David
Berger

Sales Manager's Roadmap To A Successful Field Visit

Every successful sales manager knows that the best way to coach reps is on the job -- making calls together and sharing ideas. You can learn more about each rep's current skills and personalize coaching by following this Sales Manager's Roadmap To A Successful Field Visit. 

However, in more global terms, there are really only two key activities you must execute to ensure the long-term success of the sales organization. Both of these take place out in the field when you are working with your individual sales reps:

1. Assess the overall abilities of a salesperson as they relate to the performance of his or her job, and then provide for developmental opportunities to ensure that the requisite skills are in place to maximize long-term success.
   
   
2. Assess the needs of the marketplace in the individual salesperson's territory and provide real solutions that are designed to meet a specific set of customer needs and requirements.

What Makes A Successful Field Visit?

The entire process begins with establishing a clear purpose for your field visit and what you expect to accomplish with each salesperson. With that in mind, please consider the following key components of a successful field visit:

• Assess the individual's overall sales abilities, and build an inventory of important job skills.
  
  
• Provide the necessary resources for skill development.
  
  
• Develop a strategy for making joint sales calls.
  
  
• Provide the necessary post-call coaching and counseling.
  
  
• Provide assistance with assessing and understanding the customer's needs for your products or services.
  
  
• Inspect and ensure the effective utilization of sales force automation tools.

Now let's explore each one of these important areas in more specific detail.

Sales skill assessment
It is important for you to understand the extent that knowledge is being applied in the field in a consistent and effective manner -- despite the sales rep's experience level and the fact that you provide ongoing training. Otherwise, why would you make such a considerable investment of time, energy and financial resources in the recruiting and training processes?

There is no more effective way for you to assess selling skills than by observation. During each joint sales call, take note of how your rep makes practical application of learned skills. Then at the end of each call, be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity to review the rep's strengths and areas that require further development. Most importantly, begin to build an inventory of those skills and a specific timeline in which they are to be strengthened. Repeating this process in every field visit will not only reinforce your rep's learning process, but also enhance his or her overall sales effectiveness.

Providing resources for skill development
There is an almost infinite number of resources from which you may choose to provide for the further development of sales skills. You or your human resource department have probably conducted training sessions that included some type of manual or reference materials that can provide additional insight into important subjects. Your local bookstores and libraries carry business books on relevant topics. Searching online bookstores is another good way to find sales-related books and periodicals.

Of course, it is important that you provide this type of direction and guidance while ensuring that your reps are taking advantage of your training through an ongoing mentoring process. At some time during the day, meet with your sales reps to review those resources and how they are utilizing the resources.

Joint sales call strategy
When you and your rep are making a joint sales call, it is important to be clear about the purpose of the call, what you will accomplish and the respective roles that each of you will play in the process. A properly choreographed sales call can be extremely effective, but one that is not can be an absolute disaster. (You have probably experienced some of both.)

Take the time to discuss with your rep such things as:

• Are you calling on a prospective or current customer?
  
  
• Are you visiting the buyer to build relationships, present your product or service, assess needs, make a presentation or close the sale?
  
  
• In any of those situations, which of you will "take the lead," you or the sales rep? Who will say or do what?
  
  
• Is the purpose of the call clear and definable?
  
  
• What specific steps and actions will you take to accomplish the objectives of the call?

Plan in advance for the things you want to accomplish, and do so before you arrive at the buyer's doorstep. Be assured that customers recognize a tap dance when they see one.

Post-call coaching and counseling
Once you complete the sales call, it is important to the success of the process and to future business opportunities that you discuss with your sales rep what occurred. Decide upon whether or not you achieved your objectives, what you might have done differently and what future actions you will take.

In a typical mentor role, sales managers review the results of the sales call from not only a strategic perspective, but also from a tactical one. What skills did the sales rep use to help determine the outcome of the call? What did he do well, and what could he have done differently in order to influence a more desirable outcome? What learning and developmental opportunities came out of the call? What resources and tools can be brought to bear in this particular situation?

Either at the end of the call or at the end of your field visit day, take time to provide your rep with some all-important feedback. Reinforce those things that she did particularly well. Provide insight and direction into developmental opportunities. Strategize and agree upon future plans that will either secure your existing business with a customer or position you for additional business. Take good notes, be supportive and create a positive work environment. The end result will be rewarding for both you and your sales rep.

Assessing and understanding customer needs
Your insight into assessing and understanding the needs of your current and prospective customers is an extremely valuable resource to your sales rep. You can provide assistance in this area during the actual sales call, as well as in a post-call strategic planning process.

During the sales call, your role may be to assist with gathering the necessary information required of a needs-analysis process. Asking direct questions that uncover explicit needs is one way to accomplish that objective. Another may be to gather and evaluate any survey, statistical or operational data to support your product or service offering. Yet another method may simply be to play the role of the silent observer who utilizes effective listening skills and records important information. Whichever role you play, be certain that it is decided upon in advance and that it is clear to both you and your sales rep.

Your assistance should also be provided in the post-call strategic planning process. Together with your sales rep, you should come to some decisions, based upon the outcome of the call, what future activities you will pursue. The timing and pacing of the sales process will be important to its eventual outcome. Doing the proper planning to achieve the desired business is also an important step that cannot be overlooked. Completing this task together will make you and your sales rep a winning combination.

Effectively using sales force automation (SFA) tools
Let's say your company just made an investment in the latest and best SFA software application. Your IT department successfully installed it, following a somewhat painful process of converting the existing database to fit the new software. The company hired an outside consultant to create and program a number of customized data capture screens. The application-training specialist just completed a lengthy training program with your field sales organization. You even convinced your boss to purchase those new laptop computers for your entire sales team. You communicated your expectations to the team regarding the use of the software and its importance to the long-term success of the business.

However, within the next 90 days, you notice you're not getting the sales reports you wanted because not everyone on the sales team is utilizing this important tool in a manner consistent with your expectations.

Does this sound a bit nightmarish to you? Well, it can and does happen in corporate America on a more frequent basis than you may realize. The good news is that there are a couple of things you can do to keep this from happening to you:

• During the course of your regular field visits with your sales reps, take the opportunity to reconfirm your expectations about using the SFA system.
  
  
• Once you do that, take some time to review how your reps are using the software to be certain they are up to speed. Not all reps may have the same level of computer literacy skills, but over time, more frequent use will enhance the desired skill levels. If your sales reps need additional training, make sure they get it. Most often, that can be done in the cities in which they live.

Over time, you will reap many benefits of a well-designed and properly utilized SFA tool.

Following this "roadmap" will do a great deal to ensure that you maximize the time and energy you spend during field visits with your sales reps. Be assured that they need and appreciate your support. When done effectively, everyone wins: you, your sales team, your customers and your company.

Let David Berger help your company create sales excellence