With more than 20 years of experience at the sales executive level, Gary Milwit knows a thing or two about sales management and sales coaching. We recently had a chance to catch up with the Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Stone Street Capital, LLC, and were typically impressed by the nuggets of wisdom and information that poured out of his mouth.
In fact, we were so inspired by the great revelations about sales management that Gary had to share with us that we felt it was only fair that we pay it forward, and share those lessons of his with the rest of the world. Without further ado, here are Gary Milwit’s 13 Winning Rules of Sales Management.
If you don’t got practice, you won’t get better.
‘Practice makes perfect’ is an adage that holds true at all levels of sales, not just in the day-to-day behaviors of a sales rep but also in how a sales manager leads his or her charges. Gary urges sales managers, who undoubtedly have packed calendars and schedules, to nevertheless make the time to get the practice reps they need, in everything from coaching to forecasting.
Have a 3-strike rule on tardiness, behavior and production.
Nobody is perfect, and expecting all your reps to be flawless is unrealistic. However, standards must be set, and sales reps should be expected to learn from their mistakes so that they avoid making them in the future. Give your reps a two-strike buffer before imposing serious consequences.
If your employees are not doing what you want them to do…it’s your fault!
Leaders are expected to fall on the sword and shield the employees they are responsible for from the significant pressures of failing to meet team-wide goals. If your reps are not performing to your standards, the responsibility is on you to show them how to do what you want them to do.
Your employees WANT to work and succeed. If they falter, there’s no need to yell.
Just because a sales rep isn’t performing the way you’d like, doesn’t mean they don’t have the best intentions – ideally, your sales reps all WANT to succeed and are willing to put in the effort to do so. Again, follow a three-strike rule for missteps and understand that everybody is trying their best; it is simply on you to maximize their best and optimize your team.
They will comply with what you want – you just have to hold the line.
Employees want to and need to work, so they will willingly comply with what you want and are asking of them. However, it is still incumbent upon you being a strong leader, establishing clear lines of authority and holding the line.
Teach them! Show them how to do what you want.
One of the most important roles of a sales manager or leader is not to be a taskmaster or military general, barking out strict orders. Rather, sales managers should consider themselves first and foremost as teachers and coaches who show their employees how to do what they want.
Your average employee is more valuable than a talented, selfish employee with no heart.
Star performers tend to have a sense of entitlement and unchecked pride, leaning on their strong track records to walk around as if they were the greatest invention since sliced bread. The less naturally talented sales reps will be more humble; yet, they will still be more likely to give you everything they have. These are the reps you can count on. You will have to help them compete and get the skills they need, but their heart and willingness to work cannot be overlooked.
Players win games, but coaches lose games.
This is an unwritten rule that has long been present in professional sports, and is just as true in the competitive world of sales. Be generous in deflecting credit to your sales reps when the team wins, but be the first to fall on the sword when the team struggles.
You can find enough players to do what you want…as long as you coach them.
Many sales managers lament the lack of available talent for them to hire. This is ridiculous; there are more than enough talented sales reps out there. You just have to be willing to put in the time and effort to coach them and mold them into star performers.
True self-evaluation is the key to success.
The best sales managers are unfailingly honest. They regularly take a look in the mirror to evaluate themselves and their performances. They also turn to the sales metrics of both their team and themselves – the numbers don’t lie, and only by diving into the data can sales managers truly evaluate themselves.
If you can’t learn from your mistakes, you will lose!
Failing isn’t an issue; in fact, failure can actually be a great asset. The key is to fail fast and learn from your mistakes. More importantly than learning from your mistakes is ensuring that they don’t happen again. Own your mistakes and failures and you will be better for it.
Engage, encourage, build rapport and earn trust.
As a leader of a team, it is your job to bring everyone together and get the best out of each individual. This means encouraging and motivating employees when they are slumping, building rapport between each individual – not just between you and them, but between each other – and, most importantly, earning their trust. Your sales reps need to believe in you, and trust that you have their best interests at heart. They should be able to come to you with anything.
You will not win every month, but always be consistent in your approach.
The best sales leaders know that they will not always be successful. They will not win every deal and not every month or quarter will be their best ever. The key is to believe in the process and not be reactive in a results-oriented fashion. Being consistent with your approach will lead to great gains in the long run.
There you have it, 13 Winning Rules of Sales Management from Gary Milwit himself. Which of these rules are your favorite? Are there any rules of sales management that you believe in that are not on this list? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!
