Sales Manager Life Savers

sales coaching

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How to Increase Sales Coaching Frequency

In all my years of sales leadership, there has never been a sales coaching emergency. You? Ever gotten a call after hours along the lines of:

“Panic! They don’t know how to…!! Help!?”

Exactly. And this is actually why, despite all our good intentions, there are precious few true coaching cultures in sales organizations. Even though we know the benefits – coaching skills that exceed expectations result in 94.8% of reps meeting quota and a top demand from the Millennials and Gen Zs you’re trying to hire (source: like every study published in the past five years).

Since there ARE sales emergencies, customer emergencies, product emergencies, and political emergencies every single day (and the non-emergent intentions), it’s no surprise that meetings get pushed to the bottom.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with many organizations to establish or turn around their development cultures and we have lots of resources to help you after you finish this blog. Check out our top 20 actions download to help increase coaching frequency, our recent webinar on establishing a coaching culture, as well this fun quiz to determine whether or not your organization has a coaching culture.

If you’re a sales leader, the most important place you can start is by assessing your current culture of development and sales coaching importance. Here are a few questions to get you started:

  1. How often are my managers scheduled to call coach? How often do they really?
  2. What is coaching more important than? ($1M deal?) What is it not? (reporting request?)
  3. How eager are reps and managers for coaching sessions?
  4. Are we hiding or celebrating fails?
  5. Are reps getting built up or brought down?

The goal here is to determine if you have enough coaching, the right kind of coaching, and the kind of culture that supports it.

Starting with question 1, you may be surprised to learn that nearly 50% of reps disagree that they’re getting as much coaching as their managers state. Some of this is due to canceled or pushed coaching when fires happen (and let’s be honest, they happen daily in sales). I think the root of the problem here is how we define coaching. Most managers believe they’re coaching during a 1:1 meeting, a “how’s it going” chat, or a pipeline/deal conversation. Sorry…

“That’s NOT coaching!”

Our definition of best-in-class coaching is:

  1. Sales meeting is present (ride-along, recorded call, live video meeting)
  2. Manager asks questions about the reps’ skill
  3. Rep receives custom feedback on their execution
  4. Rep leaves feeling more confident than when they walked in

Sadly, this means that if you’re playing a call at a team meeting (great job by the way), this is sales training, not sales coaching. At most, you can provide custom feedback on a rep’s skills for about 3 people and 3 short call recordings in an hour. Yes, it also means that giving someone a laundry list of what to improve also doesn’t count as coaching. That’s just bullying. Inspect some sessions. You’ll be surprised – and you’ll be showing coaching’s importance with your presence. 

Sales Executive Council also tells us that call coaching (aka skill coaching) is sales managers’ #1 worst skill. I’ve been hiring and training sales managers for 20 years and I wholeheartedly agree. And the hardest skill to shift is the laundry list of improvement items. It’s so easy for us to hear the challenges, and so hard for us to resist giving just one more idea for improvement. 90% of sessions during role plays come off negative at first, and it takes us at LEAST three training and practice sessions to start to even this out. 

Like most leaders who came up through sales, I’m 100% guilty of the coaching bully myself. In fact, as we train sales managers how to coach at Factor 8, I modeled the curriculum after all my own personal atrocities. “Be like me…I do all the talking…Debbie Downer…” You get the picture. If you relate to this, you’ve probably also taken over a call or two you were meant to be silently observing. 

That’s why I only coach recordings now. I just can’t be trusted during a live call. It’s also led to my #1 tip for antsy sales coaches:

“Coach the rep, not the deal.”

When we approach coaching with the intent of building confidence and skill vs. saving the deal, everything changes. Imagine the deal already lost. Resist the temptation to even ask about the outcome. Focus instead on engaging this seller, and helping them love their job, love their company, love their manager, and love sales.

It changes everything.

