It’s so important that your sales people feel valued by you as their leader and more widely by the organisation.
Why?
Because by failing to acknowledge the positives they bring to the table…you are violating one of the most common values a human being holds…to feel significant!
That’s why this principle is No.2 of my 7 Principles that underpin a high performing sales team.
No sales person on the planet starts work each day with the intention of failing. You will have noticed in your own sales team that when a sales person is not bringing in the sales they need, they are not in a good place and need your support more than ever.
It’s important to ensure your sales people feel valued as individuals to keep their mindset strong and in the best possible state to generate sales.
So how do you do that?
Be observant
Notice what they do well. You can only do this if you make a point of being observant, of finding out what goes on behind the KPI’s and by taking the time to make this a priority.
Acknowledge their contribution
It’s important that you do this in person wherever possible. If you’re not physically in the same place the next best thing is a video conference so they can see your expression…and you can see their reaction. At worst a phone call. Do not resort to an email…it really reduces the impact of your message!!! Share what makes it so positive for you…”Well done, that was great” really isn’t enough.
Do it FAST!
As soon as you’ve either observed it for yourself or have been told of their great contribution…get in touch. The faster you do it the bigger the impact.
Get them to share
Once you’ve acknowledged their positive contribution or behaviour, ask coaching questions to identify their perspective. Listen for other positive aspects that they haven’t even noticed for themselves and feed that back to them to reinforce their confidence even more.
There’s a balancing act between giving positive feedback/acknowledgement and having the conversation around what they need to improve. I’ll be diving into this in my next blog that covers Principle 3.
Until next time,
