In sales management, many managers face a lot of distractions. Often times, the first thing to go out the window is developmental coaching… time spent helping salespeople improve their skills (not just closing one sale).
These sales managers haven’t observed their salespeople selling, or intervened at key points of the sales process, so when a sales rep is 75 percent of quota, they’re not sure why.
So what’s the solution? First, start by stopping unproductive interruptions. Make a list of the top five interruptions you experience and come up with specific steps you’ll take to minimize their disruptions to your workday. Maybe it’s turning off the your Smartphone, or closing your office door, or simply ignoring that little “you’ve got mail” sound from your computer.
Next, take 30 seconds to quickly write down your top three goals for your sales team. Then take a few minutes to identify the six tasks that you as a manager need to be doing, day in and day out. For lack of a better label, let’s call this your “3-6-No List.” Carry this list with you throughout the day. If anything comes up that’s not related to what’s on this list Just Say No.
Yes, that’s going to be hard at first. Most sales managers are unwilling to say no. But you need to spend the vast majority of your time working on sales development or business development tasks, and anything that eats into that time is a very low priority.
