8
Performance Feedback
A COMPETENT SALES MANAGER places more emphasis on preparing their sales team for good performance than they do in the actual performance itself. The way they do this is to have the mindset that they are the practice coach. What happens in the game will be predicated on what happens in practice, because people typically perform like they practice. Many sales managers, unfortunately, do not spend a sufficient amount of time up-front training, coaching, or reinforcing sales skills with their team prior to live engagement with prospects or customers. As a result, their activity is limited to observing their sales team in action and the performance they see will probably be in direct correlation to the amount of practice and preparation that preceded the actual performance. In this context, they are merely the game coach. The ideal is to be both the practice coach and the game coach.
Practice like you've never won. Play like you've never lost.
—Michael Jordan
The Practice Coach, the Game Coach, Then the Practice Coach
The practice coach spends a lot of time doing dry runs, dress rehearsals, and skill development training to help their salespeople develop the abilities to have an impact in the game. The practice coach knows that their job is to develop their team and it will require a tremendous investment in time, energy, and effort. They also know that the outcome of any competition is generally determined by the level of practice beforehand. The practice coach knows that it will often be boring. It is repetitive. It is not glamorous.
If the activities that lead to greatness were easy and fun, then everyone would do them and they would not distinguish the best from the rest. (Colvin 2010, 72)
In a sales culture, it is critical to have systems in place that continually improve your sales team's performance. Delivering consistent performance feedback is one of those systems, because it creates consistency in approach and methodology across your sales team. It helps you to see in real time a salesperson's strengths and weaknesses and gives you the opportunity to deliver feedback when it matters most, right after a selling interaction.
Keep in mind that, to make this happen, you want to plan adequate time for delivering performance feedback after the meeting/call and consider the setting in which it will occur. For example, if you are in outside sales, you could meet your salesperson for breakfast and prepare and practice before the meeting. Then, after the meeting, you could get into the car and deliver performance feedback there; or, you may decide to go to a coffee shop. You may also meet at the office prior to the meeting to prepare and practice and then return to the office to deliver performance feedback. If you are in a contact center, you could meet in a conference room to prepare and practice. Then, you could sit deskside with your salesperson and return to the conference room to deliver performance feedback. The main thing is to ensure you have the proper time allotted and the right setting for the debrief.
Define Roles and Responsibilities
In this time together you will typically be in one of three roles as the sales manager – leader, co-seller, or observer. The role and responsibility you define will be specific and relevant to the salesperson you are working with and the situation you are in. One way to ensure that your salesperson will succeed with performance feedback is by being an effective practice coach.
The Leader
Let's address the first role you could be in, which is the leader. In this role, you will be the one conducting the call/meeting and your salesperson will be solely in the observation role. This approach is particularly beneficial for brand new salespeople, experienced salespeople who are new to your team, or other salespeople on your team whom you feel would benefit from seeing you in action. Believe it or not, there are still a percentage of experienced, successful salespeople who respect you and would love to see how you do it. Prior to taking the lead in any meeting/call, you will set aside ample time to get together with your salesperson to prepare and practice for the meeting/call. Many sales managers don't do this. Oftentimes they are checking their phone, returning emails, or sending text messages when they should be fully present preparing and practicing for the meeting/call.
To prepare, you and your salesperson will discuss the strategy and goals for what you want to accomplish in the meeting/call together. You will explain how you will use the company's defined sales process and methodology to help achieve the desired outcome. You will have the one-page call flow/template with you and provide a copy for your salesperson. As the leader, you will then use the call flow/template to demonstrate how to prepare for, and then practice conducting the meeting/call with the salesperson in the role of prospect/customer. Then, you will reverse roles and your salesperson will practice conducting the meeting/call as the leader, mirroring your demonstration. You will be in the role of prospect/customer as your salesperson practices. Time permitting, you should do this multiple times. That is what the practice coach is all about. While you are practicing together, you will observe their practice and give them feedback. Even though you will be leading the meeting/call, you will still be the practice coach before the meeting/call starts. This technique of using your company's sales process and methodology will create consistency and uniformity in your sales team's approach.
Then, you will conduct the meeting/call together with you leading the meeting, exemplifying all the right behaviors. Your salesperson can learn by observing what success looks like using your company's sales process and methodology.
A few challenges to be aware of as the leader:
- You might like doing this so much that, in later co-selling situations, you may find it hard to relinquish control.
