中国经济管理大学MBA课堂笔记

Supervising, Managing, and Leading Salespeople Individually and in T

中国经济管理大学 MBA课堂笔记《销售管理：塑造未来的领导者》

中国经济管理大学/中國經濟管理大學

Supervising, Managing, and Leading Salespeople Individually and in Teams

Learning Objectives:

After completing this chapter, your students should be able to:

• Explain and describe the difference between sales supervision,      management, and leadership.

• Identify the skills and abilities a person needs to become a good      sales manager.

• Understand the elements of teamwork and how to successfully      develop and work with teams, including those that are virtual.

• Recognize the ethical challenges facing leaders and teams in the      sales environment.

Introducing the Chapter:

In contrast to Chapter 3 Leadership and the Sales Executive which looks at the study of leadership, this chapter examines the progression from supervision to management to leadership of a sales force.  Making the transition from the responsibilities of a sales person to the responsibilities of a sales manager is one of the most difficult challenges that your students may face.  This chapter offers many specific examples of management, leadership and team behaviors they will need to be able to apply.

Many of the important behaviors that sale representatives have identified in successful sales managers are discussed.  The new behaviors that many sales organizations are working to develop in their sales managers are detailed.  These include, coaching, mentoring and team selling skills.  Critical behaviors needed to lead a team and be a successful team member are presented.  More so than in the past, the ability to work with a sales team in different physical locations is quickly becoming a critical skill of sales mangers.  Suggestions for working with virtual teams are offered.

This chapter offers a number of interesting discussion topics.  Many students have experiences about what it is like to be a supervisor or manager in a work environment.  A discussion on easy and difficult issues they have had to deal with can be very insightful.  Other students may have had leadership opportunities at work or in school.  Again, their insights on what was successful and what wasn’t can be eye opening.

A second topic that students can offer insights on is the topic of working in teams.  Encourage them to identify the differences between successful teams and those that struggled. Some students may be able to examples of virtual teams and their experiences with them. 

A sales manager needs to be a good coach.  Another possible topic for discussion should focus on the characteristics of being a good coach and the benefits of having a coach provides.  What makes for a bad coach or coaching experience?

Chapter Outline:

I.          Supervising

A.          Supervision is time spent working with employees to be certain they are aware of their job responsibilities and how to correctly perform them.  Sales managers are often involved with this when they observe members of their sales force on calls.

B.           First-level managers are used by some organizations to help observe new hires.  These experienced representatives can be used as a good source of additional training.

C.           Technology can also be integrated into supervisory activities.  The results of many sales activities can be supplied to sales managers who can then review the rep’s performance.

II.       Managing

A. Management activities includes setting objectives, organizing the tasks necessary to accomplish them, motivating the sales force and problem solving.

1.  Setting objectives. Although goals may be set by sales executives, sales  managers are responsible for setting the objectives that will meet those goals and for developing a budget that will support the objectives.

2.  Organizing the tasks necessary to achieve their objectives. The sales manager makes decisions about how the sales tasks and sales personnel are organized.  Most will make a final hire or don’t hire decision.

3.  Motivating the sales force.  Making sure that effective motivators are offered to the sales force is an important task.

4.  Problem solving.  This task involves measuring performance and analyzing results.  If corrective action is needed to meet the sales objectives they need to decide what they would be an implement them.

B.           Sources of Power

1.  Formal Power is given on the basis of the position a person holds in their organization. It is the authority a person is given to accomplish their job.

a)      Legitimate power is the power given to a particular position regardless of who occupies that job. 

b)      Reward power is the ability to distribute rewards.  These may be material such as compensation, benefits and job assignments or intangible such as praise and recognition.

c)      Coercive power describes the power to withhold rewards.  It could also include making negative comments about a sales representative.

d)      Informational power is derived from leader’s ability to access and control information that others do not have.  More effective organizations encourage the sharing of information throughout the sales organization as opposed to it residing in limited positions.  CRM systems help accomplish this sharing of information.

