CLEVELAND -

Is it time to revisit the definition of micro-management? I receive calls on a weekly basis from frustrated executives lamenting over the difficulty of finding good sales people. You may have heard these frustrations, too, including:

— This new generation does not want to work hard.

— They won’t put in the hours.

— They are not motivated.

— They don’t want to start in sales and move up.

— How do you lead them?

Sound familiar?

Like many business students in the early 1980s, I was very influenced by Tom Peters, who wrote In Search of Excellence and similar treatises.  I remember the counsel:

— Hire the best people.

— Train the dickens out of them.

— Get out of their way!

I couldn’t wait to become a manager and apply this formula. The concept of being a “micro-manager” was an appellation to be abjured at all costs.

Like many new managers, I eschewed the confines of the management system I had to use with the dealership I was managing. I already knew that I wanted to hire the best, train the dickens out of them and get out of their way. Then I would watch them soar.

However, like many young managers I quickly realized the weakness of this approach with most people. I had to learn why a proven system was really my best friend and to hold sales people accountable throughout the day.  That was quite a paradigm shift.

No matter how hard we looked to hire “the best people” and no matter how well we “trained the dickens out of them,” very few “soared” if they were not held accountable throughout the day  for the tasks that led to sales success such as the proper greeting, showing the vehicle, getting little “yeses,” trial closes and more.

 I learned the value of logging in every guest and making sure they were contacted within 24 hours with a “good news call.” I was learning the value of managing “sales behavior” throughout the day. 

I learned the value of a proven system and timely accountability with:

— Morning meetings

— Checking to make sure that daily appointments were made

— Open deals were on the right track to be closed

— Importance of a salesperson getting help before a customer leaves

I began to realize that most salespeople perform much better if they know what they will be held accountable for and when. And “when” should be soon. I would have looked at this as micro-managing at an earlier time in my young career. Was I becoming the dreaded “micro-manager?”

McDonalds teaches its store managers how to consistently achieve extraordinary results with ordinary people. Their store managers master their system and keep workers accountable for their productivity throughout the day — not at the end of the month.

At Automotive Personnel, we have been interviewing regional, district and area managers for 25 years. From our unique vantage point we have seen a distinct pattern of the very successful managers and how they lead their field sales force. 

Yes they seek to “hire the best” and they do “train the dickens” out of them. But they sure don’t “get out of their way.”  The behavior of the consistently most successful regional managers is what many would label “micro-management.”

So maybe it is time to redefine “micro-management” with today’s sales reps.

Here are some of the things we see the top regional managers consistently do:

Throughout the day, they hold their field sales reps accountable for their “sales behavior” not just their sales achievement. It is the day-to-day sales behavior that will lead to consistent sales success.  

Example:

• Morning meeting where everyone on phone. It’s a few minutes, hopefully somewhat entertaining, motivating and informative. This is not a “beat up the reps” call.  However, it insures all field reps are up and working.

• “We have (amount) to go to achieve our monthly goal and bonus. We need (amount) per day from each of you.”  (We up or down on the goal?)

• Sales reps will have yesterday’s successes pointed out to the group “Mary closed the “Jackson Auto Group yesterday. They have 22 stores that they can bring aboard. Great job Mary!”

• During the day, each field sales rep will get one-on-one calls to review yesterday, their plan for today and monitor their day. 

“Jim you planned on stopping in on 10 auto dealers and you only logged in six, tell me about that.

“Bill you only have eight calls set for today, that seems light since you will be in a metro area today. Tell me about that.”

“Jan what’s going on with the Airport Auto Group? Their contract has not been turned in yet. Tell me what your game plan is to close the deal.”

At the end of their day, each field sales rep is required to communicate three things, usually via email, including:

1. Who they called on and the results

2. Who they will call on tomorrow

3. What are you hearing such as competition and pricing and what dealers are saying like opportunities and problems. This gets “street level information” up the chain.

Here is the lesson learned: Top sales managers hold their reps accountable for “sales behavior” throughout the day that will lead to consistent success. 

I know many managers who would label this as “micro-managing.” The managers who tell us they don’t talk to their sales force more than once a week are usually calling us looking for a job.

Don Jasensky founded Automotive Personnel in 1989. Automotive Personnel is a national search firm that places managers and executives in automotive finance companies and dealerships. He can be reached at (800) 206-6964, ext. 21 or via email at don@searchpro1.com.