- If you are not the practice coach before and after you lead the meeting or call, your sales team may become overly dependent on you to close all their deals because they are not developing their own skills.
- You may be developing the relationship with the customer instead of your salesperson. You can't be the single point of contact for every customer.
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
—John C. Maxwell
The Observer
At the other end of the spectrum, the salesperson takes the lead in the meeting/call. Your role in the meeting is to observe, take notes, and deliver performance feedback after the meeting. This approach is more suited when working with a salesperson who is more tenured, experienced, and successful. This is the end zone for where you want to be as a sales manager. When you have reached this level, it means that all of the repetitious skill development and practice sessions have worked. All you need to do now is watch the game and give feedback. However, you will still follow the same process that you followed when you were the leader in the meeting/call.
Prior to being the observer in any meeting/call, you will do the same thing you would do if you were the leader: set aside ample time to get together with your salesperson to prepare and practice for the meeting/call.
To prepare, you and your salesperson will discuss the strategy and goals for what you want to accomplish in the meeting/call together. You will explain how you will use the company's defined sales process and methodology to help achieve the desired outcome. You will have the one-page call flow/template with you and provide a copy for your salesperson. You will then use the call flow/template to demonstrate how to prepare for and practice conducting the meeting/call with the salesperson in the role of prospect/customer. Then, you will reverse roles and your salesperson will practice conducting the meeting as the leader, modeling your demonstration. You will be in the role of prospect/customer as your salesperson practices. Time permitting, you should do this multiple times. That is what the practice coach is all about. While you are practicing together, you will observe their practice and give them feedback. Even though they will be leading the meeting/call, you will still be the practice coach before the meeting/call starts. The only thing that is different between you being the leader or the observer is that the salesperson conducts the meeting/call, not you. The strategizing, planning, and practice is the same regardless of your role in the meeting/call. You will conduct the meeting/call together with your salesperson leading the meeting/call, doing what they practiced prior to the meeting/call. You will observe and take notes. After the meeting, you will deliver performance feedback.
Master the art of observing.
—Anonymous
The Co-Seller
There are a variety of situations when you are with your sales team and you will be co-selling together. Prior to the meeting/call, when you co-sell, you will identify roles and responsibilities for what each of you will do in the meeting/call. Here are just a few examples of when co-selling would be beneficial:
- Your salesperson is less experienced, and you have been leading their meetings/calls as they go through training. Now it's time to begin to transition some of the responsibilities over to the salesperson in a safe environment. If things do not go as planned, you're still there to support them. If things do go well, it will build their confidence in their ability to conduct meetings/calls on their own. If they perform poorly, you will be able to observe what they did that did not work and you will be there to help them salvage the opportunity by supporting them in the meeting. After the meeting you will know precisely where the opportunity for improvement is and you can roll right into skill development training to address the gap.
- This is a big opportunity and your salesperson wants to demonstrate to the prospect/customer that there is more than one person representing your company, they are part of a team.
- Your salesperson knows the prospect/customer wants to know that they are part of a team, which can deliver on expectations.
- Your salesperson asks you to be with them because they know there will be multiple decision-makers in the room, and they want your support.
- You feel the different experiences and expertise that you each bring to the table would add value to the prospect/customer in that meeting/call.
- You are acclimating a new salesperson to an account or sales territory.
When co-selling, remember to remind yourself of the goal you are trying to achieve in the meeting/call and the roles and responsibilities you have defined for you and your salesperson to achieve that goal. Unfortunately, many sales managers lose sight of the goal and fall back on doing what they do best, which is selling. This could achieve the goal in the short term but do more harm in the long term. For example:
- This could diminish the value of the salesperson in the eyes of the prospect/customer.
- It could negatively impact their salesperson's self-confidence.
- It could create a dynamic where the prospect/customer would rather deal with the sales manager than the salesperson.
- It could inhibit their ability to build their skills. Sometimes a salesperson can learn more from their own mistakes than they do from observing the successes of others.
- It could build resentment towards each other.
Prior to co-selling in any meeting/call, you will do the same thing you would do if you were the leader or observer: set aside ample time to get together with your salesperson to prepare and practice for the meeting/call.
For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.
—Rudyard Kipling
Performance Feedback Process
There is more to delivering performance feedback than many sales managers think. Less is more. Fewer calls and meetings can actually add up to more when you're working together. More time to practice before the call, more time to deliver performance feedback after the meeting/call, and more time to address skill gaps and attitude issues after the meeting. Regardless of your role in the meeting, leader, observer, or co-seller, you will still go through the steps above.