2.  Informal Power is based on a leader’s skills, personality or geniality.  They are earned and not given.  They are generally considered more powerful than formal power bases.

a)      Expert power is based on a person’s know ledges, skills and expertise.

b)      Referent power is based on the degree to which a person is like due to their personality and interpersonal skills.

c)      Charismatic power is base on the degree a leader is well-liked, admired and able to energize their sales force.

C.           Traits of a Bad Leader

1.  Incompetent –lack the will and/or skill

2.  Rigid – stiff, unyielding and to adapt to new ideas

3.  Interperate – lacks self control

4.  Callous – uncaring or unkind to the needs of the group

5.  Corrupt – lies or cheats and puts self-interest above others

6.  Insular – disregards the health and welfare of others

7.  Evil – disregards the worth of others

D.          The Up Close Perspective:  Becoming the Boss

1.  Myths vs. Realities of New What New Managers Think

a)      I can implement my ideas vs. You must work together through people.

b)      I will have the authority vs. Informal power is where it is at.

c)      I will have control vs. Compliance is not as good as commitment.

d)      I will work on a one-to-one level vs. The group is where the action is.

e)      I will keep things working vs. I must make decisions that help the team perform better.

2.  Management Actions a New Sales Manager Should Demonstrate

a)      Clarify the direction your business is taking.

b)      Set goals and objectives and reward on achieving them.

c)      Give frequent, specific and immediate feedback.

d)      Be decisive and timely.

e)      Be accessible.

f)       Demonstrate honesty and candor.

g)      Offer an equitable compensation plan.

3.  The Sales Representative’s Perspective:  What It Takes to Be a Good Sales Manager

a)      Is flexible.

b)      Is a good communicator.

c)      Works for the good of the team.

d)      Is considered trustworthy.

e)      Can motivate and lead the team.

III.    Leading

A.          Poor sales managers can cost a company millions in lost sales opportunities.

B.           Dissatisfaction with one’s boss is number one sales rep complaint.

C.           Qualifications for sales managers are changing rapidly from emphasis on sales to leadership behaviors such as training and development skills.

IV.    A New School of Managerial Thought?

A.          Transactional leadership approaches focused more on exchange relationship, e.g., rewards for performance.

B.           Transformational leadership approaches are now favored.  These leaders focus on the needs of their employees and try to help them reach their fullest potential.

C.           Emotional Intelligence is a component of transformational leadership.  Emotional intelligence includes one’s ability to understand and manage the emotions of other people in light of their own.

1.  Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

2.  Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence create environments that foster trust, reasonable amounts of risk taking and higher levels of productivity.  Generally, as people mature, their emotional intelligence increases.

V.      What Leadership Competencies Do Sales Mangers Need?

A.          Coaching is an important part of a sales manager’s duties.  Research findings indicate higher productivity levels from sales reps who have received coaching from their managers.  Sales managers should following the effective coaching guidelines:

1.  Prepare and observe.  Don’t surprise them and be sure to know the objectives of the call.

2.  Give feedback. Ask open-ended questions and be specific when offering advice on improvement area.

3.  Be a role model. Observing someone modeling the correct behavior is one of the most effective ways to train.

4.  Follow-up. Return to see if the behaviors are being correctly applied.

5.  Trust. Trust must exist for a good relationship to exist.

6.  When Coaching Won’t Work.  Excessive absences, missed appointments and appointments, and increased customer complaints may be the symptoms of a problem bigger than performance.  They may reflect family or marital problems, financial stress, or health or substance abuse.  The advice of a human resource or mental professional should be sought.

B.           Mentoring

1.  Mentoring is a long-term relationship in which a senior person supports the personal and professional development of a junior person.

2. It is usually most beneficial when a person begins a new position and/or begins work in a new organization. 

3. A mentor can help offer sales advice, a perspective on internal politics and help guide them in their career development.

C.           The Ability to Organize and Work Effectively with Teams

1.  Working in teams (not just work groups) on complicated selling tasks is becoming more common. This is often the case for key or national accounts or where different functional areas work together on an account.

a)      Self-managed and Project Teams focus on on-going tasks or a unique task of limited duration, respectively.

b)      Recommendations for setting up a sales team

(1)       Structure and organize roles so everyone knows their responsibilities.

(2)       Establish a climate of sharing client communications.  CRM systems are great here.

