| Let's face it, one of the main reasons that you chose | | | | commitment to achieving goals will benefit these |
| a career in sales, aside from the relatively high | | | | employees personally. Do you know what happens |
| income potential, is the autonomy and independence | | | | when you are in sales and you commit to working |
| that a sales job provides. Being in sales is the closest | | | | hard? You make more money. Do you need your |
| you can get to running your own business without | | | | sales manager to tell you this? No. Be committed, |
| actually being a business owner; from generating | | | | work hard, and you get more commission. No need |
| sales leads, to meeting with clients and closing sales, | | | | to hear a lecture on this from your sales manager. |
| to budgeting, to time management, to business | | | | M - Measure Results - Sales managers must measure |
| meetings, and to traveling. But, in the end, it still isn't | | | | their employees' results and compare them to their |
| your own business even if it feels like it. You still are | | | | goals to find gaps that require further attention. Now |
| an employee of a company and you still have a boss | | | | think back to your personal expectations (which |
| - your sales manager. | | | | exceed the company's expectations) and to your |
| Your sales manager wants you to be accountable | | | | commitment to working hard; this will bring in more |
| because in the end, if you don't make your numbers | | | | sales, more commission for you, and more revenue |
| (quota), he himself will be accountable to his boss. So, | | | | for the company. When this happens, there will be no |
| how do you keep the autonomy that you desire | | | | gaps that require further attention, meaning your |
| without having to answer to the boss? Easy. You | | | | sales manager will have no reason to question you. |
| must meet and then exceed your numbers at all | | | | P - Provide Feedback - Mr. Miller states that "your |
| times. If you do this your sales manager will have no | | | | employees cannot do a good job without feedback, |
| reason to watch over you and it will truly be the | | | | and they certainly can't improve without it." You don't |
| rewarding job that you seek. | | | | want your sales manager to think that you cannot |
| According to Brian Cole Miller, author of the book | | | | do your job without him constantly guiding you, do |
| "Keeping Employees Accountable For Results: Quick | | | | you? Of course not, this is childish. Show him that |
| Tips For Busy Managers," there are six SIMPLE | | | | you can do your job and improve without guidance |
| principles of accountability that he teaches sales | | | | and he will not have the need to direct you. |
| managers of which you, as a sales professional, must | | | | L - Link To Consequences - Consequences guide |
| understand so that you know what your boss is | | | | behavior and can get employees back on track. Do |
| looking for from you. Knowing these principles will | | | | you want your sales manager to tell you that if you |
| allow you to do your job in such a way as to have | | | | don't reach your target he will, for example, require |
| your keep your autonomy (If you wanted your boss | | | | an extra 10 cold calls a day the following month? Of |
| to be constantly looking over your shoulder at all | | | | course not; your sales manager is not Frederic |
| times of the day you would have chosen a customer | | | | Skinner and you are not a lab rat. You don't need to |
| service job in a call center!). Here are Mr. Miller's six | | | | be "punished" because you do your job and you do it |
| SIMPLE principles. | | | | well. |
| S - Set Expectations - Your sales manager wants to | | | | E - Evaluate Effectiveness - Sales managers must |
| communicate what is expected of you. You're a | | | | hold themselves accountable for holding others |
| smart person. You know what your company's | | | | accountable. What happens when you are |
| expectations of you are. You don't need someone | | | | accountable? It makes your sales manager |
| telling you what the expectations are. Your goal | | | | accountable. So if you reach and exceed your |
| should be to set your own personal expectations | | | | targets you will be doing a great job, your sales |
| above what the company expects of you. No sales | | | | manager will be accountable, he will not need to |
| manager will see the need to discuss expectations | | | | "deal" with you, and you will have the autonomy and |
| with you if you are already self-motivated. | | | | independence that you have always wanted from |
| I - Invite Commitment - Mr. Miller advocates that | | | | your job. |
| sales managers should show their employees how a | | | | |