Problems with Telemarketing? It's the Manager!

Before I entered the world of bus hire a very respected CEO once told me - if sales are down then 90% of the time "It's the manager. Change the manager to a capable one and sales will on track".

Now this may seem obvious but consider the following scenario - sales are down, all four of your managers have spoken and agreed that the reason is the opposition, the market, the government or something external. When all the managers are saying it and those managers have previously done an ok job, it is a persuasive argument. But why are sales really down?

Go back to the rule - It's the manager! Sure enough, when you change the manager sales in that programme go through the roof and all those excuses make you look silly for even listening to them.

So how do you spot good manager? There's really only one way for sure - they lead a team to make lots of sales. Problem is that there is really no other common trait. Some good managers are quiet, some are old, some are young, some are little, some are big. What makes some people "leaders of men" is what we call the X factor and either they've got it or they haven't.

Sales people know instinctively whether the manager has got it or not and won't sell for someone who doesn't. There are a few rules regarding who are definitely NOT good managers - one is young women (under 35yo) simply because they are too young to command the respect of middle aged women. Another is the very very best sales person. They are too "out there" to manage and get resentful that they could be earning more money on the phones.

Usually medium performers on the phones have a good chance of making it at manager level. The "It's the manager" rule in new sales (as opposed to renewals) is so profound that it can mean the difference between 0 sales (that's zero sales) and 150 sales in a room per week in the dining card sales business.

The difference in the manager when talking about renewals or conversions is somewhat less because of the leads etc and can make the difference of 125 sales to 225 sales in a room per week. Since there is no set criteria for finding top managers, it is just a matter of trial and error (without making obvious mistakes) to some extent.

Some factors in choosing good managers include: - do you personally enjoy spending time with them? If you can't spent 5 minutes with them how will sales consultants spend all week with them?- can they sell on the phones? If they can't this is a real problem.- are they academically very smart? If they are, they will get bored quickly and not enjoy the job and leave.- after speaking with them do you feel "can do" or a bit deflated? So, when sales are low - It's the manager. Have confidence in the fact that a good manager can effectively lead a sales team selling ice to eskimos in the winter. It's magic! bus hire