(3)       Ensure that sales team has the correct skill sets

(4)       Reward systems should include team and individual components.

2.  Being a Team Member – What is expected when you become a team member?

a)      Get involved

b)      Generate ideas

c)      Be willing to collaborate

d)      Be willing to lead initiatives

e)      Develop leaders as you develop

f)       Stay current

g)      Anticipate market changes

h)      Drive you own growth

i)        Be a player for all seasons

3.  Virtual Teams – Sales managers are likely to manage teams who don’t or rarely meet.  Advice for these virtual teams include:

a)      Select the technology that works best for the team. - Some locations may not have access to all technologies.  Make sure that reps get needed assistance to master the meeting technology.

b)      Communicate frequently.  Most do so daily.

c)      Track down members who aren’t participating.  This is more important in the early stages. 

d)      Have agreed upon rules of the team’s interaction.  Respond to comments within 24 hours.

VI.    The Future of Sales Management

A.          Incorporate Globalization/Internationalization of Leadership Concepts

B.           Increase the Integrity and Character of Leaders

C.           Incorporate New Ways of Thinking about Leadership

D.          Integrate Technology

E.           Demonstrate Return on Investment

VII. Summary

A.          There has been a shift of critical skills needed for a sales manager from selling skills to management skills.

B.           Supervision is critical especially for newer hires

C.           Managing the sales force includes setting goals and budges, organizing and staffing, and analyzing performance and making changes in order to achieve sales goals.

D.          Transformational leaders help their reps develop their own skills.  Those with high levels of emotional intelligence have the ability to understand and manage the emotions of other people.

E.           Other leadership skills such as coaching, mentoring and team building are also valued.  Working with teams and virtual teams requires unique skills. 

Questions and Problems:

1. Describe a situation in which a sales manager would engage in supervisory behavior? When can sales reps benefit most from supervision? Why should sales managers consider supervising a good investment of their time and efforts?

Sales managers need to observe the performance of any new sales representative.  This will provide the sales manager a guide as to what the new rep currently can do and where they may need some additional assistance.   Any sales rep – whether they are new to sales or to the organization should be reassured that they are getting the performance review they need to meet the expectations of their new sales manager. 

The investment of time and energy in the initial stages of employment is a good investment for a couple reasons.  It lets the sales manager know where the new rep may need additional assistance in order to be successful.  Having the sales manager work with a new rep reassures them that they made the correct decision in accepting the position and increases the likelihood that they will stay with the firm.  Those not receiving supervisory help may question their employment decision which could lead to them walk away from the job before they really get started.

2. What activities are involved in managing a sales force?

Management activities include setting objectives, organizing the tasks necessary to accomplish them, motivating the sales force and problem solving.

Although goals may be set by sales executives, sales managers are responsible for setting the objectives that will meet those goals and for developing a budget that will support the objectives.  The sales manager makes decisions about how the sales tasks and sales personnel are organized.  Most will make a final hire or don’t hire decision.  Making sure that effective motivators are offered to the sales force is an important task.  Problem solving involves measuring performance and analyzing results.  If corrective action is needed to meet the sales objectives they need to decide what they would be an implement them.

3. How is a sales manager involved with organizing and staffing the sales force?

The sales manager will make decisions on how the sales force is organized to accomplish their objectives.  They will have some authority in the decision of who to hire and who they want to work for them.  This may involve deciding issues of geography from which territory is assigned to each rep to where the rep’s office is located, what it looks like and what resources they have available.

4.  What bases of power available to a sales manager do you think are most effective and why? What bases of power does your favorite instructor exhibit? What about your least favorite instructor? List some examples of instructors’ behaviors that illustrate each type of power.

Formal Power is given on the basis of the position a person holds in their organization. It is the authority a person is given to accomplish their job.  It includes components of legitimate power, reward, coercive and informational power.

Informal Power is based on a leader’s skills, personality or geniality.  It includes components of expert power, referent power and charismatic power.

Although opinions will vary, most should argue that the informal bases of power are most effective.  However, it can be difficult to argue that the formal bases of power can also be used effectively.

