Assuming that shortfalls exist in your stores, and that lost opportunities are great enough for you to take action, what can you do to influence the way things are moving? How can you stimulate movement where there is none? How will your people react? Consider this sales management plan.

1. Set your performance criteria. What do you want your people to do? How should they do it? 
How often should they do it? For example, should salespeople recommend accessories to every customer, or just when they have enough time? Why should they do it? Are they responsible for the results of their efforts? Are these efforts totally under their control?  If yes, what are the predictable outcomes for successfully meeting their performance criteria?  What are the consequences for failing to meet these criteria?  Are the consequences meaningful to the individual?

Some may read the previous paragraph and think, ‘Yeah, the consequences for meeting their performance criteria is they get to keep their jobs. Shouldn’t they oughta wanna do that?’ Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll find more on this concern later.

2. Observe performance. I was taking a tour of the southern properties of one of our wireless clients, meeting with sales managers in many of their major markets. During one meeting a salesperson politely interrupted us. He wore a pair of Montgomery Wards work pants, a white shirt and a thin black leather tie. Intead of a button the
salesman used a safety pin to hold his collar together. His hair was long, stringy, and fashionably dirty looking. Think Curt Cobain.
He said, ‘A lady’s on the line. She wants to buy five phones for her company. She wants to know if we give her a better price?’
The manager said, ‘What’s her name?’
The salesman said, ‘I don’t know.’
The manager said, ‘What’s the name of her company?’
The salesman said, ‘I don’t know.’
The manager said, ‘Get me the information and tell her we’ll get back to her.’
The salesman said, ‘Okay.’
The manager smiled at me and I didn’t smile back. Instead, I said, ‘What you just did was unprofessional.’
He sent me non-verbal signals of surprise, embarrassment, and defensiveness. After all, I’m not his boss. Why was I judging his performance so harshly? But I am a consultant, and my clients pay me to help their managers do their jobs.
The manager said, ‘Why do you feel I’m unprofessional?’
Their team had just completed our sales training program. They had subscribed to the principles you find in this book.
I said, ‘How does this salesperson’s performance compare to the criteria found in your training?
The manager said, ‘Well, he didn’t invite the customer into the store. He didn’t tell them why they should visit. And he didn’t exchange names.’
I said, ‘Yes, and on top of this, he’s trying to negotiate a deal on the phone. My fear is that this woman is calling every place in town trying to get the best deal. Your best chance is to get her in here now, so you can determine her needs, recommend the right phone and the right plans, and get her the best deal you can.
The manager agreed.
I said, ‘Does the salesperson know that he didn’t do a good job?’
The manager said, ‘No, I guess not.’
I said, ‘You’re not doing him any favors by allowing him to fail.’
This illustrates a form of observation and feedback. I was ob¬serving the sales manager. He was observing his salesperson. The difference is that I saw a movement in the wrong direction and I intervened to correct the shortcoming of the manager. The manager observed a shortcoming, didn’t recognize it, and did nothing to correct it.

What are the causes of this salesperson’s shortfalls? One was his own unwillingness to practice learned activity. One was his manager’s failure to observe and coach. The effect was failure for both.

3. Measure and publish wireless sales activity and results. Go to baseball-reference.com and you will find every statistic for every individual and every team for every year in the history of professional baseball. I chose the Cincinnati Reds to serve as an example. I found 122 years of batting statistics for 1681 players: how many games each played, their at bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, walks, strike-outs, batting average, on base percentage, slugging average, and stolen bases.
1882 was a good year for The Red Stockings, as they were then called. They won 55 games and lost only 25 under their first manager, Pop Snyder. Hick Carpenter was the team leader and hit 342. Pop, who also was the team’s catcher, hit 291.
Did Pop really need performance numbers to manage his players? Maybe a better question to consider is this : How could Pop manage his team without the numbers? How else could he determine the effects of how each player swung his bat? How else could he compare his players? How else could they see for themselves how thier bats contributed to the team’s success?
Did it embarrass outfielder Jimmy Mcullar when the other mem¬bers of the team saw his 234 batting average published? Maybe. But it probably made Hick Carpenter feel proud to see his performance leading the way and that’s positive reinforcement. Which activities and results do you want to measure and publish in wireless retailing?