A note on culture. Spend a minute Googling the concept of a “growth mindset.” It’s our ultimate goal for sales coaching cultures. It’s a magical land where everyone cares more about improvement than winning. Did you just laugh out loud, my sales leader friend? Before you dismiss it, realize it’s the calling card of nearly every great athlete, and imagine if all your “A” players just kept getting better. How do you get here? A few ideas:

  1. Weed out your problem leaders. Yeah, the person you pictured is exactly who I’m talking about. They probably have veteran reps and accounts and are a fixture in your org – like a barnacle on the underside of the boat, they aren’t uplifters. Just note: culture is formed not by your intent! It’s defined by the worst behavior you’re willing to tolerate. His name was Brian at my first sales management job, and his attitude led the whole division to a culture of hazing and sink or swim. NOT the coaching culture the new workforce is craving!
  2. Share your failures and encourage your managers to do the same. A coaching culture is one where we’re not afraid to fail. We willingly share bad calls. We welcome feedback and input. Sorry, but humans aren’t built to be vulnerable and they will need a lot of role modeling here until your people feel safe to do so.
  3. Reward improvement. If you want a growth mindset culture, you can’t just reward the winners. Find ways every month to celebrate improvement. Could be a metrics jump, a KPI improvement, skill gains, CSAT ratings…you get it.

A final word of advice: over-correct. My first Sales Director job came on the heels of me launching a training department. There was no other sales leader as dedicated to developing people as I was. It still took me 6 months in the new gig to start talking about and prioritizing training. So I get how hard it is and how busy everyone is and how many emergencies keep coaching at the bottom of the to-do list. So, if it’s your goal, you’ll need to triple down to shift the pendulum. Dedicate six months to overdoing it. Talk about it in every team meeting and all-hands. Drop into coaching sessions and coach the coaches. Reward top coaches and rep improvements. Add it to contests. Ask your manager for skill trends in every meeting. Spend money on sales manager training. Be sure it is OVER represented in your calendar, your budget, and your voice for long enough that your team knows it isn’t a flavor of the month.

Got a tip? Drop me a line and let me know what’s worked for you! lb@factor8.com.

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time management tips

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Quick Time Management Tips for Sales Managers

One of the hardest parts about being a manager is mastering the art of time management and being able to carve out time for everyone – for yourself, for your team, for your boss, for your career. How much? How often? Who’s first?

All too often the answer is us last. We’re so focused on proving ourselves to our team and our peers (and yes, to our boss, and maybe most of all to ourselves). We go in early, we log on late, we try to answer questions immediately and if we can’t we vow to get the answer and we do it.

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Spoiler alert: this isn’t the answer. This is what made you an amazing rep. Your customers and prospects were your team and you made commitments and kept them. Like so many top rep skills, they won’t make you a top manager.

Tip #1: The goal is to get to the end of a workday with as little on your list as possible. That’s right leaders of leaders, managers, or superstars, You. Don’t. Own. it. And if you do, you shouldn’t.

Here’s my favorite line for busy front-line leaders: 

Rep: Hey boss, got a second, I need to tell you about…

You: Sure. I have 2 minutes right now or 30 minutes in our 1:1 next week.

Tip #2: Top managers have a set cadence of rep interactions. They’re never longer than a week away from a pre-planned interaction to talk about performance, pipeline, strategy, or career. And all the interruptions in between? Neatly pushed into a meeting or delegated away. 

Can you picture it? Like a duck gliding on the water – because all the hard work’s been done setting up the pond. My metaphors are getting a bit ridiculous, so let’s cut to the chase. 

If you’re thinking of sales management or ready to soar to the next level, you have to take one of our online sales manager training courses or programs to get these essential time management skills.

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training for sales managers

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Why You Need Training for Sales Managers

Sales is an ever-evolving landscape, with tools, techniques, and targets shifting regularly. Yet, while we often focus on training our frontline sales reps, there’s a critical group that’s frequently overlooked: sales managers. 

In fact, 60% of new managers fail within the first 24 months in their role. Why? Lack of training and development. Oftentimes, companies will promote reps into management without providing critical leadership skills to prepare them for their new role.

DOWNLOAD: Critical New Manager Skills to Master

Let’s dive into why training for sales managers is paramount and the benefits that come with it.