Most favorite instructor power bases will vary, but will likely include being an expert, being well liked and generally just being someone you are attracted to.  Least favorite instructors may likely display large amounts of rewards and even coercive power.  Some will use the power of information also.

5. Management skills are something new sales managers need to develop. What are some specific behaviors that they should engage in? What misperceptions do sales managers have about managing people?

Making the transition from the responsibilities of a sales person to the responsibilities of a sales manager is one of the most difficult challenges that your students may face.

New managers are encouraged to:

·         Clarify the direction your business is taking.

·         Set goals and objectives and reward on achieving them

·         Give frequent, specific and immediate feedback

·         Be decisive and timely

·         Be accessible

·         Demonstrate honesty and candor

·         Offer an equitable compensation plan

New managers sometimes have misperceptions of what their work environment will be versus what they really find.

·         I can implement my ideas vs. Its working together through people

·         I will have the authority vs. Informal power is where it is at

·         I will have control vs. Compliance is not as good as commitment

·         I will work on a one-to-one level vs. The group is where the action is

·         I will keep things working vs. I must make decisions that help the team perform better

6. Why is the concept of leadership of such importance to vice presidents of sales? What has caused their heightened concern?

Research has shown that a poor sales manager can cost a company millions in lost sales opportunities.  The number one sales rep complaint is dissatisfaction with their sales mangers.  The next step is likely to be leaving the sales force which then invites all the issues and costs of unwanted turnover.

Sales executives are concerned because of a study that found a firm’s sales managers “figured prominently” in the success of their sales force – that a a sales force whose manager thinks strategically, provides coaching and feedback to his salespeople and creates a motivating environment perform much better than others.

7. How are transactional and transformational leadership approaches different and how are they displayed in a sales manager’s behaviors? What are some of the components of emotional intelligence? Who do you know that exhibits a high level of emotional intelligence?

Transactional leadership approaches focused more on exchange relationship, e.g., rewards for performance.  Transformational leadership approaches focus on the needs of their employees and try to help them reach their fullest potential.

Emotional Intelligence is a component of transformational leadership.  Emotional intelligence includes one’s ability to understand and manage the emotions of other people in light of their own.  Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.  Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence create environments that foster trust, reasonable amounts of risk taking and higher levels of productivity. 

Examples of individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence will vary widely from Bill Clinton and Warren Buffet to Lance Armstrong.  

8. Imagine a situation in which your sales rep just had a poor sales call. What coaching principles should you make sure you follow as you provide the rep with feedback? How would you initiate such a conversation?

After observing a poor sales call the coach should try to provide specific feedback as soon as possible.  Many companies practice a “curbside review” of each observed call.  The sales manager should ask open ended questions, probing the sales rep on she perceives as her strengths and weaknesses.  The coach should offer specific suggestions and if needed or possible role model the behaviors needed.  For coaching to work the sales rep must have faith and trust in their relationship with their sales manager, otherwise the coaching episode with have a diminished value.

9. What is the value of having a mentor? Explain why you would or would not want to have one as sales representative. Why would a salesperson want to be a mentor if it takes time away from selling to their clients?

In a word, invaluable.  Having a senior colleague guide, advice and counsel a younger colleague can help both parties.  The younger colleague gains the insights of years of experience – be it in the area of sales, company politics or career development.  Having a mentor has been described as like having a personal radar that can help you see around corners and plan you moves accordingly.

Senior colleagues should be encourages to serve as a mentor.  A great deal of company, market and client history can be lost if the information is not passed down through company personnel.  For a more personal perspective, senior sales people can take satisfaction in seeing their contribution to the success of a younger colleague.  

10. Sales reps usually work independently. How would you encourage your reps to work as part of a team? What objections do you think they would have to being a team member, and how might you counter them?

Working with other sales reps will take some good management actions to implement effectively.  The sales manager should structure and organize roles so everyone knows their responsibilities.  They should establish a climate of sharing client communications. CRM systems will help make this task more easily done and transparent.   Lastly, the sales manager should ensure that sales team has the correct skill sets (product, process and personality).

The most frequent complaint would likely deal with the reward system.  Reps expect to be rewarded for their individual efforts and would not be accepting of one that rewarded non-contributors.  Therefore, reward systems should include both team and individual components.

