Growth Dynamics Get Down

Symptoms:

As a newly hired sales manager for a medical equipment company, Devin inherited a large and under performing sales team. The team included the usual cast of characters: a diva who never took the blame for her results, a home run hitter who really struck out more than he connected, a Steady Eddie who was unspectacular but reliable, four or five people that seemed to confuse activity with productivity and a couple of truly high performers who annoyed everyone else with their consistency.

Hey, welcome back. It's Charlie. How could Growth Dynamics—President, Lead Trainer, Founder—all that good stuff that really doesn't make a bit of difference about who's on this end of the microphone.

Hey everybody. Charlie Hauk, president, lead trainer, founder of Growth Dynamics. It's another one of those Fast Tip Fridays for you. You know, one of the things I've really enjoyed about being in this business for as long as I have 36 to be 37 years in October, the ideas and the concepts that we share with our clients, they're not scripted. They're not memorize these things.

Hey everybody, Charlie Hauck, Fast Tip Friday time. Hey, look, this is a topic that I think a lot of people in the consulting business don't want to talk about, because it sounds like we're disparaging human being. And I want to make sure that's not what we're trying to do.

Hey, I want to talk a little bit tactical here today. I've been sharing some stuff on sort of process and personal management, but I want to dip back into the into the tactics pool here for you today, one of the things that we see happening far too often with our clients in the business development realm is that they are not willing to plant their feet on getting something if they give something.

Resumes have changed over the years and now with the help of AI, it may be hard for the untrained eye to know when the resume is full of fluff or if the shared information is as good as it seems. 

Hiring. It is an important part of any business. Yet, not everyone feels they know the best way to go about it or know what made them successful, or maybe not so successful, in past hires. Even more, hiring is expensive business and not just the pay and benefits to the new hire, but the cost to get to that final outcome. 

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.