WHERE STAFFING SALES MANAGERS CAN IMPROVE
By Bob Lanza
Driving revenue and margins is what keeps the heart of all staffing organizations alive. To
continually drive these numbers several factors have to be in place. First we need a strong
job order-generating machine. It all starts with the job order. My belief is that a great
inventory of job opportunities will be a strong factor in your recruitment efforts. Word
travels fast on the streets that your service is the place to go if an individual is looking to
find a permanent job, a temporary job, or a temp to hire opportunity. When applicants
enter your branch office and see a scurry of activity with phones ringing and job offers
going out, they leave confident that they are dealing with a thriving staffing organization.
Also, in order to grow a constant level of new business, activity needs to be in place.
The person responsible for creating this high-powered can-do positive environment is your
business development leader. They go by many different titles; Sales Manager, VP of
Sales, Director of New Business Development, or Chief Sales Officer. In many
organizations the Owner or President will take on this role. Whatever the title, this is the
individual who the sales team looks to for leadership and coaching. It has been my
observation that there are a group of individuals who are now leading staffing sales
organizations that came up through the operational rank. With leaders in place who have
not come up through the sales rank more times than not they struggle in driving revenue.
While working in the field with staffing sales professionals, I receive incredible and
important feedback on what they want from their sales leaders. After reviewing my notes,
I compiled a list of mistakes or opportunities for improvement for sales managers. Be
honest and see if you are guilty of any of the situations listed below.
1. Making Sales for Salespeople
Your people want to score touchdowns. If we don’t allow them or coach them to
prospect and close their own deals they will never grow. Many managers make sales
for their people and then slow down the business development process by having the
salesperson manage the day-to-day services. This slows down the learning curve. If
management makes all the sales, why do we need a sales staff?
2. Increasing Quotas Without Proper Compensation
Don’t increase your quotas and cut territories unless you adjust your compensation.
Sales commissions are an easy target for cost cutting; I urge you not to do this. Some
believe if they keep the tiger hungry they will work harder. What you will find is the
tiger will eventually turn against you.
3. Don’t Provide Enough Feedback
We can’t manage from behind a desk. Your team needs to be confident enough to
approach you to answer questions and receive feedback. This interaction needs not be
conducted in formal meetings. Coaching opportunities can come from casual
conversations by the coffee machine or walking to the parking lot after work.
4. Goals That Are Mandated Not Solicited
If you want to have your people stay more committed to their goals then they must
have input in establishing those goals. If they take ownership, they will commit.
5. Don’t Spend Enough Time Field Coaching
It’s my belief that if you are not in the field with our team then you are managing from
ancient history. Spending time in the field with your team means you should establish
the parameters of who speaks and when, reviewing a joint call audit and then providing
the necessary curbside coaching after the call.
6. Teaching Only Product Knowledge And Job Skills
Many organizations believe that training consists of watching a few DVD’s and
learning the staffing software in place. Though these are important, a staffing
education is a whole lot more than just how the system works.
7. No Staffing Specific Selling System In Place
In order to get the greatest percentage of success you should have a staffing specific
selling system in place. The system should bring individuals from how to build a top
grade prospect list to soliciting testimonials for convincing prospects that your firm is
the least risk. With a system in place your odds for closing business increases on a
grand scale. Without one your firm will only achieve marginal success. The procedure
must be designed, delivered and reinforced with a system in place for accountability.
Basically, if your staff cannot articulate and explain your process, they don’t know it.
8. Inconsistent Or Event Driven Sales Training
It’s hard to believe how many firms are still enticed and influenced by event driven
staffing sales training. The statistics regarding event training are not good when the
majority of participants forget most of the material presented. The development of a
sales driven, unrelenting, unforgiving team of business drivers is a subculture in itself.
We need to create a system of teaching, demonstrating, coaching, and reinforcement.
9. Improper Selection Process
I speak, coach and write extensively in regard to internal staff selection. The cost of a
bad hire in staffing is around $70,000; need I say more.
10. Having Unclear Expectations without Accountability
We must communicate what is expected and why. Once you solicit input and create
your salesperson’s performance plan, they must be held accountable for the margin
dollars along with the activity it will take to get there. The correct activity will drive
sales. The monitoring of these activities can be accomplished in a host of ways; even
harsh marks on a piece of paper.
11. Failure To Make Others Look Good
If you have a hard time gaining satisfaction from the achievement of others then
leading a sales team may not be the life for you. If receiving constant praise is
important for your job satisfaction then you may want to seek out other challenges; like
they say, “it’s lonely at the top”.
12. Losing Touch With Marketplace Realities
As professionals in the human capital industry, we need to possess a broad range of
skills. The understanding of labor markets and other issues or trends that will affect
labor must be your passion. You should particularly tune into trends that will affect
your specific niche in the market(s) you serve.
Leading a constant business development process in the staffing industry is a difficult but
extremely rewarding pursuit. In many cases we are dealing with a diverse group of
professionals from an equally diversified group of industries.
If you would like to discuss any of these points in-depth or would like information about
my Staffing Sales Manager Symposium, please contact me at boblanza@comcast.net or
call 908-322-1480.