Sales managers should be preparing for the inevitable adaptation of mobility for their b2b sales departments. CTOs of today’s companies, both large and small, believe that enterprise mobility is a must for their organization. A recent report published on MarketingProfs indicates that 94% of CTOs are embracing mobile. In addition, 65% view more mobile support for employees as a critical priority and so should you.
This scares some managers; the thought of allowing your sales team to manage the responsibilities of their job in a potentially remote environment spells disaster for some. You and I both know more than a handful of salespeople you can’t seem to take your eye off of for fear they won’t perform their responsibilities the way you need them to. There are also those salespeople whom it feels as though you need to consistently push to adapt to change whether it be is new CRM software or expanded inventory management systems. These employees offer nothing but complaints as to why they don’t want to accept change, even though change is inevitable. It can be downright exhausting!
With the ever increasing need to be mobile, now is the time to re-examine the talent of your department as a part of your leadership development.
It is projected that in 2014 technology will influence the way you operate and will include more enterprise mobility. You need to determine now if your current sales team and other direct reports will rise to the occasion this year, to be ready for what is shaping up for 2014.
If your team seems lacking in the natural talents needed to succeed moving forward, start to recruit and select new employees that you can count on to get the job done in a mobile environment. This should include looking for candidates that adapt to change easily and quickly, candidates that can stay focused and motivated with minimal checks and balances, as well as candidates that have a sense of ownership in the responsibilities of their role to the overall organization. When posting for new positions, think beyond the usual, “proficient in Microsoft Office,” and start to think about proficiencies with mobility, such as smartphones, tablets, apps and clouds.
To learn more about managing a team with the talent to get it done today and beyond, check out previous blog posts by The Center For Sales Strategy's VP of Talent Services, Beth Sunshine about “Sales Management Secrets,” on coaching Enterprise, Discipline, Work Intensity, Problem Solver , Positivity, Interpersonal, Command and Ambition. These blog posts share a tremendous amount of insight on coaching a team that will have the natural talents to succeed in a mobile work environment, and tips on how to coach those who don’t.
So, as you head toward annual planning for 2014 you have some additional things to consider. It’s not just about re-evaluating your revenue generating strategies, it’s also about re-evaluating the team that will get it done in an ever changing work environment that is sure to include mobile.
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