Growth Dynamics Get Down

It's a rainy day down here in West Chester, PA, and the weather made me think of a really important part of business development that a lot of people, sometimes are aware of and sometimes aren't.

Symptoms:
Elizabeth had just gotten the call every sales person hopes for each day. A target account in her territory reached out and asked that she come right away to help them with a big problem. Knowing her technical expertise could be very valuable in this situation, Elizabeth felt sure that winning the project was just a matter of not making a fatal mistake.

Recently, I had the opportunity to assist a client in the search for a new sales manager for their team. This role required a seasoned professional with years of experience in sales management to provide strong leadership. As I began interviewing candidates, I added two new questions to our standard set: 1. Why did you become a manager? and 2. What training did you receive when you became a manager?

To my surprise, many candidates became managers simply because they had reached the peak of their current roles or were promoted internally without much consideration for their managerial capabilities. Furthermore, most of them had received little to no formal training in management, relying instead on self-initiated professional development or trial and error to navigate their new responsibilities.

This lack of investment in managerial training is concerning, considering the critical role that sales managers play within a company. Without proper support and training, new managers may struggle to meet the expectations of their roles, leading to potential performance issues and turnover.

Investing in manager training not only benefits the individual but also the company as a whole. Proper training can help new managers transition successfully into their roles, improve communication skills, understand the expectations of their positions, make effective decisions that consider both individuals and the team, and navigate organizational changes smoothly.

Recognizing the importance of manager training, we are excited to announce the launch of a Sales Manager training program starting on March 13. This program includes monthly remote classes from March to August, online supplemental classes, and one-on-one coaching sessions with our expert, Charlie. If you are interested in enrolling your managers in this program, please contact Sarah Waple to schedule a fact-finding call.

By investing in the development of your managers, you can help cultivate strong leaders who will contribute to the success and growth of your organization.

Symptoms:

Cody knew that the firm he represented was considered the best in class by the other major players in the market. As far as technical competency, customer service and the ability to deliver more than clients expected, Cody's firm always scored extremely high. With that ace to play whenever he needed to, he was sure that this new position as a Business Development Specialist would soon prove to be the road to riches. After his first 90 days Cody and his manager met to review his progress, and the picture was not pretty.

Symptoms:

Amanda was working through her list of live opportunities after putting her pipeline through a “kill it or close it” exercise. She set up appointments to move her sales process along with several of the live opportunities. She was steadfast in naming her meetings, sending homework, and even let some her more notorious feet draggers know these were decision meetings. She was ready to do what she had to do to start meeting her sales goals for the quarter.

2024… I can't believe we're already here. We're back, we're ready to work, and we hope you are too! Without further ado, here we go.

Symptoms:
Janie really wanted to nail this tele selling thing, she had all tabs loaded on her screen, put on a clean shirt and armed herself with all of the background info she researched on the prospects website. As she got ready to start a conference call.

Symptoms:
Carl was feeling frustrated and hurt. One of his best accounts was showing a definite decline in volume that was way beyond what could be explained by the market or the economy, and he could not imagine that he had done anything to create the change.

Symptoms:

Bill and Pat were returning from their monthly poker game and while riding back in the car they both agreed they had witnessed a situation that they could apply as a "lesson learned" to their business careers.

Hey, welcome back. Here's another Friday Fast Tip from Growth Dynamics. I'm Charlie Hauck, President, CEO, and founder of the business. I love the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with all the people out there in the world trying to make a living in the greatest profession of all, business development.