Fear-based Motivation

This post could also be titled "When Metrics Attack!" although, in this case, the metrics aren't really the root issue, they are just a symptom of dysfunctional management. Read below to see how to create an environment with a 75% turnover rate....

"Aaron,

Unfortunately we don't have anyone who is in charge of sales productivity. We don't even have a half-way decent management structure. It's the sales manager, a dozen regional account managers and a few inside sales reps.

Our manager's idea of being productive is being at work and on the phone 10-12 hours day without any focus on what's actually being accomplished. His idea of motivation is pissing everyone off and sending a thousand emails a day like:
"Who's got an order?"
"Talk to me?"
"Get on phones...orders please"
"Way too quiet!"
"CLOSE AN ORDER NOW!"
"Lunch is over...go get an order."

A few of us are trying to change the sales culture that's plagued this company for years. You know...I can go on and on, but...well...I have to be ON THE PHONE GETTING AN ORDER!!

I understand it's sales. I understand that you must be in contact with the customer. But the philosophy here is...ready for this....READY, FIRE, AIM and a little bit of SPRAY-AND-PRAY sales. That may work with telemarketing magazine subscriptions, but it sure has hell doesn't work with selling high-value products to manufacturing plants all over the country.

And we're supposed to measure EVERYTHING...phone time, number of quotes per day, sales month-to-day, calendar year-to-day, fiscal year-to-date, product line comparisons for the last several years...I mean EVERYTHING. We spend so much time looking at numbers from every conceivable angle our heads spin. "Don't be in denial! You can't focus on the past!" Then why do we keep looking at it every hour of every day?! And why does it take four months to work on a business plan?!

ARGH!!! LOL...

To answer you last email..go right ahead. If you need examples of how NOT to run a sales group, just ask me!

I have to keep my sense of humor in order to survive this environment. We all do...those who don't, fail here. That's why we have a 75% turn around rate here."


Two Takeaways

1) Focus on a few, core metrics
You can overdo it with metrics, especially now that systems like salesforce.com make it so easy to track more of them. What are the few core metrics that matter most and actually give you real insight into what drives the business? If you track too many metrics, you can end up with "metric clutter"...in which the irrelevant metrics distract you from the core ones. This quality-over-quantity issue with metrics will always be an ongoing balancing act.

2) Fear-based motivation always costs more over the long run
How effective is a salesperson in selling for a company or boss they can't stand? That negativity will bleed out into their interactions with customers. And fear might create a short-term spike in results in a day, week or month...but over the long term it will costs you much more money in lost morale and turnover.

What are you doing to truly help your people succeed? Clearer goals, better tools and coaching are better investments over the long-term to increase sales productivity than short-term fear-based motivation.