OOH Leadership: Leading from the Frontlines

Enhancing the efficacy of your OOH sales team often requires more than just overseeing from the office. When you accompany them on sales calls, you're presented with an invaluable opportunity to see their skills and challenges in real-time. This first hand insight often reveals a more nuanced view than what's relayed during regular sales reviews. This isn’t to suggest that your team isn't honest; rather, personal interpretations can sometimes offer a colored view of events. By witnessing their interactions firsthand, you can pin point areas for growth and offer tailored support.

Moreover, when you're a part of these sales calls, it underscores your company's commitment to both new and existing clients. Your presence not only strengthens the salesperson's rapport with the client but can also open doors to senior figures within the client's organization.

To make the most of your involvement in OOH sales calls,consider the following 5-step strategy:

1. Plan Ahead: Clearly define your objectives for the call. This should encompass overarching aims as well as specific goals related to the account in question. Establish which tasks need completion, actions to be initiated, and desired outcomes to be achieved.
2. Vigilant Observation: As you attend the call, become an active observer. Pay close attention to the salesperson’s techniques, body language, and responses. Equally, focus on the client's questions and feedback, making either mental notes or jotting them down for a post-call review.
3. Reflective Feedback: Post-call, initiate a candid conversation with your sales representative. Delve into their thought process and actions, contrasting them with the set objectives. This dialogue can highlight areas that may benefit from adjustments, be it in strategy or skill enhancement.
4. Strategize and Adapt: Recognizing potential improvement areas is only half the battle. The next step involves guiding your salesperson toward actionable     modifications that can bring results closer in line with the set objectives.
5. Skill Integration: Collaborate with your salesperson to ensure they’re incorporating the agreed-upon changes in their subsequent interactions.  This can range from adopting a new sales strategy to tweaking their line of questioning or approach. If possible, organize brief sessions to discuss and perhaps rehearse these changes in a controlled setting. If you're attending back-to-back calls, always carve out a few moments for a post-call discussion.
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By participating in sales calls, you are not just overseeing but actively contributing to your team’s progress. Utilizing this 5-step method can ensure that your involvement is impactful, fast tracking your OOH sales team to greater success.

Need help with sales skills or coaching to take your out of home company to the next level.  Learn more about OOH Sales Mastery at oohmastery.com or Contact Dan Nausley at dan.nausley@sandler.com, 423.702.5579.  

Lisa& Dan Nausley of Sandler Chattanooga have developed the OOH Sales Mastery Program after more than a decade of training/coaching scores of OOH Operators across the country in sales, leadership, and executive coaching.