Consider this list of measurable activities and results: 
*Sales dollars
 *Activations
 *Wireless accessories sold
 *Enhanced features sold
 *Accessories per activation
 *Enhanced features per activation
 *Wireless data sales
 *Follow-up calls

4. Coach individuals. Imagine that you’re about to observe one of your salespeople in the store. You have advised Rick of this in advance, and explained that the purpose of your coaching is to reinforce the learning process he began in training.

You- "tell me about your wireless sales"
Rick- "I’m doin’ all right, I guess"
Rick- "Yesterday, I sold a 3630. Since the ad broke, I’ve sold three this month. But, it’s tough. They can get the same thing at BigBox free. And we sell them for $29 – on sale! It’s hopeless. I just don’t understand why we can’t give them away free, too.
You- "I feel for you, Rick. At the same time, customers must walk in our doors everyday for some reason. If they can get it cheaper at BigBox, why do they even bother coming in here?
Rick- "They must be stupid, I guess. They just don’t know any better. [Just then a customer walks in. Rick seems to want to continue the discussion, but you suggest he take care of the customer first, and then continue the discussion later. This is what you observe:

Rick- "May I help you?
Cust-"Yeah, where are your secular phones?"
Rick- "It’s not secular phones – it’s cell•ular phones."
Cust- "Oh, sorry. Cellular phones, then – where are they?
Rick- [Pointing] "They’re right over there." [Rick returns to continue the conversation.] "She’s just looking. But, like I was saying – customers who come in here take a look; ask the price; and half the time turn right around and walk out. And another thing … "
You- "Rick, may I make a suggestion?"
Rick- "Sure, what is it?"
You- "Go back over to your customer, and ask her how she plans to use a wireless phone."
Rick- "She’s just looking. I can tell.
You- "Humor me, Rick. Let’s see what happens."

Rick [Goes back over to the customer.] "Ummm. Do you have any questions?"
Cust- "I’m working for a development company, and they’ve asked me to get one, so they can keep in touch when I’m on site."
Rick- "Well, this one’s on sale. [He points to the 3630.]
Cust- "How much is it?
Rick- "It’s $29.
Cust- "What? I thought these things were free.
Rick- "Not this one. This is a new WCDMA EV-DO Wi-Fi phone. Cust So? Rick It’s made with more expensive IC chips. The 3630 has a built-in Web microbrowser and 27 different ring tones – I set mine to play The Monkeys’s “I’m a Believer” when I get a call. It’s really cool.
Cust- "Well, I can still get one for free".
Rick- "Not if you want to get a good quality one."
Cust- "I’m going to shop around. See what else is out there. I’ll think about it, and probably be back Friday"
Rick- "Thanks for coming in. I’ll see you then."

[Rick returns to con¬tinue your chat.] "See, I told you she was just looking. And, she’ll probably go up two blocks to BigBox and see it there for nothin’, and buy it."
You- "You’re probably right, Rick. At the same time, I’d like to talk to you about what I observed, and what you can do to improve your chances of success with the next customer. Are you up for a little help?"
Rick- "I can use all the help you can give me. My commissions have been hurting all summer."
You- "Let’s talk a little about how you greeted your customer?"

How did Rick greet and approach his customer? How did he introduce himself? How did he build rapport? What might you say to help Rick improve his greeting? What questions did Rick ask to determine his customer’s needs? What might you say to help Rick improve his needs analysis? How might you help Rick stimulate his customer’s awareness of how much she will use the phone? How will you help Rick project minutes of usage?
How did Rick present the 3630? How did he explain available wireless service plans? What might you say to help Rick improve his presentation skills? How many objections did Rick hear? What were they? How did he handle them? How might you reinforce desired behavior? Which accessories & enhanced service features did Rick suggest? What might you say to help Rick improve his suggestive selling activity?

Coaching takes time and effort, but your attention to individual performance creates new profits in your wireless retailing business.

For more insight into "New Profits in Wireless Retailing"  visit www.hownet.com
 ©2005 by The Edmond-Howard Network