11. Consider the team projects you’ve worked on in school. What are some of the behaviors you like to see your team members engage in? Do you believe your team members would behave differently in virtual teams?

Students no doubt have been involved in teams that were productive and not productive.  They should be encouraged to reflect on what they think the behaviors were that resulted in each outcome. 

Suggestions for being a good team member include: getting involved, generating ideas, being willing to collaborate, being willing to lead initiatives, developing other as you develop, staying current, anticipating marketing changes and being responsible for yourself.

Opinons will vary on how the team would have operated if they had been a virtual team.  Effective virtual teams are likely to use the technology that works best for the team, to communicate frequently, to track down members who aren’t participating, and have agreed upon rules of the team’s interaction.

Answers for Chapter Caselets:

Caselet 10.1 Friend or Mentor?  Deciding When to Take Action

Helen initially joined the firm and was a star salesperson in the sales force that Carol managed.  Over the years both had been successful.  Helen has moved into large account sales and Carol has moved into sales management position.  They have a good friendship and routinely plan on a dinner together twice a year at their semi-annual sales meeting.

Their relationship has evolved into one where Carol has served in a mentoring capacity to Helen.  At this meeting Helen arrives late, by taxi, has more than her share of wine and publicly berates a waiter for his service before ordering after-dinner drinks.  Carol has ‘heard’ Helen’s performance has slipped recently.  Helen has missed appointments and meetings and other deadlines. 

A new management position is opening soon, and Carol’s input will be sought.  Helen had seemed like a strong candidate.

1. Where should Carol’s loyalties lie? What do you think is going on with Helen?

Carol’s loyalties are to herself and indirectly to her relationship with her employer.  A past friendship that results in two meetings a year should not influence her decisions.

A number of things could be going on with Helen.  They range from a bad day to stress from personal (friend, partner or spouse) or family (aging parents) to concerns about substance/alcohol abuse or a combination of several events.  The fact that they appear to have taken on a degree of regularity, as opposed to an isolated event, should create greater concern. 

2.      As her informal mentor, should Carol take it upon herself to ask Helen about her performance and what’s causing it to decline? Or should she mind her own business?

Although her role is as an informal mentor, Carol is within bounds if she were to question Helen about her performance.  Sometimes individual’s need a ‘kick in the pants’ or a wake-up call and fall within bounds of the mentor-mentee relationship.

3.      What other actions should Carol consider taking?

Depending on the situation, Carol may wish to communicate with Helen’s family about the situation and get their perspective.  She may also consider a conversation with Carol’s sales manager – but this may raise some concerns that are unneeded and create more of a problem for Helen. 

If Carol suspects alcohol or drug abuse she may wish to contact the company’s human resource department and see what options are available.  She may wish to encourage Helen to explore this as a first step.  Other options with the company’s human resource group may need to be considered.  If it’s a personal problem she may want to get assistance, if it’s an alcohol/drug problem she may soon have no option except to get assistance.

Caselet 10.2 Teamwork?

The Walnut Gazette has grown rapidly and along with it so has the sales responsibilities of Nina Fong.  Nina now manages seven four-person teams that sell advertising for the paper. The sales goal deadlines for Nina’s teams are approaching when she receives a call from Bruce Nygen.  Bruce had previously emailed her about the role the Gazette could play in opening of his new store.

Nina had forwarded her e-mail response to the team responsible for that area of the metro.  It appears that neither Lindsey the senior rep in the area, nor Morgan the newer, less experienced rep has followed up with Bruce.

Nina is wrestling with the decision as to which account manager she should hand the lead to.  She feels that Lindsey should have already contact Bruce.   Morgan, who recently lost two of her account because her clients were not satisfied, needs a confidence builder.  Nina knows a large sale in this territory will push this particular team over its sales goal and add to everyone’s bonus, including her own.

1.      What are the advantages and disadvantages of handing the lead to Morgan, the newer account manager?

Allowing Morgan to secure a new customer – at a time when the team needs a sale, should help build her confidence.  She knows her team has faith she can perform up to the challenges of the sale.  It should help in her development in becoming a more experienced sales person.  If the sale is made, she can glow in the light of her accomplish that she was responsible for achieving the team’s goal.