Outside Sales
In outside sales, it is very common for you and your salesperson to spend a day or half a day together going on meetings/calls. It would be great if you could have the day jam-packed full of meetings/calls for you both to go to together, but it may not be the best way to help the salesperson develop their skills. For example, it might be better to go on three meetings together in one day as opposed to six. If you went on three meetings, it could probably enable you to implement the seven-step process for delivering performance feedback. If you went on six meetings, it could dramatically reduce the probability that you will have the time to be the practice coach. It could increase the probability that you would take over the meeting/call. It will limit your ability to deliver feedback and address any skill gaps and/or will/attitude issues.
Contact Centers
In a contact center environment, the same principle applies. You don't need to listen to 20 recorded calls or sit deskside for 90 minutes. If you listen to one recorded call or observe one live call and identify an opportunity for improvement, you're ready to implement the process above (or, you could coach proactively without any call observation, as we discuss in Chapter 11).
Performance Feedback Form
Two things happen in a well-conducted performance feedback session. One is the quality of the conversation and interaction between the sales manager and the salesperson. The second thing is how well that conversation and interaction gets documented. Because of this, we recommend you use a performance feedback form that will help guide the conversation in the meeting and enable you to document the conversation. Keep in mind that the most important thing when delivering performance feedback is the conversation – you are only using the form to document the conversation. So, we are going to introduce you to a delivering performance feedback template we have used with our clients as a starting point that you can customize to your sales team. We strongly recommend that you keep the performance feedback form to one page.
Now let's look at how you might use the template to help guide the flow of the conversation when delivering performance feedback.
Delivering Performance Feedback Conversation Flow
- Step 1: Overview what you will be discussing
- Review what the salesperson felt they did well.
- Review what the salesperson felt were opportunities for improvement.
- Sales manager reviews observations of what went well.
- Sales manager reviews observations of opportunities for improvement.
- Gain agreement on opportunities for improvement (skill/attitude).
- Sales manager addresses the opportunity for improvement.
- Step 2: Discovery – sales manager asks salesperson questions
- What they did well.
- What they felt were opportunities for improvement.
- Step 3: Sales manager reviews their observations and gains agreement
- What the salesperson did well.
- What they felt were opportunities for improvement for the salesperson.
- Summarize conversation.
- Gain agreement on opportunities for improvement.
- Step 4: Address the opportunities for improvement
- Skill gap – skill development training.
- Attitude issue – conversation.
- Step 5: Set action steps
- Agree upon action steps.
- Sign and date the form.
- Give encouragement.
Step 1: Overview What You Will Be Discussing
You will begin delivering performance feedback by giving your salesperson a quick overview of what you will be discussing as you deliver feedback. The first couple of times you do this, you will probably need to show your salesperson the form and overview it as you are using it to guide and document the conversation. Using the form will help you keep your feedback session on track and ensure you cover all the important topics.
Sales manager: [Salesperson's name], that was a great meeting. I really appreciate you asking me to come along with you today. Now that the meeting is over, I think it's a great opportunity to discuss what you felt you did well in the meeting and any opportunities for improvement. Then I'll share my observations with you of what I felt you did well and any opportunities for improvement. Then I'll summarize what we discussed, and we can come to an agreement on what you did well and what the opportunities for improvement are. If there is a skill gap, we will address it right now. Since it just happened, we're better able to specifically target and fix what didn't go well while it's fresh in our minds. If there are any other opportunities for improvement, we can discuss them also. We'll conclude by summarizing and setting action steps. How does that sound?
As you think about how you are going to overview the conversation when delivering performance feedback, one important point you want to make is that, after you agree that there is a skill gap, you will address it immediately with skill development training. Practicing after performance might be the best time to practice. At this moment, practicing is probably the last thing you want to do, but might be the most important thing you can do.
Step 2: Discovery – Sales Manager Asks Salesperson Questions
After you have outlined what you will be doing, it's time to get going. The best way to start is by asking questions. Just like in the goal-setting meeting, when you started by reviewing their biggest victory first to begin on a positive note, you will apply the same concept here by asking them what they felt they did well in the meeting – a great way to identify, focus, and build on their strengths. After you have had a discussion on what went well, you will shift gears and ask if they feel there were any opportunities for improvement. While you are asking questions and listening, you will be taking notes in the appropriate box on the form.
