Sunday Night Sales Management

Getting Your Act Together…

In the beginning it was serious training. What I mean by that comment is that when I started in the tech sector many years ago selling software/services/technology, I was lucky. The manufacturer I worked for not only had extensive  sales and product training resources, but an active management team that worked closely with small groups of salespeople. This was a sales-driven organization, where you had to start fast, could earn great money, and worked with true sales professionals. However, being hired out of college along with a batch of other green recruits meant we all had to learn how to sell, to convince much older individuals of our expertise and learn our solutions—in fact, we actually had to install and train our clients on the systems! But, the most critical lessons we learned were during our Sunday night sales management training.

Every Sunday evening, between 7:30 and 8 PM, my sales manager would call me.  Though I really hated those calls, I learned they had a true purpose. Sunday evening meetings were about being prepared for the week. My manager’s questions were always the same: (1) what are your priorities for the week? (2) what are we doing to close your opportunities this week? (3) how many appointments do you have scheduled for the week? (4) what can I do to help you this week?

Of course,  his actions did have  the desired result! By 5 PM, I was already preparing for his questions and my head was fully focused on the week well before the 8 AM meeting on Monday. The real behavior change happened when I realized that Friday afternoon was the real time to start my preparation. One day, when an older, more experienced fellow salesperson and I discussed the Sunday night calls, he simply told me that he spent Friday afternoon “grading” the previous week and planning out his next week and determining if there were holes in his schedule. He felt better leaving the office with that part of his job done, so he could enjoy the weekend knowing his new week was already under control.

After 20+ years in the same industry and working for myself, I  still use this combination:-Friday weekly evaluations and organization with  Sunday evening “be prepared” review sessions. I make sure my “to do” list is set, my work projects mapped out and my new business development plans laid out.

During our sales management training programs and our consulting sessions with partners, I always discuss discipline, accountability and control” as important philosophical components of a high performing sales organization. I learned that lesson early on in my career. Are you creating the right sales culture, expecting high performance from your team?

Ken Thoreson is president of Acumen Management, a firm that “operationalizes” sales management systems and processes.  Over the past 13 years, his consulting, advisory, and platform services have enhanced the sales efforts of partners throughout North America. Contact him at Ken@AcumenMgmt.com and visit his blog at www.YourSalesManagementGuru.com.