Linebackers don’t make good triplejumpers. and sales guys don’t make good clerks. We wouldn’t try telling the linebacker to hop, skip and jump. Why make people who earn us money waste time on paper work?
Good sales people are like gold dust. Some of the few who earn us money, as opposed to spend it for us. The last thing we should do is anything to stop them selling. Lets do everything we can to help them spend more time doing it.
Earlier today I came across a Forum question how to make a great sales guy follow the rules, and fill in the paper work. My advice was not to bother trying – give him a bagman to follow him around picking up the pieces.
I was reminded of a story told me by a fascinating “old school” sales guy, Ian Dand. It was a long time ago, and he was no spring chicken then, so he’s probably no longer with us.
Ian did sales training courses for the software business and had come across a sales manager asking for advice.
“Ian, please tell me what I should do” asked the manager. “I have a sales rep who, whenever I tell him what to do, tells me to go screw myself. How should I handle this?”
“Hmmm” replied Ian “how is he doing against his target?”
“He’s good at his job” said the manager “currently 120% of target.”
“Well I don’t know about you” said Ian, “but in your place I would go screw myself.”
This is such a telling little story which still makes me smile.
Some years later I told it to a VP who condescendingly congratulated me on making my annual number, with a full quarter to spare.
Needless to say, he didn’t smile, which made me smile even more.
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