Twitter- Sending a Postcard (on steroids) on the Internet

Now that real-time content such as tweets are showing up in search results, the importance of engaging in this medium has just increased dramatically. The perceived quality of content in the tweet, and the link they point to, will assist your company in search engine optimization (SEO) when the search engines likely decide to include these in their ranking algorithms. In particular, sales people can contribute to marketing efforts by tweeting key concepts that will contribute to a small business's overall marketing efforts. Most importantly, tweets are limited to 140 characters, so tweets are so easy a sales person can do it.

In addition to contributing content that has SEO value, Twitter can be an incredible source for data mining by sales people. Twitter lists are definitely something that deserve a sales person's attention in 2010, and beyond. You can find extremely resourceful lists to follow, and if you’re quick to the draw in a particular niche, you can create a list of thought leaders which will establish your credibility because other people will follow the list that you created as well. This is all transparent for everyone on Web to see (unless you mark it private which doesn’t make sense within the context of this discussion of Twitter lists). Now do you get a feel for where this is heading?

As you get started in all of this tweeting stuff, you will certainly find the following tools helpful:

Socialite- Aggregates all your social media (mac only)

Tweet Deck- Aggregates all your social media (mac and PC)

As a small business owner, entrepreneur or CEO, you don't have to be Lou Holtz or a superstar motivator to become better at coaching your sales team. However, you can learn from his wisdom on (and off) the field, and embrace some of his coaching philosophy in your sales organization. Let's take a moment to think deeply about a few of his profound quotes.

"A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer, he sings because he has a song."

Small business owners have a multitude of responsibilities in addition to managing those that sell for them, including solving problems by providing answers. This is a critical function for you, but what is equally important, is the delivery of the answer. If the reasoning is not understood by the salesperson (employee or independent contractor), but instead is simply taken at face value, a teaching opportunity may have been lost. Always remember, insight begins with understanding. You may have the answers, but strive to keep conscious awareness on how you arrived at these conclusions. Then deliver it in a way your salesperson can take ownership of the knowledge. With this renewed sense of confidence, more sales are surely on the horizon.

"Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired."

Regardless if it's a customer, or an employer who can potentially fire you, both endings are unacceptable. It's an artful balance between focusing on what you want (e.g. the Law of Attraction) versus identifying pitfalls before you fall in. If need for approval, tendency to become emotionally involved, self-limiting record collection, and non-supportive buying cycle are foreign phrases to you, then it's time to start studying(The Objective Management Group). Reason being, if you don't have a certain level of understanding of your salesperson's belief systems, then you may be taking an entirely wrong approach in coaching them.   

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test."

I've coached small business owners, entrepreneurs and CEO's extensively on the commonalities that successful salespeople posses. Goal setting, unconditional commitment to success, power of a positive outlook, and zero tolerance for mediocre results, etc. However, what about those hidden gems that you may have let go due to bad performance? The true reason for failure may have been because you didn't understand what drives their motivation. You need to know if they are primarily motivated by the desire to avoid pain, or to gain pleasure. The type of energy in these polar forces are substantively very unique and guide one's behavior in different directions. Again, without insight, there is no understanding. Sometimes fear brings out the best in us, but for another person it may stifle them. It's your job to figure this out. 

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It's not rocket science to successfully manage salespeople. However for the rocket scientist, completing the duties of his or her chosen vocation may strangely come quite easily. While for the small business owner or CEO with sales people as direct reports, dealing with all of the different personalities in his or her sales force may feel like they are trying to land on a new moon that doesn't even exist. Check to see if you are unintentionally 'grounding' your sales team by not having the following three topics mastered.

