attributes are critical. First a good coach knows your world and how you fit into it. How can a golf coach help a golfer develop the best swing if they (the coach) don't know the game of golf, swing mechanics, how to mold a swing and how to identify that player's unique physical capabilities and limitations. For you, a coach better understand your solution environment (deal structure, sales cycles, customer profiles, etc.) and be able to identify your capabilities and limitations. Second, a good coach MUST be willing to offer reality. If the coach is a constant flow of sunshine and cotton-candy, you will walk around thinking you have no room for improvement. You have to know that your coach will be absolutely gut-check honest with you. By the way, you also must be gut-check honest with your coach. If you are not fully prepared to share with your coach strengths, goals, fears, failures, and shortcomings, without holding anything back, do not waste their time.

Notice one thing I did NOT mention as a critical attribute of a coach - they do not have to be expensive. In fact, you can frequently find a great coach for nothing. There are plenty of professional sales management executives who welcome the opportunity to "mentor" someone who is sincerely interested in rising above the crowd.

Frustrated? Who's Not: You've been frustrated. Your customers get frustrated. Your prospects are frustrated (that's your window of opportunity). We all know frustration, but have you ever thought about what frustration is? Simply put, frustration is nothing more than an unmet expectation. This is an important realization when you are facing a customer or prospect who clearly is frustrated by you, your company, or someone else, and you would like to get the frustration out of the way. Just like with objections, you've got to dig in a little in order to overcome the frustration. Here is a short process to help you through it.

o What is the expectation that is going unmet?
o What is the source of the expectation? A specific commitment? An implied commitment? A utopian ideal?
o If the expectation is valid, how can you remedy the issue? If the expectation is not valid, how can you help your customer exchange a valid expectation for the invalid one, or can you absorb the cost of the remedy out of goodwill?
o If the source of a prospect's frustration is your competition, be careful not to jump on that "opportunity" too quickly. If their expectation is unrealistic and you do not manage it well from the start, you will be setting yourself up for the same failure your competitor is currently facing.

One last point - this same little process can help you overcome your own frustrations. Assess your own expectations, where they came from, whether or not they are valid, even whether or not the person who is the source of the expectation knows it exists. It is amazing how often we can find smoother ground when we tear apart our expectations and cut other people the same slack we would expect from them.

Managing the Pack: Even in the best of times, occassions arise where we have to trim headcount. The way we approach this matter of separating someone from our team is where the wolf-pack / sales team analogy diverges. In a pack, under-performing, non-conforming, or authority challenging wolves receive very direct "feedback" from the Alpha wolf - usually in the form of a physical beat down that makes clear it is time for the subordinate pack member to move on. Relative to your sales team, there are obvious litigation, professionalism, and decency issues that prohibit that type of encounter. Those same issues that keep the sales team separation path civil can also complicate matters - often to the point sales management executives will procrastinate or take indirect steps in the process - either of which are bad options. Keep it simple if a sales exec is sliding off the bubble.

o First and foremost, make your target getting the sales rep back on track. You hired them for good reasons and they probably have performed in the past. Helping them out of a rut can be a much better business decision than firing them if you factor in dead territory, new hire costs, ramp up time, risks of another bad hire, and a potential revolving door image.
o Document everything to minimize the possibility of a law suit.
o Communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing, with the under-performing sales executive.
o Give the person a REAL performance improvement plan and be prepared for it to work. Do NOT create a CYA plan that is unachievable. That lacks integrity and wastes time. Make the plan clear with real metrics, time frames, and check points. The objective is salvage if possible; separate only if necessary. As mentioned above, you certainly did your homework when you hired them, so it is unlikely they are a complete dog.
o If you do have to ultimately let them go, strive to protect their dignity as much as possible. They will contribute positively or negatively to your company's reputation as either a good or bad place to work. That reputation is important when it comes to attracting other sales people.

"HELPING YOU LEAD THE PACK"
WWW.SALESWOLVES.COM
1-877-3wolves

Elite Sales Professionals is an executive search firm specializing in high-level sales and sales management searches, primarily for positions selling technology and services into the Financial Services and Insurance verticals. If you would like to correspond with us or submit your resume, please e-mail us at Alpha@saleswolves.com.

To discontinue receipt of this publication, please reply via e-mail with "DISCONTINUE" as the subject.

ELITE SALES PROFESSIONALS - 2715 Winsley Drive SW - Suite 100 - Marietta, GA - 30064