Not those with strong Enterpriser talent!
Your salesperson loaded with the talent of Enterpriser likes to work much more independently than that! She craves lots of elbowroom to make her own decisions and she wants to run HER business as she sees fit. But, don’t make the colossal mistake of thinking you should leave her alone. That will never work because, at the same time that she wants some room to operate, she also wants her manager to remain at-the-ready in case she needs him to clear the road of obstacles or celebrate her great success.
So, the key to managing this entrepreneurial, highly-motivated seller with the burning drive to make her mark on the world is to understand her completely, and give her exactly what she needs. Recognize that she wants to play the role of lead actress – not a supporting cast member.
Sound like someone you are trying to develop? When hiring and coaching salespeople with great intensity in Enterpriser, you need to make sure you manage them the right way.
Here are a few ideas that might help:
Make sure you frequently notice what she is doing right and give her highly specific feedback.
Get her buy-in. If there is something that you want her to do differently, make sure she is completely onboard and has a strong sense of ownership so she feels like it is her plan.
Don’t tell her what to do! Be suggestive in your approach and ask questions that you want her to consider. Work with her and allow her to come to the conclusions herself.
Give her some elbow room to make decisions that affect her business and her income, but…
Never leave her alone. She will need heavy doses of feedback and recognition to remain engaged over the long-term.
Don’t cap what she can make and ensure there are no ceilings on what she can achieve.
Let her know she is important to you by showing interest in the things that matter to her and giving her your time and full attention when she needs it.
Ask for her ideas and opinions often and when you share those ideas, give her credit.
Give her the stage and let her demonstrate for others the things she does well.
Celebrate her successes immediately when she reaches a goal and then quickly reset that goal so she never feels stagnant.
Discuss HER business goals often.
Have high expectations for her and let her know it.
Treat her like a superstar and behave as though you are her agent or manager. Make sure that she has lots of good, private rehearsals and everything she needs to consistently give her best performance on stage. Cater to her when necessary (as you would with any great diva) but remember her ego is fragile and she will likely fall hard when she does not achieve top honors. Be ready to remind her of her many strengths and previous successes so you can quickly get her back on track.
Also, never miss a performance; always be in the audience as her biggest fan. This might mean going on the call with her with the sole purpose of admiring her great work and writing rave reviews for her to reflect on. Or, it might mean encouraging her to share all the exciting details once she returns to the office, so she can relive all of the applause once more.
With these tips in mind, be cautious about characterizing this salesperson based on one single talent. This driven business developer is a unique blend of talent and will need to be coached based on a clear understanding of all of her strengths and weaknesses.
Once you have that complete understanding of her talents, consider making a list of three things you should always do and three things you should never do when managing her.
This is the seventh in an 8-part talent development series!
Learn about that seller who loves to work, moves at high speed, and crams more in her day than anyone else
Learn about the seller who is buttoned up, loves perfection, but can spend too much time organizing and preparing
Learn about and how to help the seller who is always taking charge and a natural closer
Learn about and how to help the seller who is always finding problems to fix
Learn about how to help this magnetic personality
Learn about how to help this relationship builder
Have a salesperson like this? Need better leads for her to call on?
Beth Sunshine is VP/Talent Services for the Center for Sales Strategy