I’ve always believed that you can’t lead a sales team properly from behind a desk!

I do sympathize with those of you who have lots of things keeping you there (including sales reps, who in many cases don’t want their manager along) but you’re missing out!

You’re missing out on an opportunity to see where your rep rocks their sales skills and where they could sure use some help.

Note: Help that in many instances, they’re way too proud to ask for.

You’re missing out on live, valuable, up to the minute data such as:

Current Pain/Opportunity Points

Things current clients would like for your company to start, stop or continue doing.

Things your competitors are doing/not doing

Trends

There’s obviously more to that list and you could learn about them in a report or a debrief from a rep, but . . .

You’ll learn so much more by being there with them!

Actually, your whole team will learn more because a rep’s focus is typically on advancing the process towards a closing opportunity.

While your role is to support that, you have the unique luxury of stepping back and looking at information in a way that your entire team can leverage to further their sales efforts.

Think training, think brainstorming sessions in your next sales meetings etc.

Getting out in the field with your reps (when you don’t step on their toes) helps you to bond with your team because . . .

You’ll have an opportunity to chat with them in the car, the plane and while you’re breaking bread.

Note: It’s amazing what gets accomplished once people really know each other!

You’ll learn about external, and more often than not INTERNAL speed bumps that might be slowing your team down because you’ll be right there when they experience it.

Once again, you might discover something that your rep didn’t have the nerve to tell you.

I’m also willing to bet that your team will have a lot more respect for you once you get out from behind your desk and join them where the real action takes place.

Note To Those Who Manage An Inside Sales Team: You still need to out from behind your desk and sit with them in the cubicles, observe, support, cheer them on.

You still need to join them on the Webexes and conference calls.

Note: I have several clients who record their Webexes and then review with the entire sales team much like a coach and their team watching the video tape of the game they just played. Talk about a HUGE opportunity to learn!

So sales leaders, these are but a few of the reasons why you really need to get out there with your team and . . .

Sales reps, why you need to stop pushing back when you manager wants to join you!

Do you lead a sales team?

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