One disadvantage of handing the lead to Morgan are that if she fails that all members of her team will lose potential income.  Additionally this failure may result in a diminished level of self confidence. Even if the sale were made, some may have concerns over the level of customer service she provides.

2.      What are the advantages and disadvantages of handing the lead to Amy?

Handing the lead to Amy would seem to increase the likelihood of a successful sale, which would ultimately result in added income for all members of her team.  The disadvantages are that it may appear to be rewarding her inattention to a new customer – who she should have contacted earlier.  Additionally, it might cause Morgan to have increased doubts about her capabilities to perform in a tight situation.

3.      How would you make this decision?

This will be a tough call.  This also seems like a perfect opportunity for Nina to become involved in a coaching situation with Morgan.

4.      How do you think your decision would affect the rest of the members on Lindsey and Morgan’s team?

Nina’s decision will impact the potential income of one team in light of the confidence she has in one of the team members.  It is a perfect opportunity to help Lindsey’s development but may come at the cost of income to the rest of her team.

Role Play:

Outside Escapes

This role play can be modified by adding a person to play the role of the president of Outside Escapes.  The president can then challenge the recommendations of the two sales managers.

Outside Escapes is an established tour operator.  Initially they offered spring vacation packages to college students (called Campus Getaways), then moved into the outdoor adventure segment that sold to a young business person (called Outside Escapes).  This segment is more loyal and has the income to spend on a 7-to-10 day outdoor –oriented adventure vacation.  The president has now become marketing this product as a training retreat/team-building course (Green Getaways). 

The sales force has been organized in different time zones and has operated for the most part as individual sales reps.  In addition to moving into a corporate selling environment, the president has plans to grow the company’s sales by 25 percent for each of the next four years.  This has prompted concerns about the effectiveness of the largely independent sales force, in a business environment that may have a more formal buying center.

The role play involves one sales manager who believes that a team approach will better serve the needs of the growing company.  The second sales manager needs to advocate that each sales representative should be responsible for their own work.  The president wants to know the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and how the company should proceed given their proposed growth.

Discussion should focus on how a team approach might be implemented when selling their training/development packages in an environment that more closely resembles a corporate buying center.   The advocate for individual reps approach will focus on the standard issue that reps work better when they ‘reap what they sew’. 

The discussion ultimately needs to focus on what is best for the customer and how the Green Getaway selling jobs could be organized to accomplish the issues raised by both managers.

Self-Assessments:

In your copy of Sales Management, you will find an Access Code Card. By using this code at www.pearsonhighered.com/tanner, you will gain access to the SAL program. Students will find an Access Code Card in their copy of the book as well.  The first SAL instrument is contained in the text; the second is included as an additional exercise.

II B6  How Good Am I at Building and Leading a Team?

No doubt the best feedback on a person’s ability to build and lead a team is actually doing it.  Some students who have served in different leadership capacities may have had more experience working in teams and have a better understanding of their abilities.  However, many students may not have had that “formal” opportunity yet. On this exercise students should be encouraged to consider their work experiences and even class projects when they respond to these questions. This 20-question instrument considers a student’s score with results from a sample of 500 business students.  It looks at their behaviors in five stage of a team’s development: diagnosing team development, managing the forming stage, managing the conforming stage, managing the storming (aka conflict) stage and managing the performing stage.

IC4 What’s My View of the Nature of People?

This short survey provides some insights into the respondent’s beliefs about human nature – not so much about their style of management or leadership. It is based on Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y.  The developers acknowledge that it is a logical step that people who hold Theory X assumptions tend to manage more autocratically, while those holding theory Y assumptions tend to be more democratic managers.  Scores reflect a tendency to in one particular style, and provide some insight into the respondents view of people and how best to manage them. It may help the respondent better understand why when filling a leadership role in groups, they tend to be more autocratic or take on more of a supportive and trusting position.

Using Videos:

Go to the website with videos from Selling Power and consider the two videos selected for this chapter.  Listed below are potential ways to introduce each video and questions you might consider to encourage further discussion after you have viewed the videos.  To access the videos go to www.pearsonhighered.com/tanner.