Fact Based Account-Giving

Behavioral management is not glamorous work. This is why setting mutual activity goals between you and the salesperson is a must. If your management style happens to be a "sell this much each month or your fired" approach, you may have noticed your churn rate is unacceptably high. While it's absolutely necessary that you do meet your sales forecasts, you must manage the 'means' in how it's accomplished. And when sub par performance is demonstrated, you must be clear in your communication with the salesperson that this is not acceptable. First with a warning, then reprimanding them if it happens again, and as a final step, letting them go if necessary. There must be no ambiguity here. What you need to know are the actions required to be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to achieve your revenue targets. Only then, will you have the insight and clear understanding of why your sales team members are coming up short each month.     

Coach, don't Referee

It seems a lot of coaching energy expended by business owners and CEOs that manage sales people is pre-sale consulting and some 'hand holding' throughout the sales process. The old adage 'each time you point your finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you,' is often the case with ineffective coaching. Ideally, you would be meeting with your reps daily. Are you? If not, it may be time to re-prioritize how your time is spent each day. Your job is to dig deeper and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each sales person (and that of your entire sales force). You must identify and remove roadblocks, clean up the debris, and make the formerly 'less traveled' road to success more accessible.       

Motivating "Don't believe the hype that salespeople are self motivated"

What motivates you? Most likely there is an emotional component or a 'dream' associated with the activities you choose to do on a daily basis. If you learn how to inextricably link activity goals together with a salesperson's dreams, you will definitely see an increase of the desired revenue producing behavior. It's very important that you as small business owner or CEO with salespeople reporting to you to see and understand the psychological underpinnings of each salesperson.
If you're unfamiliar with motivational concepts such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, it would behoove you to start learning. For example, if someone is intrinsically motivated by satisfaction of a 'job well done' versus the paycheck that comes along with this achievement, then it's certainly not a best practice to begin your motivational talk discussing the commission generated from the sale. Surely, they already understand the benefits of financial compensation. Growth starts with understanding, period.

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Focus To Grow is sales accleration consulting firm, specializing in providing inbound marketing and sales execution support for small businesses. www.focustogrow.com

Small Business Owners have little to no training in sales management

Entrepreneurs are experts at creating and seizing opportunities that lie before them. However, successful ongoing sales management requires a special skill set that likely needs to be acquired through proper training from a sales force development professional.

Most Business owners do not have a hiring process, thus they make critical mis-steps during the hiring process they pay for down the road. The effectiveness of a company's recruiting process determines the effectiveness and consistency of the sales organization. Sales processes must include (but are not limited to):

‘TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE”

I know a little business book published in 1987 that has stood the test of time. It is called the “New Venture Handbook” by Ronald Merrill and Henry Sedgwick. While it is directed toward people just starting their companies, I find that it can enlighten owners and entrepreneurs at any stage of their business life cycle.

One of their insights is the way they categorize owner ‘types’. Owners come in all shapes and sizes, complete with predispositions, strengths and weaknesses. The authors simplify this complex landscape and, in doing so, provide a way for owners to examine their own styles and understand the impact those have on the size and complexity of their businesses.

Their categories include, “The Classic” (i.e. close supervision and doing all of the critical jobs yourself); “The Coordinator” (i.e. an orchestra director); “The Craftsman” (i.e. doing everything yourself, even those you don’t like); “Team Management” (i.e. decision-making power is shared).

The type of leadership defines and sometimes limits the size and/or the complexity of the business. Clearly, the Craftsman’s company growth will be limited by the amount of production he can deliver and risks doing some of the necessary jobs poorly. The effective Team manager can produce more through others. However, too often entrepreneurs fail to make the transition from doing it all to successful team leadership.

The bottom line is to make sure that your style is consistent with the size, shape and complexity of the business you are building. If it is not, change your plan.

If you’re interested in knowing more, I recently found this book available on Amazon.com for 83 cents. What a deal!

The New Venture Handbook
Merrill and Sedgwick
ISBN-10: 0814476805
ISBN-13: 9780814476802
Publication: 1987

Cliff Allen, President, Allen Business Enterprises, LLC
www.allenbusinessenterprises.com