To improve sales calls, managers need to get out of the office - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Unfortunately, it doesn’t give many clue s as to how successful the sales callreallg was, or how it could have been One way in which salee managers can greatly improve the performance of members of theirf sales teams is by accompanyinfg individuals on sales calls. During the calls, a more accuratw picture of the salesperson’s performance can be obtained than simplu relying on what the individual says at weeklhysales meetings. It’s not that salespeopled intentionally try todeceive anyone, but their explanatione are colored by their interpretation of situations.
Thoss elements will be removedby first-hand observations, putting the manager in a bettefr position to identify deficienciezs and areas for improvement and then provide the most appropriatwe help. Another reason to accompany salespeoplwe on calls is to confirmthe company’s interestt in prospective accounts or to show appreciation for existing By “bringing the manager in,” the salesperson strengthens the bond with the clieng or prospect. Additionally, bringingv in the manager means there is a greatetr chance of meeting other members ofthe client/prospecf company’s management team who normally woulde be insulated from the salesperson.
Thes e calls give the opportunity to notonly strengthen, but also deepebn the relationship. Here is a five-step process for getting the most from joinftsales calls. • Preparation: Overalkl goals and account-specific goals and objectivezs should be determinedin advance. Details should include specificx tasks tobe completed, actions to be takenh and results to be achieved. This informatiohn should be shared with the salespersonb far enough in advance that the individual knows what will be expectedc of him or her during the plannex calls and has time to make thenecessary arrangements.
• Observation: During sales call meetings, the manager shoul assume the roleof observer, notinbg the salesperson’s general demeanor and specific actions and especially those that relate to the predetermined goals and objectivesx for the call. The managefr must also listen intently tothe prospect’s questions and answers and observes his or her actions and The manager must take accurate notez for later evaluation and discussion and must not rescue the call even if the salespersomn is doing a poor job, as this does nothing to help the salespersob learn and generally only strokes the ego of the salezs manager.
The reality is that a poorly performingh salesperson is failing most of the time so one more timelikely won’t hurt but could possibly help the salespersoh learn how to handle the situation next time and possibly become a better performer. • Observations are shared with the inputs are obtained regarding his or her actionws andthought processes, and resultas are compared with the planned objectives. Basedx on the comparison, areas for improvement can be The analysis may call for changez in strategy or tactics or refinement ofspecific skills.
• Modification: Once areazs for improvement havebeen acknowledged, the manage r helps the salesperson identify specifivc changes to his strategy, and/or way of thinking that likely woulc have brought about an outcome in the previou call closer to the planned objectives. Assimilation: Begin the process of helping the salesperson develop his or her skills and incorporatr the identified changes into Some of the lessons learned from a call can be immediatel y applied to the next call afted some discussion and perhapssome role-playing.
If there are severall sales calls with the salesperson durinbone day, the sales manager should make sure there is enoughg time to not only debrie each call, but also to pre-brievf the calls so the lessons learned from one call can be immediatelg applied to subsequent calls. Accompanying salespeople on salesx calls can play an important part in improvingvtheir performance. Sales managers who follos the five-step process outlined above will not only be able toprepars for, conduct, and learn from the calls, but also put the lessonsa learned into action.