Sales Leaders — What Do We Do Now and Next?

I am trying to remember what happened post — 9/11 and post — 2008 recession. I was a Director of Sales managing four salespeople when the unspeakable horror hit NYC, DC and Shanksville in September 2001. I was a Vice President of Sales managing 32 team members when the financial disaster hit our entire country in September 2008, newly hired one month prior. 

Of course I remember these tragedies both in different ways; the first from a human perspective with sadness and disbelief; the second from a business perspective of what the hell just happened and do I even know who I am managing yet? For the life of me, I do not recall specific tactics and plans that got us back, but I do remember one thing, I had to be a leader.    

Did I know what specific steps I had to take as a leader to get revenue rolling in again? No; it was the first time these two different things happen to me in a management role. But I did know I had to inspire and lead the team to find our footing again, move forward and eventually return to booking events again. During this drought, I had to develop a strategic sales and human resources plan for when it was time to get back to business.

This is where we are now — right? Kind of. What is weird about this disaster is how fast it hit and the unknown end date. This is agonizing for us all; we are expert planners that like every detail finalized, all logistics in place and timelines followed to the minute.

Sales leaders, step up now, because this unknown cannot hold you back.

We are hospitality wizards. My entire career, I approached every event thinking, “I am going to face at least one challenge that will require a decision on the spot; let’s just hope it’s at the beginning of set-up and not while the guests are walking in the door”. Well, guess what, this is our set-up.

Start tackling this challenge now with your remaining sales team members so when your clients are at your door again, you know what you are offering next.

Leaders To Get to the Next….

Finalize your Business Focus

• Review business that has postponed and confirm new status

• What products and services are you offering moving forward? What is changing?

  • Recognize we are not going to be 100% the same business as before

• Think Differently – How do we adapt and what are the most profitable lines of business?

• Get pulse from sales team on annual repeat customers for Q3 & Q4 events

  • What will be their revised sales projections for May-December 2020?

  • Have you developed a new revenue goal and related expense budgets?

• Have you updated your P&L projections?

• Owners…Do you feel good about all this?

Develop New  “Life of the Sale”

• Think Through the Customer Experience from Inquiry through Invoice

  • Based on each business line

• Measure the Path — Who and What is Needed at Each Step and When?

Be “Sales” Ready

• Be Ready for First Inquiry- Can you follow up with pricing and a proposal in an hour?

• Develop and Share Event Ideas- What types of events will clients be asking for?

  • Employee Appreciation? Team Building? Fundraising?

  • What Venues are available and make sense for these event types?

  • Non-Saturday weddings?

• Update all Marketing Outlets — Website, Social Media, etc.

Develop an Operational Timeline

• Look at Event Calendar — what has postponed and when does the first event kick in?

• When can you start rebuilding BOH operations?

  • What are the financial thresholds for this ramp up?

• What information do you need from the sales team to help you make these decisions?

Communicate to the Team

• What is the best method of communication? Group or Individual?

• Recognize “What does this mean for me?” is top of mind for most employees

• Are you ready for all the questions?

• Remember to be honest and open

Take a moment to reflect on who you would consider the three best leaders in history. If your three are similar to mine, each historical figure brought their people back after a significant crisis or tragedy. They faced adversity but persevered through determination and grit. As a sales leader, adding strategy, planning and hustle into the mix means you are focused on the next. Do it. Our community, staff and customers are all looking forward to it.

Do the Right Thing

Eat. Drink.

Empowering employees is one of the most powerful things a manager or owner can do. It not only creates growth opportunities for the employee, but it also encourages leadership to delegate tasks and let things go. Employees want to be trusted and believed in.

The greatest managers understand this. They realize that if they empower their team and in turn teach this team how to communicate their successes and challenges in an honest, open dialogue, that both parties will flourish. These managers also realize that if their team is successful, they will also be successful.

Owners and managers, let it go. Learn to trust. Let your employees learn from their wins and mistakes and make decisions on their own. As you continue to let them grow, you will in turn allow yourself to work at the 35,000 foot level that gives you more freedom to make strategic decisions at the big picture level.

Inspire.

I am back in Puerto Vallarta. Last night I had a light dinner of sea bass ceviche complimented by a mineral water with a slice of cucumber. This allowed me a scoop of gelato on a sugar cone without guilt, right?

I walked to the local ice cream shop to pick my favorite flavor. I paid 40 pesos and happily walked out of the store. I strolled past a line of people waiting for dinner; I actually saw a few eyes looking at me longingly, wishing they were eating the gorgeous mint chocolate chip scoop rather than waiting for that tacos pastor they read about on Yelp. Poor souls. I took a lick and poof! my mint chocolate chip hit the sidewalk.

The entire scoop, in one fell swoop hit the ground, in front of all the pour souls. Avoiding all eye contact, I picked up the scoop with my napkin and turned to go back to the store to get it’s replacement. Good thing I was only two blocks away. And good thing the lady was really nice when I first ordered.

I planned on having to pay for a replacement scoop. But wouldn’t it be nice if she handed me a new cone and sent me on my way? I walked in and explained what happened. The shop employee just looked at me and didn’t know what to do. What a perfect moment for a customer-facing employee to feel empowered to make a decision. A customer service decision that can build loyalty and a develop repeat patron for life.

She took the original empty cone out of my hand, replaced it with a scoop of mint chocolate chip then charged me another 40 pesos. Same cone, new scoop. The ice cream didn’t taste as sweet. I think tomorrow night, I will try some mango sorbet at another shop around the corner.