Sales manager: [Salesperson's name], let's get right to it. What do you think you did well in the meeting?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: What makes you say that?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: Agreed. In addition to that, is there anything else you think you did well today?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: Tell me more about that.
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. Seems like you are pretty tuned in with what you did well in that meeting.
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: What did you think were some of the opportunities for improvement?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: What makes you say that?
(Salesperson responds)
As you are asking your salesperson what went well and they respond, you want to ask additional clarifying questions to encourage them to provide specific details that support what they said. Likewise, when you ask them what their opportunities for improvement are, you will ask clarifying questions, encouraging them to give you the specifics about why they think it's an opportunity for improvement. In our example, the two questions we used to help them explain their responses in more detail are: “What makes you say that?” and “Tell me more about that.” There are others but these are just two examples.
Telling creates resistance. Asking creates relationships.
—Andrew Sobel
Step 3: Sales Manager Reviews Their Observations and Gains Agreement
After you have asked your salesperson what they thought they did well and what their opportunities for improvement were in the meeting/call, you confirmed understanding by reflecting back what they said. Now, you will transition into sharing your observations of what they did well (strengths) and any opportunities for improvement. Notice in the following example, when you are communicating your observations for what they did well and the opportunities for improvement, you will support your feedback with specific details. Note the bridging phrase in each scenario, “The reason I say that is because…” This bridging phrase is important when delivering performance feedback because it connects the feedback you are giving them with the observable behavior that produced the outcome. In many cases, sales managers take a broad-brush approach in delivering feedback. It is not supported with real specifics based on the behaviors they observed. Here is an example of an effective coaching dialogue:
Sales manager: Thanks for sharing that information with me. Let me give you some feedback on what I thought you did well and any opportunities for improvement I observed.
First of all, I agree with what you said about setting the agenda and delivering your value proposition. I thought you did a good job on both of those. The reason I say that is because, when you overviewed the printed agenda with the prospect in a very conversational manner, they got an understanding of what was going to happen, became very relaxed, and were really open to following the flow of what you laid out in the agenda. Then, when you asked them if there was anything else they would like to add to the agenda, they looked at each other and appeared to gain a consensus that you had a solid agenda for the meeting, and they had nothing else to add.
Secondarily, when you communicated your value proposition, you really gave them a clear overview of what we do, how we do it, who we do it for that is similar to them, and how our clients benefit from what we do. The reason I say that is because, when you were overviewing the type of clients we work with that are just like them, I could sense a greater connection between you and them developing because they felt you were credible and experienced in working with companies that are similar to them. That was not a generic value proposition. You took the time to think it through and made it very specific to them, which I believe lowered their resistance to you and, as a result, they were very forthcoming with information while you were asking questions.
In addition to those two points, one other thing I thought you did well was how you set next steps moving forward. The reason I say that is because, before we walked out of the meeting, you already had your date and time set for the next meeting and you were very clear on the purpose of that meeting. Nice job in there. What are your thoughts on the feedback I gave you?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: Now, let's discuss some opportunities for improvement. There are a couple things I noticed.
One thing I noticed was, after you overviewed our fee structure with the prospect and they began asking questions about the overall cost, it felt to me like you took their questions personally, got frustrated and came off a little defensive. The reason I say that is because I noticed your demeanor immediately changed in the meeting when they started asking questions about our fees. Fortunately, you self-corrected relatively quickly so that it did not impact the outcome of the meeting. What are your thoughts on that?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: Tell me more.
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: I understand why you feel the way you do. I understand you were caught off guard with their questions. When those situations come up again in future meetings, what will you do differently?
(Salesperson responds with a good idea)
Sales manager: Great idea. One thing that I've learned over time is that after I have made a recommendation, I will probably get the same questions, concerns, or resistance time after time. As a result, before I go into any meeting where I know I will be presenting a proposal, I mentally prepare myself before the meeting. The way I do that is I formulate some questions I can ask when they come up and prepare talking points to use to address those concerns. This level of preparation helps me to not take these objections so personally and not be defensive in these situations. Over time, I've come to realize they are not criticizing me, they are just asking questions about the fees. I don't think it really affected the outcome of the meeting because you got the next meeting on the calendar, which was the goal. Here's what I'd suggest. Prior to your next meeting, let's get together, look at the proposal you're recommending, anticipate some of the concerns that may arise after you present your recommendation, and practice how to address those concerns. How does that sound?
