Stephanie Stoll, on March 18, 2024
The cultivation of open communication and a robust feedback culture is pivotal for sustained growth and success. Like many tactics for organizational growth, it sounds simple, but it is not always easy.
Let’s explore some actionable strategies aimed at empowering managers to actively seek and embrace feedback within their teams.
Tirzah Thornburg, on February 7, 2024
The good news: most of the sellers surveyed for the 5th Annual Media Sales Report knew what their sales talents were and how to put them to use.
The bad news: 11% reported that they had NEVER received feedback on their sales talents.
Think about it. Those 11% are at an automatic disadvantage. When projects come up, they may not know if those projects suit their talents. When reaching out to clients, they may not be aware of how to showcase their strengths. And when possible promotions are offered, they may not know if this would be a smart career move based on their talents.
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.
Stephanie Stoll, on August 3, 2022
Continuous improvement is dependent on feedback, and in most situations, we feel confident in the feedback we are giving and receiving.
However, sometimes people will tell you what they think you want to hear, and the feedback is not very useful or effective. In order to garner authentic feedback from your employees, and return the favor, the stage needs to be set for open two-way communication.
Emily Nelson, on July 21, 2021
Imagine this scenario: You’re managing a seller who is excellent at developing close relationships with their clients, but you’ve noticed they've been running late to several prospecting meetings in recent weeks. You want them to be on time for their meetings and are preparing to give them feedback on this issue.
Which style of feedback do you think would motivate them to be more punctual?
Option 1: “You are so good at connecting; I bet you could utilize the 5-10 minutes before your meeting starts to get to know your clients on a more personal level. What do you think?”
Option 2: “Don’t be late for meetings; it’s unprofessional.”
Most of us can agree that Option 1 is likely to feel better for both the manager and the seller, but will using this style of positive feedback lead to more on-time meetings?
The answer? Yes, absolutely.
Jim Hopes, on January 5, 2021
While all the guidelines that apply to productive performance reviews still apply in our work-from-home environment, there are certainly new dynamics in how and where this feedback gets shared.
Because we’re invited into homes more often (thanks to video meetings), we know more about our people and their personal life. We see their home environment, interact with their kids and pets, and most importantly, we all share more about our own personal challenges because we have a common experience — the pandemic.
We all have stories about what we are and are not doing these days. This is one good thing that has come from the pandemic experience and it makes approaching the feedback process with empathy presumably easier to do.
Mindy Murphy, on September 21, 2020
Sales leaders that commit to growing and developing their people through effective feedback boost sales performance, attract and retain top talent, and outperform other organizations that fail to make feedback and coaching a priority.
Recruiting and Selecting highly talented people for your organization is critical - but you can’t stop there. Innate talents cannot develop into strengths until your team members can use them consistently, confidently, and productively.
Providing consistent and specific feedback on performance is key in helping direct reports learn, grow, and maximize their strengths.
Matt Sunshine, on December 11, 2019
Great sales managers truly want to grow and develop the salespeople that report directly to them. And, we’re not just talking about the new hires to the organization. We’re talking about all the salespeople they are responsible for.
At our Talent Focused Management workshop — a workshop that sales managers who are clients of The Center for Sales Strategy attend — we highlight a famous quote from Peter Drucker:
“It is the people who determine the performance capacity of the organization.”
The best investment a sales organization can make is to commit to grow and develop its people. The great news is that salespeople want to learn and develop. In fact, the 2019 Media Sales Report found that 95% of salespeople said that learning and development are important to them. One of the best ways to grow and develop your salespeople is through the effective use of feedback.