The Newly Appointed Manager  Keith Rosen

Keith Rosen helps teach some coaching skills to a new sales manager in this 6 minute clip.  (Disregard the reference to discussing handling objections and cold calls – that material is on another interview and not contained here.)   Most sales people find it difficult to transition into the role of a sales manager. The new manager who receives some coaching advice in this clip talks about the challenges of managing his time, his team’s time and keeping them moving in the same direction.  He’s not certain if his time spent trying to get them additional training materials is worth his efforts.  New managers have a tendency to look at themselves as “The Answer Man or Woman” and by doing so miss an opportunity to coach their sales force.  They need to learn to delegate and hold their team members responsible.

Here are some questions you could ask the class to look for and consider:

1. What makes the transition from sales person to sales manager challenging?

2. What are some reasons why a manager should not automatically answer one of their sales rep’s questions? (Answer: You aren’t training them to solve their own problems.  In addition: It may disrupt your work; and you might not have enough information to make the correct answer.)

3. What does Rosen mean when he says you should coach the gap? (Answer: The area between what someone knows and what they don’t know.)

The Art of Mentoring       Jeff Seeley

It is often recommended that people have a mentor – this is especially true when they begin a new position or begin work at a new company.  This video describes a mentor as a person who is part manger, part leader, part inspirer and part counselor.   They are not a disciplinarian, but someone who can offer a unique perspective on the situation.  Sometimes people need someone to help them figure out it is time for a change.  Mentors can do this by building awareness, creating a desire to change, sharing know-how, teaching skills and offering support.

Here are some questions you could ask the class to look for and consider:

1. Why would I want a mentor?  Why would I want to be a mentor to someone?

2. What characteristics should you look for in a mentor?  (Answer: Has empathy, is a good listener and can offer valuable advice.)

3. Why is being a good listener so important? (Answer: Sometimes people know the answer but just haven’t discussed all ramifications of it.)

Full Case Recommendations:

Southeastern Sales Associates deals with the transition from being a successful sales person to that of a successful sales manager.  The new sales manager spends a great deal of her time coaching her geographically dispersed sales team.  These ‘ride alongs’ have identified several problem areas in her sales force, including:  limited product knowledge, questionable usage of expenses accounts and misallocating their time on easy accounts at the expense of establishing new accounts.  The new sales manager easily identifies what she would do in each situation, but is struggling in deciding what actions to take in order to balance her roles as a supervisor, manager and a leader.

Other In-Class Exercises:

Debate:  Good vs. Bad Leaders

Assign students sides to debate if business leaders such as Ken Lay from Enron and Bernard Ebbers from World.com were really good examples of leadership or bad examples of leadership?

Should I get a Mentor?  What about a Coach?

The value of having a mentor seems to be universally agreed upon.  Have students view web resources in order to help them decide if they need or don’t need a mentor?

There are a number of websites that discuss the topic and services available.  Consider the following:

·         National Women’s Business Council   http://www.nwbc.gov/Mentoring/default.html

·         The Value of a Mentor - http://www.quintcareers.com/mentor_value.html

·         Steven Covey’s commercially available Coaching/Mentoring  materials: https://www.franklincoveycoaching.com/?src=g&src_t=s&kw=mentoring%20programs&gclid=CMX7wYGMkZYCFQKaFQodC391Eg

·         Novations commercially available materials:  http://www.novations.com/services/coaching-and-mentoring/?engine=adwords!7706&keyword=%28workplace+mentoring%29&match_type=&gclid=CM_r9tKLkZYCFQIWFQod8lGGEg

How do We Prepare for Team Training?

Assign this scenario either as a team (or individual) assignment.  “You’ve been told by your boss that she wants you to prepare your sales force to work more as a team.  Where do you start? What are some options you should explore?”

Students may find some vendors with different approaches, from motivational speakers to team training seminars.  Caution, there are many vendors in this market and some no doubt with superior services to offer than others.  Ask them to supply support for their decision.

An important component of team selling is sharing information and communication.  Encourage them to identify software that is available to help support a team approach.   For example:  http://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/crm_plus/sfa_team_selling.shtml

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