(Salesperson responds)
Sales manager: The other thing I noticed is what you mentioned, asking better discovery questions. The reason I say that is because I think you had a really good initial question but when they responded with their answer I felt you could have asked another question that would have enabled the prospect to give you more clarity around what they meant by what they said. For example, when you asked them, “What's important to you in a relationship with a partner?” They responded with, “We want good service.” You could have dug a little deeper by asking more questions. In the future when someone says, “We want good service,” what question could you ask?
Salesperson: What is your definition of good service? If good service were happening, what would that look like?
Sales manager: That's great. I think that would be a good upgrade moving forward when you are asking questions.
When feedback on what went well is supported with specifics, the salesperson gains confidence and is more likely to repeat the behavior that worked. Over time, that behavior will become a strength and in turn, become a good habit. When feedback on the opportunity for improvement is supported with specifics, the salesperson has a crystal-clear picture of what did not work and can make necessary adjustments to their approach to generate better results in the future, thus turning their opportunities for improvement into strengths and cultivating better habits.
Step 4: Address the Opportunities for Improvement
Any sales manager can ask their salesperson what went well and what they could have done better. Then they agree – that's where the conversation typically ends. Then they both sit there and admire the problem. “Wow, we both agreed that you could have done better at asking questions.” Nothing comes after that. There is no real effort to close that skill gap immediately. But it's not going to go away or improve without it being addressed through practice. You talk about the problem, agree on the problem, yet do nothing to solve the problem. Really? I mean, really? So, why is that?
One reason is poor planning. You did not schedule enough time in the day to be the practice coach, the game coach, and then the practice coach. You have to prepare and practice up-front, identify roles and responsibilities, conduct the meeting/call, and then leave enough time to deliver feedback and conduct a skill development training session.
The second reason is because the problem shows up on your front porch, dressed in a pair of overalls, and it's called “work.” In an ideal world, you were the practice coach, then the game coach, and, now that the game is over, you're tired and don't want to be the practice coach again. We don't want to hurt your feelings, but there is a high degree of probability that you weren't the practice coach before the game even started! Now that the meeting/call is over, the investment required to be the practice coach again and dive into a 15 to 30-minute skill development training session can be very unappealing.
Another reason the skill gap isn't addressed immediately after the meeting/call is that you're just ready to get on with your day, get back to the office, return emails, get to the airport, get to the next meeting, etc. This meeting is over and you're ready to get on with what's next.
Finally, another reason you may be reluctant to dive into a skill development session is that you feel the salesperson will be resistant to the training. Let's say the meeting/call didn't go that well and you know your salesperson is disappointed in the outcome. It might appear to you that they are not in the right frame of mind to be open to feedback, let alone a 15 to 30-minute skill development session.
In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.
—Albert Einstein
Here is an example of what it could sound like to transition into a skill development session:
Sales manager: [Salesperson's name], looks like we agree you could have been more effective in the meeting/call by digging a little deeper with your questions. While we're here right now and it's fresh in our minds, there is no time like the present to take advantage of the opportunity to practice asking questions and digging deeper. What we're going to work on is asking questions. Why this is important to you is because it will help you further develop your ability to ask a question, and allow the prospect to respond to the question and ask a clarifying question to gather additional information. Here is how we're going to do it. First, I am going to explain how to peel back the onion through questioning. Then, I will demonstrate what it might sound like. Then, we will practice – I will go and then you will go. We will go back and forth until you feel confident in your ability to drill down deeper with your discovery questions. I'll observe you and give you feedback as you practice to help you get better, faster. When we're done, you will have the opportunity to give me a demonstration of what we worked on to make sure that you got it. How does that sound?
Ideally, you will now have completed the cycle, which is the vision of what you want to accomplish when you invest your time with your salesperson by delivering performance feedback, which is to be the practice coach, the game coach, and then the practice coach again. Now it's time to set next steps moving forward.