Why Do We Neglect Sales Manager Training?

Often, organizations operate under the assumption that a stellar sales rep will naturally transition into a stellar sales manager. However, the skills required for each role differ significantly. Managing a team, strategizing, forecasting and coaching demand a unique skill set that isn’t always innate.

The Case for On-the-Job Training for Sales Managers
  • Different Roles, Different Skills: A top-performing sales rep doesn’t automatically make a top-performing sales manager. Management requires understanding team dynamics, effective communication, and the ability to inspire and lead. On-the-job training equips new managers with these essential skills.
  • Rapid Adaptation to Change: The sales environment is dynamic. According to a report by CSO Insights, organizations with a dynamic sales process, which includes regular training, reported a win rate of 49% for forecasted deals, compared to those with a random or informal process. 
  • Consistency in Approach: With proper training, sales managers can ensure consistency in sales strategies, team communication, and performance reviews, leading to a more cohesive and effective sales team.

DOWNLOAD: Leader Activities to Start & Stop Doing

Benefits of Training Sales Managers
Short-Term Benefits 

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Long-Term Benefits 
  • Consistent Growth: A well-trained sales management team can be a game-changer for revenue growth. According to research by the Sales Executive Council, sales teams led by supportive managers are 67% more effective at closing deals than those with managers who exert high levels of pressure. This shows that the right training can significantly influence managerial styles and, by extension, team performance.
  • Increased Profitability: The Harvard Business Review highlighted that companies that invest in training see a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training. While this encompasses all forms of training, the impact of upskilling managers – those responsible for driving and guiding the sales strategy – cannot be underestimated.
  • Stronger Leadership Pipeline: On-the-job training prepares sales managers for higher leadership roles, ensuring a robust succession plan. This is crucial for organizational stability; a study by the Gartner for HR (formerly the Corporate Leadership Council) found that organizations with proper leadership training realized a 32% increase in leadership strength, which is directly tied to financial performance.
  • Cultural Cohesiveness: Trained managers foster a positive, consistent culture, enhancing team collaboration and overall company morale. According to a Gallup study, companies with highly engaged teams report 20% higher sales and 21% higher profitability.

On-the-job training for sales managers isn’t just a “nice-to-have”; it’s a necessity. By investing in our sales leaders, we’re not only boosting current performance but setting the stage for sustained success in the future. It’s high time we prioritize sales manager training for those at the helm, guiding our sales teams to victory.

Are you looking for training for sales managers?

Contact us today to learn about our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps and managers.


Managing Remote Sales Team

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Tips for Managing a Remote Sales Team

Sales Management is a tough gig. Virtual sales management is tougher. Like our sales teams struggle to sell “with an arm and leg tied behind their back” with the exclusion of visual cues, difficulty reaching customers/prospects, and having drastically limited selling time, these same challenges (and more) affect managers. Especially newer leaders.

In my first few years of sales management, I relied heavily on the visual cues of how my colleagues managed their teams. I saw huddles happening (“Oh, I should do that.”) I overheard team meetings and coaching sessions (“Wow, I need to give that kind of advice”) and I picked up deal strategy and day management skills.

Until we’re tenured leaders of sales teams, we don’t have our management cadence locked in. The cadence is our management process – the series of meetings, touchpoints, and actions we take in a day, month, and quarter to keep our business on track. In fact, I dare say most sales managers spend their first year or two bouncing between requests, fires, and demands.

It’s natural to be reactive in our high-demand, fast-paced environment. There’s a line at our desk, in our email inbox, and in our assignments from above. Without these, we’d wander a bit aimlessly trying to figure out our jobs as we transition from individual contributor/seller to leader. It’s why so many leaders struggle to give up the deal, the customer base, the live sales calls – we know this world! We RULE this world!

And herein lies the rub. Now that we’re managing virtually, we need a proactive approach. We need to shortcut the learning curve and have a plan – one that includes the challenge of not seeing who’s in their seat, overhearing the calls, and picking up on the team dynamic. Rough.

To speed this process, and alleviate some stress along the way, let me share a few key tips:

  1. Establish (and edit) your proactive management cadence immediately. We teach this in “Essential Manager Meetings” (a course in The Sales Bar) and it’s one of our first courses for all new managers. At a minimum, your cadence needs to include:
    1. Multiple weekly sales huddles to provide focus, inspiration, energy, and insight
    2. Monthly private 1:1 performance meetings with each team member
    3. Multiple 1:1 to 3:1 call/skill coaching sessions with each team member monthly
    4. Multiple team forecast meetings (frequency depending on sales cycle)
    5. Ad-hoc sales strategy meetings helping reps hit goal (deal, lead, account, and/or territory)
    6. Monthly team meetings for updates, development, communication, connection

Where do you find the time for all these meetings? By pushing the daily incoming demand to one of these meetings. Rep Slacking you with a “great call update?” Push it to your morning huddle or your next call coaching. Rep forecasting below goal? Schedule an ad-hoc sales strategy meeting to review deals. Getting lots of emails with company questions? Move forward the team meeting and address them together. 

We set the process and then we daily teach our reps to operate within it by delegating, pushing, and scheduling “official” meeting time vs. reacting all day. That makes time management a critical management skill…

  1. Own Your Day (another course in The Sales Bar). Especially now that we’re at home, it’s way too easy to work 12 hour days (or the opposite for some). The line at your desk is now your chat. Email is center screen all day. It’s harder than ever to stay proactive and protect our rep-focused parts of the day. We have to schedule it, and then protect it. Our top priorities also get calendar time and we protect them like our most important meetings of the day.

We love the Eisenhower Matrix (everyone’s favorite part of this course) to help managers decide when to fire drill, when to delegate, when to schedule, and when to trash a request. When you’re in charge of your own day, you can help reps be in charge of theirs – so critical for virtual selling. 

  1. Call Coaching. When we’re virtual, the tendency is to count heavily on the numbers. If we can’t hear the calls and watch the behavior, we watch what we can – the metrics. This is a mistake. Especially now that your reps are selling a new way, focus on quality over quantity. That means it’s time to get visibility. If you don’t have call recording capabilities, start lobbying for it now. ExecVision, Chorus, and Gong make it easy to be legal and to get the insight you need into rep conversations + the tools to coach them.

Scheduled call coaching using recordings or ride-along meetings are critical. It’s going to be tougher than ever to make it happen (hence the first two points), so give this to your reps. When your calendar is up to date, they know when you are free and it’s on them to invite you to 1-2 calls/week.

Sales skill feedback also has some new priorities right now. Field sellers gone virtual will need some help and focus on phone detective skills – working phone systems, making multiple attempts, capturing new contacts, qualifying accounts – honestly some of the basic skills covered for new BDRs. They may not LOVE the idea of getting entry-level phone skills training, but these are tools they need in their belt today – and tomorrow.

Phone sellers now struggle with video. They need your feedback on the basics like backgrounds, lighting, proper attire, and etiquette. We’ve all seen the fails – those are on us as their managers. Check out our course Running a Virtual Sales Meeting in The Sales Bar for basics on virtual meeting agendas, engagement, and online tools use.

The key is that they get the coaching and support regularly and you build it into a regularly scheduled meeting as part of your cadence.

My entire team – including the sales team – has been virtual since inception. Our BDR is new and get’s call coaching every Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes at 9 a.m. She brings the call recording to support what we coached last time and before it’s over there’s a commitment to what we’re coaching next time. The coaching is done over video so we can see faces and reactions and expressions – this is a personal development moment, and it helps us connect. 

Remember, a connection to the boss is critical for every employee. Call coaching is about helping develop reps skills (not close deals) as much as it is about increasing our team’s engagement with us and with the company – and there is nothing more important for retention. Coaching is bonding 1:1 time and your team needs this attention from you, even more, when we’re virtual.

Ready to take your sales management skills to the next level?

We’ve got tons of manager courses available in our award-winning virtual sales training platform, The Sales Bar. Fill out the form below to request more information about manager training.

Top Time Management Tips for Sales Reps

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5 Time Management Tips for Sales Reps

Being in sales is the busiest job in the world – hands down. 

If you’re a leader, you’ve got a ton on your shoulders between leading your team and establishing a strong company culture. Managers – you’re constantly battling fire drills and balancing your own daily tasks, all while coaching your reps. And reps – say no more! You’re on the phone for hours at a time, making hundreds of calls a week in between various other tasks.

Unfortunately, 66% of those ‘other tasks’ are statistically useless. Meaning, that time is devoted to non-revenue-generating activities. 

But the good news is: you can gain back hours of your day by following at least one of these time management tips. Lucky for you, I’ve got 5! 

READ: Top 8 Sales Management Productivity Hacks

Protect Your Time

Guess what: YOU own your time. You get to make the choice what to prioritize and how to handle what comes your way. The best thing you can do is PROTECT IT! 

Block your calendar, get comfortable saying ‘no’ to things that interrupt your workflow or cut into call time. Set boundaries and stick to them. Guard your time, communicate expectations, and get to work.

The other day I had a rep reach out for a meeting and she wanted to give up her time block to schedule our meeting. You know what I said? NO! BIG MISTAKE! I made sure she honored her calendar and let her fit me in somewhere else. 

Remember: there are lots of things in the day as a rep that you just can’t control. You can’t force someone to pick up the phone, you can’t make a lengthy conversation go faster to hop onto your next call, you can’t control if you get a call back. 

But what can you do? Stick to your schedule! 

READ: 4 Time-Saving Prospecting Strategies

Create A Master Plan

Sounds simple, but think about the calls you’re making and what your schedule looks like. Does Client A work night shift? Do they work on the east coast and you’re west? Are they in another country altogether? 

Mapping out your day is going to SAVE you time down the line. You’ll want to categorize your to-do list by the following: 

  • Morning Only Tasks
  • Afternoon Only Tasks
  • Both (can be done either morning and afternoon) 
  • Anytime (can be done morning, noon, or late)

(Note: Don’t forget to plan around time zones!) 

DOWNLOAD: Virtual Selling Cheat Sheet

Set 1 Daily Goal

Set it and actually DO it. Make that your main mission, your top priority, the thing you sit down to do first and accomplish. Consistency is key here to make sure it actually sticks! Do this every day and it REALLY helps. 

Don’t go on autopilot and sit down to check your Slacks, emails, or get into your morning routine. And while you’re at it…                                        

Silence Notifications

Remember what I said about 80% of your day being wasted on non-sales items? That’s probably because your phone is blowing up with a phone call from mom, texts from your college buddy, social media notifications, Slack messages, etc. etc. 

Put your phone on silent, turn off notifications, and focus on what’s in front of you. The ONLY thing you should be working off of is your calendar (or task list) – it will dictate who you need to talk to and when. 

This is going to help you make sure you’re getting to all those calls in a day without the distractions. 

Touch It Once

If you’ve been pushing the same email to the bottom of the pile for the last two weeks, chances are it isn’t that much of a priority. When you’ve got a task at hand – DO something with it. Either respond and finish it so you can put it away, schedule it to a time you can actually take care of it, or delete it if it’s unimportant. 

Whatever you do – don’t just leave it and keep pushing it off. You’re wasting time revisiting the same old piece 3x instead of just touching it once.

READ MORE: 10 Tips for Sales Success from A High Performer

Don’t overcomplicate it. You’ve got a busy enough day, but by adding in a little bit of effort and strategy, you can take back that 19% and get to what you do best: selling! 

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sales lay off

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5 Things to Do Immediately After Being Laid off in Sales

Layoffs, Recessions, and RIFs (Ooooooh, my)

It’s a crap situation folks, no way around that. But if you’re in a revenue role and you smell it coming, or just got your notice, here are our top 5 tips to help you recover from a sales layoff:

  1. Attitude is everything. I don’t mean to not FEEL angry, sad, betrayed, and revenge-fueled! I just mean don’t show it. You’re in a fishbowl right now and everyone you rant to may actually be a prospective employer or referrer. And let’s face it, they’re all wondering if it was the company or it was you. We’ve heard that companies use uncertain economies to trim the fat, and telling the story of your betrayal may tip things in the direction of you being the problem. 
  2. Try a re-frame. Perhaps you were cut because you were the most expensive! It’s the most efficient way to cut costs, right? You may have not been as aligned with the new leadership or go-to-market strategy. It’s probably time to refresh your skills, sharpen the saw, and expand your horizons! What I’m talking about here is your internal self-talk AND your “packaging.” Are you a dejected, rejected, dime-a-dozen AE on the hunt? Or are you a senior-level, uber-expensive, in-demand revenue professional!? I thought so. 🙂 
  3. Get clear on what you want. For decades I’ve made a hobby of helping great people find great companies, and every time I get an email requesting help, I reply asking them to detail their dream job. I don’t mean title and income (you DID think that didn’t you!?). I mean what industry, working with what kinds of customers? What will you be learning? What kind of product or service would make you proud? How will your boss treat you, how do sell, and how will you be led and fed? Go nuts on the wish list and ask questions about past peeves like work hours, development opportunities, bosses and mentors, facilities, friends at work, tools, and more! When we know exactly what we want, we can describe that for people and INSTANTLY get better referrals than a generic, “anything in SaaS.”
    Try this: When I ask if you know someone who leads a new or growing sales team in the banking industry, runs an insurance house, or manages a team that sells into government, did your brain find someone? Could you feel it scanning deeper than, “Know anyone hiring?” When you help people picture someone they know, you’re more than halfway to a referral.

    I’m also a believer that putting it out there in the universe is necessary step #1 in bringing what we want to us!

  4. Brag a little. No, strike that. Brag a LOT. Your resume needs to be packed with results!
    Numbers Are The Love Language Of All Sales Leaders!

    Get yours in order! What percent did you increase market share? Was there a spike in metrics under your leadership? How many quarters did you exceed quota? How about your team? Did you win any records? Awards? Listen, if the very best thing you did was reach quota consistently realize that is a WIN! If you’re still there, start running reports to shore up your data.

    What else did you do? Customer satisfaction? Product development? Process documentation? Testimonial acquisition? New customer types? Lead with numbers and close with some voice of the customer. They’ll be lining up to talk to you!

  5. Call in the favors (by offering to help!) If you fear it’s coming but haven’t left yet, NOW is the time to work your network. Funny how our colleagues, customers, and friends lose our numbers when we leave (and listen, some actually do only know your work email). But a call from an employed friend calling to catch up and see how I am and how they can help me gets 10x the callbacks than my newly laid off buddy who wants to give me the Telenovela version of their unfair termination. So do as many favors as you can before you’re gone, so it’s easy to call up for the payback when you need it. Start your re-frame marketing campaign about where you’re headed and your desire to leave to move up or move on! Then find out how you can help THEM and do it. Reciprocity is real (and everyone will like you better.)

In short, approach this well-deserved break like the freaking diamond you are. There’s an international shortage of professional sellers – especially virtual sellers. Find an industry and company that’s thriving and package yourself as a FIND! I’m confident that YOU are something you can sell.

Good luck out there! If we can help you brush up on your selling skills at Factor 8 with free virtual sales BDR, AE, or Account Management training, please email us at info@factor8.com and mention this blog.

If you’re a woman in revenue leadership, please apply to join the #GirlsClub Sales Leadership Certification Program as a Protégé (new or aspiring manager) or Mentor (5+ years of leadership experience). Our amazing sponsors will help foot the bill.

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5 Signs It’s Time to Fire a Sales Rep

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5 Signs It’s Time to Fire a Sales Rep

Is it time to fire a sales rep? We’ve all made bad hires. And we’ve all made wrong assumptions about team members. So second-guessing ourselves on whether or not to cut bait on an underperforming rep is only natural – especially in today’s war for talent.

It’s only in hindsight we realize we should have done it long ago. When the team mood shoots up, other performance rises, or we hear a few nightmare stories we kick ourselves for not acting on sooner.

But on the reverse, we don’t lose that number when we lose the headcount. Is SOMEbody better than NObody?

I’ve got to go with no. Sure, calls are getting made and a few wins in the pipe, but what could a top-performing rep do with those leads or accounts? How many messes are being made below the surface with the leads, the existing customers, and especially the team. When I hear relief from the team members “left behind” is when I feel the worst about not cutting bait. After all, culture is created by the behavior we accept, not the goals we set or even the high performers.

Here are 5 signs that you’re prolonging the inevitable and need to fire a sales rep:

1. There’s more than a performance issue

When someone isn’t going to make it, there’s typically evidence in more than one place. Call volume is an issue, but they’ve also been late a few times. Close percent isn’t great, and neither is their attitude. Check for behavioral and cultural issues in addition to sales performance. They may not be a clear-cut write-up, but they’re your evidence to double down performance managing the quantifiable issues.

2. There’s a lack of ownership

A friend of mine recently cut bait and replaced someone on their team. When I asked how onboarding the new hire was going I heard, “Well, they’re an adult, so that helps.” This was a (possibly less than eloquent albeit true) summary of what many of us have felt before. If you could be replaced by a $15 /hour babysitter, it’s a sign. If it takes more than one conversation to get something fixed all the way to completion, you’re dealing with a lack of ownership. Could be on a deal, could be about getting to work on time. Maybe it will hit you when you hear your third, fourth, or fifth excuse. The key is to recognize it early, call it out, and get them on your list.

3. One stat rises and another falls

Talk time is up, but dials are down. Quotes are up, but penetration is down. They just can’t seem to get it all going in the right direction at the same time. It’s a great clue they’re either over-employed or don’t care the right amount to give this their full effort. Try to aggregate your performance management here so they can’t sneak by with a “different” offense. Your write-up (or whatever you use) should indicate ALL measures within goal, not one specifically. Don’t waste months chasing different tails!

4. Cover-ups

The very first time you find something in the gray area, something hidden, a half-truth or half-baked answer, you have your sign. Why? Because if you see one (or a half) now, I guarantee you’re going to find 5-10x more when they leave. Look for a customer complaint, a team member’s eye roll, a deal called back by finance, an unexplainable call time or a customer CRM note. If it raises a yellow flag, do yourself the favor of turning that flag red and saving time. 

5. Hiding

Having trouble getting a meeting nailed down? See 1:1 meetings being rescheduled or long delays in getting back to you? You’ve got a hider! Hiders know something is wrong and they’re avoiding the conflict for as long as possible. Folks who are working hard and giving you their best are responsive. Employees carrying some guilt and shame don’t speak up, don’t make eye contact, and avoid 1:1 time with you. If your time together has been pushed more than once, there’s your sign (anyone else hearing Jeff Foxworthy every time I say that??). Please note that hiding may also mean going quiet. When Gallup studies engaged, disengaged, and actively disengaged employees, the ones that cost you the most (actively disengaged) are actually NOT the voice of discontent or detractors in meetings. They’re the quiet ones who have decided speaking up isn’t worth their effort. Look for voices you haven’t heard in a while and check in privately here.

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So you’ve come this far and you have 1 solid or perhaps 2-3 “maybe” signs that it’s time to fire a sales rep. What do you do? Address them immediately. When it lingers, it festers and the rest of your team suffers. If you have a performance management system, use it strictly. Talk with HR about making the timeline as short as possible. The key is very clear actions and deadlines to whatever expectations you have.

In addition, see what you can do to coach them up or out sooner. Plenty of employees welcome the opportunity to admit they don’t love the job, but they don’t want to let you down. Together you can decide what might be a better fit and how you can help them get there. Just last month an employee I helped coach out (and helped land the next gig) came into town and stayed with my family. We continue to like and respect each other because we addressed the growing lack of fit, clear expectations on what we needed going forward, and mutually decided on a timeframe to part ways. That’s a win-win.

It probably doesn’t feel that easy right now, but I’m willing to bet it’s because you’re second-guessing yourself on taking action. Re-read my signs above, and if your yellow flag goes even halfway up on more than one, schedule a conversation. Ask how they’re liking their job, how they think they’re performing, and if they see themselves here long term. Share your feedback with specific examples and clear go-forward expectations. It doesn’t have to be contentious, instead, expect it to be a great air-clearing meeting of the minds where you both feel better afterward.

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time-saving tips

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4 Time-Saving Tips for Sales Managers

I’m writing this blog at 9 am tucked into bed with the flu. I started to write it at 7:15 am, but decided on OJ and an episode of American Housewife instead. 

In the 45 minutes I procrastinated, I received 74 emails. WHAT?!

Please be clear that I counted the new emails, scanned briefly, and then shut Outlook. Why? Because if I didn’t this article wouldn’t get written this morning – probably not even by end of day. And because if someone really needed me there are at least 3 faster ways they can get a hold of me.

Email is the new snail mail. It’s where un-urgent requests, FYIs, and sales pitches belong, and if you aren’t treating it that way you and your organization could be wasting precious time. Yes, you get enough emails to keep you busy 4-6 hours/day, and if you ignore them all the time they will pile up (you make good points my dear sweet email lover). Alternatively, answering other people’s requests is probably not the most important part of your job, is it? 

Our completely normal instinct to deal with something simple that’s in our line of sight is prioritizing other people’s to-do lists over our own. 

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Here are a few best practices and time-saving tips to take back your day:

  1. Get rid of email alerts. Immediately. If we can agree that email is NOT where urgent items live (read: it has an imminent deadline), then quit interrupting your current screen with them. Every time the pop-up happens, a part of your brain goes down the rabbit hole until it finally just can’t resist a quick alt-tab to email to take care of it. It only takes a minute, right? Sure! Until you see the next one and the next one…it’s like trying to eat just one handful of popcorn at the movies. Impossible. If we could resist we wouldn’t be in our inbox right now. Kill the alerts. Be present in your current task instead.
  2. Designate a time for email. There, that may feel better to my GMail addicted friends. 🙂 I do email once a day at the end of the day. True, my assistant cleans it out for me in the morning, so I’m cheating just a little bit. Carve out two hours/day, put it on your calendar, and be strong. It only hurts for a couple of days. You’re not ignoring. You’re prioritizing. You were hired to coach, strategize, lead…not to type.
  3. Set communication expectations with your team. Have a conversation about what you consider urgent and important tasks and requests. Agree on what task/topic requires an instant message, text, phone, call, drop by, or email. Help team members know when you want to be CC’ed and when you don’t (there’s 50 less per day for you) and help them understand that if they email, they can expect a reply in 2-3 business days. If you choose to reprimand them for “bumping their email to the top” and sending you emails about their emails, that one is up to you. It may also be a great time to let them know when you’ll be doing meetings, coaching, and other activities that may not be interrupted with a minor customer issue or system question.
  4. Assess in a week. Getting more done? Finding times where you wonder what you should be doing? Getting more rep coaching done? These are good signs. If you find you’ve chewed off your nails and you’re staying at work late to do all the email, your addiction is more serious and I’m sorry for recommending this cold turkey. Try some of these gentler adjustments instead:
    1. Start the day by cleaning out emails – just book your first meeting within an hour so it doesn’t go long
    2. Try an email cleaner like Unroll.me that will aggregate your junk mail
    3. Consider delegating – if you’re on email alerts, groups, etc. for leads or training, perhaps someone on your team could monitor these and bring hot topics to a team meeting
    4. Eat lunch at your desk once or twice a week and take the extra hour to respond during that time
    5. Find one email/day your can unsubscribe or junk

I cordially invite you to try several of these time-saving tips and join me in the sweet, sweet freedom of being released from email jail. Looking for more ways to get sales management tasks done in less time? This was one of over twenty hacks in our top-rated sales manager course “Own Your Day”, which is now available on-demand at The Sales Bar.

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