One of your most important jobs as a leader is to mentor and coach, but it can be one of the most difficult parts of your job if you have an underperforming seller on your team. It’s easy to think things like “they’re not working hard enough,” “they aren’t motivated,” or maybe even “it’s time to throw in the towel.”
Before you take drastic measures and place the blame on your underperformer, here are five questions to ask yourself.
Kate Rehling, on February 23, 2023
Imagine you’re at the grocery store with your three-year-old son. He’s promised you he’ll behave, and you’re planning to surprise him with a treat at the checkout counter.
You’re roughly halfway through your grocery list when he starts to get antsy. He wants out of the cart and promptly begins pulling things off the shelves, so you put him back in the cart, and he begins throwing a temper tantrum. You look at your watch – it’s getting close to lunchtime, which is closely followed by naptime. It’s becoming apparent that you have a decision to make.
Do you choose to use empathy by giving him a big hug, telling him you love him, and letting him know you understand it can be tough to be patient—or do you choose to hold him accountable to his promise of good behavior? And which one is the right thing to do?
Kate Rehling, on February 16, 2023
You may not realize it, but you are setting expectations all the time. You set expectations in everything you do and in everything you don’t do.
It’s an amazing power to have. As a leader, you can have a positive impact on the lives of each person you manage based on the expectations you set for them.
Kate Rehling, on February 6, 2023
If you use a validated talent assessment as part of your hiring process, it’s tempting to move forward with a hire if they’re assessment quickly says “recommended.” But recommended doesn’t mean “recommended for hire.” Recommended means “recommended to move forward in the interview process.”
The Growth Formula specifies that (Talent + Fit) x Investment = Growth. Once you determine whether or not someone has the right talents for the role you’re filling, it’s equally as important to consider their fit.
Kate Rehling, on January 26, 2023
Have you ever played the hot and cold guessing game? “You’re freezing cold, you’re thawing out, you’re getting warmer, you’re on fire!”
The person in charge of the game hides an object and then gives you feedback based on how close (hot) or far (cold) you are from what they’ve hidden. Now imagine searching for their hidden object without receiving any feedback on how hot or cold you are. The best-case scenario would be accidentally stumbling on the hidden object. The worst-case scenario would be continuing to wander aimlessly, and likely throwing in the towel due to frustration or hopelessness.
The more feedback you’re given, the more your game performance improves. If the feedback stops, your progress stops with it. The same can be said for your team members. The most effective leaders provide consistent feedback to their people.
Kate Rehling, on January 23, 2023
According to Fortune, 65% of US workers are looking for a new job. If you’re looking to fill a position, that sounds promising, right?
But wait — LinkedIn found that 76% of managers admit attracting the right candidates is their greatest challenge.
With so many workers looking for new jobs, why are managers still struggling to attract talent? The answer is recruitment.
Kate Rehling, on January 17, 2023
Everyone you manage is uniquely wired with differing drives, values, and motivation levels. If you take a moment to reflect on your team, you can probably identify those who only need a little spark from you to light their fire and motivate them, while others require you to gather kindling, get down on your hands and knees, and rub sticks together before they’re fully motivated with fire in their bellies.
One of the questions I love to ask salespeople is simply – what motivates you to get out of bed and go to work in the morning? I’ve collected a variety of answers over time. Below are some of the most frequent answers I’ve received, along with tips to help maximize each motivation.
Kate Rehling, on November 7, 2022
NBA Coach Phil Jackson once said, “The strength of the team is each individual member.” His thought holds true within your sales teams.
Each person on your team needs to have the right combination of talent and fit to be successful. But in this competitive job market, how can you attract top talent to your organization?
Kate Rehling, on October 20, 2022
Candidates are in and out of the job market quickly, particularly those with superstar talent. If you’ve adopted a “we’re always hiring” mentality to help you build and fill your talent bank, you’re likely conducting interviews more frequently.
According to LinkedIn, 83% of talent say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once liked.
Selection is a two-way street. You’re interviewing the candidate, and at the same time, the candidate is interviewing your company. It’s important to maximize your opportunity to interview candidates while giving them a solid understanding of the job role and your company culture.
Kate Rehling, on May 16, 2022
We are always asking our salespeople to prospect and keep their eyes open for new potential clients. As sales managers, we need to treat recruitment the same way.
Recruitment will continue to be a buyer’s market in 2022. According to The Undercover Recruiter, the best candidates are in and out of the job market within 10 days. It’s tempting, and easy, to fall victim to lowering your hiring standards to fill positions.
The most effective way to ensure you’re able to hire better talent is to build and maintain a strong talent bank.
