How to motivate amiable reps
highly diplomatic and empathetic reps can find the phrase that pays
Like
customers, sales reps come in all types.
Some
are analytical; some are expressive; some are drivers.
However,
most sales representatives fall into the category of "amiable."
Amiable
reps are diplomatic, provide superior customer service, and have a high degree
of empathy.
There's
only one problem ... amiable reps lack assertiveness, and assertiveness is one of
the most important traits of any great salesperson.
Do
you want to know if your sales are at the mercy of amiable reps?
Look
for the following signs:
Rep
has difficulty initiating heart-to-heart conversations with physicians. Great
reps know how to say, Doctor, there's something holding you back. Can we talk
about it?' These discussions make amiable reps shake in their boots.
Rep
has difficulty closing the sale. Great reps consistently ask for more business.
Closing makes amiable reps feel uncomfortable.
Rep
has difficulty transitioning from building rapport to discussing product. Great
reps have relationships with doctors, but they know how to get down to
business. Amiable reps have a hard time transitioning into product talk.
For
sales leaders with amiable sales reps, there's good news.
If
you can help amiable reps execute critical parts of the sales process, you can
build an unstoppable team.
Coaching amiable reps
The
key to coaching amiable reps is to help them get over their emotional sticking
points.
If
you have ever seen the movie The Blind
Side, you remember the scene where high school football player Michael Oher
refuses to hit the other guy, despite his innate ability to dominate the
opposition.
Sandra
Bullock plays Oher's adoptive mother.
She
knows that Oher has an amiable personality.
Instead
of teaching him to crush the opposition, she teaches him to "protect" his
quarterback.
She
helps him reframe his game. From that point on, everything changes.
Are
you able to adjust your style to meet the needs of amiable reps?
Most
managers think amiable reps need another pep talk-The next time I see Johnson,
I'm really going to stress the importance of closing.'
There's
no need to have another pep talk. You need to address the amiable rep at the
gut level. (For more on coaching, see Coaching
for Sales Effectiveness'.)
If
you want to help your amiable reps, here's a great place to start:
Create emotional intelligence. Amiable reps confuse assertiveness and
confrontation. They fail to execute because they are afraid of rocking the
boat. Your job is to help them develop emotional intelligence, especially when
it comes to being assertive with physicians.
Focus on the transition. Getting amiable reps to go for it is like getting
someone to skydive for the first time. Once they take the first step, the rest
is easy. Your job is to help them take the first step. You do it by helping
them transition-into the close, into product talk, into critical conversations.
Find the phrase that pays. When I teach emotional intelligence, I help reps
find the phrase that pays.' One of the best reps I ever met had an amiable
personality. He learned to become a better closer by finding a transitioning
statement that worked for him. Before closing, he said, Doctor, to make sure
I'm doing my job, can I ask you a question?' The phrase helped him transition
into the close. He won President's Club three consecutive years.
Scott
Moldenhauer is president of Persuasion Consultants, LLC, a pharmaceutical
training and consulting firm. He can be reached at scott@persuasionconsultants.com.