The toughest job of a sales manager during sales management training is to demonstrate appropriate sales behaviour.

Behaviour that he, or she, would like to see followed by their sales team. So, what would be the appropriate sales management training and sales discipline (behaviour) for sales managers to demonstrate?

Are you telling your sales people what to do during sales management training?

Are you telling them what their sales targets are? If so, who really owns the target?

Are your sales people really committed?

How do you think telling them makes them feel – not trusted, not knowledgeable, not professional? Do you like to be told what to do by your boss?

How does it make you feel when you are told what to do?

Well, if you demonstrate a telling behaviour with your sales people, what do you expect your sales team to do with their customers? Most sales people don’t like to be told what to do, nor do customers, and that is usually what selling is all about – telling. When you are telling it indicates lack of trust and empowerment.

Sales professionals, customers, and probably you too, like to be engaged. To be engaged means to be consulted or asked. When asked or consulted, you feel empowered, trusted and become more motivated and committed because you own the idea.

During sales management training, are you asking your sales people, or telling them what to do? Are you sales people asking questions of their customers or telling them about their company and it’s products and services. The chances are they are doing exactly what you are doing – monkey see, monkey do.

The Bottom Line: Discipline yourself to demonstrate appropriate behaviours. One of the disciplines is to ASK, not tell.