A lot of managers don’t take the time to do this and to get buy-in from their team. Instead they get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day. The numbers, numbers, numbers, the go-go-go, mentality. They fall short on explaining the “why” to their team. In order to deliver extraordinary results, your team must understand their purpose, their role, and why it is so important to accomplish their goals. They must buy into this. They need to understand the bigger picture and what meeting quota or getting that big sale can mean for the company, can mean for the board, how it can help with growth efforts or metrics that are targeted.
I am willing to bet that if I went out and surveyed a bunch of sales teams and asked them if they knew the importance of hitting that $300,000 monthly quota target, they wouldn’t know the answer, or they would say, “well that is what we have been told we need to hit.” No one has ever taken the time to speak with them on the importance of that number, how it was derived, and what it can do for them and the company, and why falling short would be hurtful.
Imagine now, a meeting was held by sales leadership or by the company’s CEO with the entire salesforce. During this meeting, the CEO explained the targets that the company is striving for and elaborated on what it would do for the salesforce, for all departments that rely on Sales, and for the company and its board of directors. I mean a real genuine conversation around the importance and of the benefits of achieving those targets. A conversation that would get salespeople nodding their heads in agreement and showing buy-in on the goals. And to take it a step further, after this meeting with the CEO, the sales managers would be reminded to remind their teams and on a frequent basis of the importance of the goals. This way they are not forgotten or lost during the hustle and bustle of trying to make it happen.
Isn’t this so much more effective compared to a sales manager just telling their team that they must hit their $300,000 number this month and if they didn’t that there would be hell to pay? So many managers do this. They show happiness when targets are hit, then they show frustration and or anger towards their teams when numbers are short of goal. This kind of management style, one of fear or intimidation, doesn’t pan out well for long term success. Instead of trying to slam numbers down the troat of your sales team, you will be so much more effective to gain their buy-in on the goals and their importance. The military does this all the time. They understand the importance of getting the troop’s buy-in and understanding of their purpose and goals before going into battle. They know that if the troops understand their mission and its importance, and are bought into the success of it, that they will do anything to accomplish their mission.
Remember the importance of the “why” and explaining it to your sales teams and gaining their buy-in. Communicate it frequently and elaborate on how it will help them, help the company expand, or produce more money for R&D, or more funding to invest in enhancing customer service, or whatever it is. Salespeople want to know that they are part of the big picture and play an integral role with their company. Talk to them about the “why” and great results will follow and you will also have long-term employees that are truly dedicated to the cause and to the company.
-Happy Selling!