Do You Mind If Someone Screams At You?
A Sales Manager called me one day asking if I knew of a good salesperson he could hire. Essentially, he wanted someone to start right away. So I made a few calls, and the first question I had to ask is ... "Do you mind if someone screams at you?" As soon as they got past the initial shock, they all replied in no uncertain terms, "Yes, that's not acceptable". I continued, "Well, he probably wouldn't call you names, but he's a pretty hard driving guy and he raises his voice a lot".
Yes, this is a true story. Somehow I thought the days of screaming Sales Managers were buried with the days of managing by intimidation. I guess I was wrong! I can't help but wonder if this guy has even heard of all the work being done around emloyee satisfaction, or employee retention. Maybe he doesn't read or study management techniques too much.
Message To The Screaming Boss...
Chances are, your salespeople have one foot out the door. They probably even spend a part of their working day reviewing emails and job postings at places like Monster.com. You are likely missing out on significant amounts of information from your salespeople. Why? Because nobody wants to be "the one" to tell you. What you don't know can hurt you.
Every time you indulge in a screaming frenzy, your salespeople spend time telling each other, talking about you, and maybe even looking for ways to push your buttons. After all, you've become the entertainment.
If your salespeople have conditioned themselves to tolerate and even disregard your screaming, they've probably learned to not take it personally. After all, your tirades are about YOU, your huge ego, your insecurities, or your lack of desire to create win-win, mutually beneficial relationships.
If your dealership is successful in spite of the way you treat your salespeople, just think about how much more successful you could be if your employees loved to come to work every day.
And finally, "What is your screaming costing you?" I'm talking about in terms of dollars and cents. Think in terms of unproductive employees, the way your employees treat each other and customers, turnover, health benefits, and maybe even some employee sabotage.
The Bottom Line Is This...
Even the military is undergoing a huge initiative to become more emotionally intelligent. The drill sergeants of tomorrow will be very different than the drill sergeants of yesterday.
What could be different for you and your department if you stopped screaming and started treating people with respect and dignity?
It's simply a choice, you know.
If you'd like to learn more about being a successful Sales Manager, visit www.rvsalesmanager.net and view my new program, Under New Management: Sharpening Your Skills as a Sales Manager. While you're there, take a look at the RV Sales Manager's Toolkit which provides a plethera of materials to train your salespeople.