Step 5: Set Action Steps
You have just completed a skill development session to address a skill gap and possibly had a conversation to address an attitude issue, which you saw in the example. Now it's time to put some action steps in place moving forward and give your salesperson encouragement that, if they implement the improvements you discussed and practiced, they should be able to get better results the next time they are in a similar situation. Here is an example dialogue:
Sales manager: [Salesperson's name], it was nice to spend time in the field with you today. Thanks a lot for setting up some great meetings. I look forward to doing this with you again next month. In our last meeting of the day I thought you did some things really well, in particular how you set the agenda and presented your value proposition. I also want to compliment you on your ability to self-identify some of your opportunities for improvement with your mindset for how to react when you get an objection about the cost, and in your ability to ask more clarifying questions. I also appreciated that when the meeting was over and we debriefed, we were able to have a conversation about having the right attitude when handling objections, and then we moved right into a practice session about how to dig deeper in asking questions. What's one action step you want to take coming out of the time we spent together today?
Salesperson: Before my next meeting, I am going to go through my discovery meeting template and practice my questions so that when I get into the meeting, I will be more effective with the drill-down questions. I will also anticipate any potential questions or concerns they may have about our cost structure and I will be better mentally prepared to address those concerns should they come up.
Sales manager: Fantastic. What I'm going to do is I'm going to check in with you after your next meeting and we can discuss how it went. Let's both sign and date the form so we both have a record of what we did today. Good luck on your next meeting. I know that you will be able to implement the things we worked on today. Go get ‘em tiger!!! ROAR!
The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.
—Walt Disney
After you have agreed on the action steps and signed and dated the form, you want to provide encouragement to your salesperson. Let them know that you are behind them 100% and you are confident they are on the right track.
Insights on Performance Feedback
We have tried to paint a picture for you of what performance feedback could potentially look like: defining roles of leader, co-selling, observer; being the practice coach, the game coach, then the practice coach again; having a meaningful debrief after the meeting/call is over; documenting that conversation; rolling right into a conversation about attitude or addressing a skill gap with some training.
In reality, many sales managers do not deliver performance feedback. If they do, the frequency of doing it can be very inconsistent. Many times, they only do it when there is a glaring performance issue that needs to be addressed. When they do it, the greatest percentage of the time, they are just the game coach. There is very little, if any, practice up-front and very little practice after. Therefore, the time they spend with their salespeople has very little impact on performance.
It is also important to be aware that many salespeople do not like or are uncomfortable in these types of situations. Here are a few reasons why:
- They feel, when they are with their sales manager, that they are put on the spot, under a microscope, and it's uncomfortable.
- If their sales performance is mediocre, they are concerned about their sales manager seeing them in action.
- They have their own way of doing things and don't respond well to receiving that type of feedback.
- They think they know it all, better than the sales manager, and having the sales manager with them adds no value and could even hinder their performance.
- They're concerned their sales manager may see that they have not been doing their job.
- They don't want their sales manager along because the sales manager's style, personality, and demeanor are dominating and tend to take over, diminishing the salesperson's relationship with the customer/prospect.
Not all salespeople feel that way. Some really enjoy spending time with their sales manager, working together. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Sales can be a very lonely job. When they have their sales manager with them, not only do they have the opportunity to get better, but they enjoy the partnership.
- They like the face time, attention, and support from their sales manager.
- They feel that their sales manager is invested not only in their job, but in their career path as well.
- Some salespeople who are accustomed to getting feedback really like getting it because it helps them get better.
- When their sales manager is really good at what they do, the salesperson feels they can learn from them. The sales manager can help them land opportunities. It gives them something to emulate.
Let's review the big picture. You have done a review and plan, you are conducting consistent goal-setting meetings, and you're checking in between those meetings on a formal and informal basis to keep the conversation going. You're doing a great job. Of all the activities we have covered so far in this book, from our experience the one that has the lowest level of execution is delivering performance feedback. So, the question we have for you is, how do you ever really improve your salesperson's skills and abilities if you don't see them in action?
Why is delivering performance feedback so poorly executed? It takes big chunks of time. It gets nudged out by the tyranny of the day. It's important but not urgent so it tends to get put off and rescheduled. You want to talk about employee engagement? Give your salespeople the gift of your full attention and invest your time in them while they are doing their job. Some sales organizations are so serious about delivering performance feedback that they create a certification or evaluation process. That process is anchored to the sales process and methodology of the organization. When the sales manager is delivering performance feedback, the sales process and methodology is the benchmark for the feedback that is delivered. The act of doing this is one of the most important activities you can do to optimize the investment your organization has made in sales training – to be with your salespeople to observe how they are implementing the training on the job and to see what types of results they are getting.
The key to learning is feedback. It is nearly impossible to learn anything without it.
—Steven Levitt