How to Drive Fear Down and Sales Up
Replacing traditional management practices with coaching techniques gives managers the key advantage they need to succeed in a new economy, according to Keith Rosen, author of the bestselling book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions.
Online, September 12, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Replacing traditional management practices with coaching techniques and a framework to do so gives managers the key advantage they need to succeed in a new economy, according to Keith Rosen, author of the bestselling book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions. http://www.coachingsalespeopleintosaleschampions.com/event.html
"We are living in a period of intense fear, and leadership in many organizations is fear-based," says Rosen. "Managers need to shift away from fear-based management and develop more of a collaborative coaching culture."
"You cannot inspire others when you are afraid and you can't be inspired when you're full of fear and worry," continues Rosen. He suggests that during these times, managers conduct more frequent one-on-one meetings and build greater accountability by relinquishing their role as Chief Problem Solver.
"How do you lead your team differently today compared to the way you did just six months ago?" asks Rosen. "Most managers don't even know what they're people are doing in the field. And if you don't know what you're people are doing when engaging with customers and prospects, then how can you effectively and accurately coach them to better themselves? Consequently, managers resort to more micromanagement and pushing blindly for better results." To drive positive, measurable change and keep their competitive edge, managers must learn how to quickly and effectively coach, motivate and retain their top performers.
As sales managers switch from traditional management to a coaching model, they're able to empower their sales teams to make their own decisions rather than being dependent on management. Coaching opens up the lines of communication and allows managers and their teams to connect in a new and more collaborative way.
And what about for those managers who might be resistant to coaching? "Coaching isn't about being the subject matter expert. It's about becoming an expert in observation," states Rosen. "Is Hank Haney, the coach for Tiger Woods, a better golfer than Tiger? No. What he's great at is observation so he can see the opportunities for improvement that the player can't see on their own when they're in the middle of the game. In business, this is the real value of coaching which in turn, facilitates positive, measurable change."
When sales are down and times are tough, it's easy for managers to lose sight of the primary objective of management and leadership, which Rosen says is simply this: "To make your people more valuable." Coaching is the simple, yet complex solution. An executive sales coach for over 20 years, Rosen provides a tactical playbook to sales coaching in his latest book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions.