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Taking Off Your Sales Training Wheels

Some time ago, my daughter was learning how to ride a bike.  Like most parents, I started her very slowly.  I bought her the smallest bike with training wheels we could find so she would not fall and hurt herself.  Within two days, she was riding all around the neighborhood and had effectively mastered the art of riding her new vehicle on wheels.  Shortly thereafter I went out to buy her a larger bike that she could grow into over time.  After I attached the training wheels, she eagerly jumped on and within less than a week was riding it all over the neighborhood.  Now while my daughter had quickly figured out how to ride her new bike, I was very cautious about taking off the training wheels too early.  After four months or so of listening to my little girl beg and plead with me to remove these support mechanisms from her bicycle, I reluctantly did so.  As I nervously held onto her as she started to peddle without training wheels for the first time, she demanded that I let her go.  I did and was waiting for her to immediately lose her balance and fall over onto the ground.  However, as I watched her pull away from me she composed herself beautifully and proceeded to ride her bike around our driveway, our sidewalk and then into our street.  She never fell down!  It was amazing to watch my little girl turn into a big girl right before my eyes.  Later that day one of my neighbors saw my daughter riding with a sense of new found freedom and asked me how she learned how to do it.  I paused, smiled and said, “I just removed her training wheels.”

After thinking more about this episode, I could not help but relate it to business.  How many times have I been holding back my team members from accomplishing greater things in their lives?  How often am I the person who does not believe they can do more?  Could I be holding my associates back from greater heights? 

Since then, I have tried to stop putting fences around what I think people can accomplish.  I have intentionally stood in the background more and simply let my associates pursue their vision.  While I will always be available for assistance and support, I realized that I might be limiting them in terms of reaching their maximum capabilities.  And what if they do fall down?  So what!  People will always encounter obstacles along the way in life.  Failing does not have to be permanent and in fact many times people have to face defeat before accomplishing their ultimate mission.  So as you read and consider this article, do yourself a favor and ask: “Am I putting imaginary training wheels on my people that might be limiting their growth and/or overall organizational development?”  If yes, remember the story of the father who amazingly watched his once young daughter ride her bike by herself into the land of infinite opportunities.

Great Customer Service Leads to Customer Loyalty

Small acts of kindness can lead to loyal customers for life.

We are lucky enough to be able to send my daughter to an elite private school here in town.  She recently started her first year at the school and my daughter’s birthday happens to be right at the beginning of the school year.  During the school day numerous friends and teachers wished her “Happy Birthday” but none of them were terribly memorable.  However, when my daughter returned home from school that day there was a card that arrived in the mail.  She opened it up and found a handwritten letter from the Headmaster of the school extending his birthday wishes and other thoughtful words to my daughter.  When she showed it to me I was blown away.  It would have been good enough for the class to celebrate her big day at school or maybe send a form letter that let her know they were thinking of her.  But no, the leader of the school took it upon himself to write a personal note to her.  Frankly, I think the note left a bigger impression on me than my daughter.

After considering all of this some more, two important lessons can be learned from this act of goodwill.  First, the Headmaster sets a great example to all of his co-workers in terms of how he expects them to treat others – like VIP’s.  Secondly, this wonderful gesture by him further validated in my mind that we picked the right school for my daughter to attend.  This seemingly little gesture turned into a story that I have repeated now many times in our community.  What great word of mouth marketing for the school!  This anecdote serves as a great reminder to me in my sales career as well…..the little customer service events often are the ones that turn customers into loyal followers for life.  I should know because now my daughter’s private school can count me as one of them.

Sales Management Tips For Success

A friend of mine was recently promoted to sales management within this company.  He asked me what suggestions I had to help him be successful.  I shared the following book recommendations and general sales management principles with him:

Book Recommendations:

1)       Topgrading by Brad Smart

2)       Leading at a Higher Level by Ken Blanchard

3)     Don’t Fire Them, Fire Them Up by Frank Pacetta

4)      Who by Geoff Smart

5)       Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions by Keith Rosen

6)       First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham

7)       The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

 Sales Management Principles for Success:

1)       Set clear expectations, in writing, with your sales people

2)       Provide regular written and verbal feedback on how they are doing

3)       Give them special projects or tasks to lead

4)       Constantly praise them for their efforts and let upper management know when they do a good job

5)       Learn how to listen better and solve their problems

6)       Don’t ask them to do anything you are not willing to do

7)       Creatively show them you value and appreciate their work (handwritten notes, plaques, letter to  spouse, etc.)

8)     Make yourself available all the time and have open/honest communication with them

9)       Keep them informed about what the company is working on and where it is going

10)     Share your vision and help your reps understand how they are a part of the success of it

11)     Control team negativity

12)     Fire low performers

13)     Empower your team members to say yes

14)     Lead by example

Hopefully these suggestions help you become a more effective sales manager!