Don’t bother. This option creates nothing more than a sales babysitter. Most companies need more than someone to keep an eye on the sales team.
Companies need a sales leader who can add value. All a sales babysitter can do is keep an eye on the sales team and hopefully hold them accountable, but that’s questionable. Salespeople are pretty good at avoiding accountability, and a mediocre sales leader probably won’t be able to create any accountability.
I’m opening a can of worms here, and without writing a book, I need to address a common misconception. It’s impossible to hold the sales team accountable until several other items are in place. Far too many business owners feel that the only problem and their sales department is accountability. They say things like, “if I could get someone to whip the team into shape, we could really increase our sales.” Nearly 100% of the time, this is wishful thinking; if it were only that simple. It’s like the business owner’s version of an easy button. Getting a sales team to perform better is much more complicated. Just a few of the things that must be in place before it’s possible to hold the team accountable are:
- Having a proven and repeatable process to sell towards.
- Having workflows and technology in place to leverage more selling time and eliminate sales team frustration.
- Ongoing learning to keep their skills sharp.
- A coach or a sounding board to discuss deals and problems.
- A well-designed compensation program that motivates the team, but also aligns with management’s goals.
- Dozens of additional factors as well.
In conclusion, a sales babysitter isn’t going to be able to hold the team accountable, nor do they have the skill to help eliminate some of the precursors to accountability; save your money.
