Bank Sales Corner

6 Coaching Mistakes to Avoid When Working with Branch Managers

  

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When times are tough, Sales Managers working with Branch Managers and Small Business Bankers often succumb to tactics that can actually undermine their teams’ chances for success. Here are 6 mistakes to avoid:  

1. Assuming that it’s just about making more calls: Yes, your team has to be on the streets. But be sure that people are calling on the right customers and prospects. Running faster doesn’t always get you where you need to go.
2. Placing too much attention on the bottom end of the funnel: When opportunities are scarce, it’s natural to do everything you can to close business. Forgetting about lead generation is dangerous. Keep reminding your Branch Managers and Business Bankers  to spend time identifying and cultivating customers, prospects and COIs for the leads that will be next quarter’s (and next year’s) closed business.
3. Becoming more bureaucratic: Tough environments give rise to more forms. If you have the three essential reporting tools up and running (a weekly call planner, a pipeline, and a closed business report) don’t go crazy with more reports. Spend more time analyzing what the data you’re already collecting tells you about how you can help your salespeople.
4. Sending too many (often conflicting) messages: Most of us ADD types can only handle a few directives at one time. Beware of message overload. (And it’s OK to repeat yourself.)
5. Scrapping all sales training: If your professional development budget evaporates, get creative. Pull out the sales workbooks and design something on prospecting. Splurge on a webinar on generating referrals from CPAs. Now more than ever is the time to focus on improving people’s skills (and that includes your own!)
6. Failing to celebrate the small victories: Did Branch Manager Kevin finally get in to see a prime prospect? Celebrate. Did Business Banker Susan get a chance to bid on a lucrative cash management account with one of her prospects? Celebrate. Was SBA specialist Andy able to get a business customer to move some of his personal accounts to you? Celebrate.  

To receive a copy of an article entitled “Driving the Prospecting Process: 7 Tips for Sales Managers” go to http://www.mzbierlyconsulting.com/coaching-the-prospecting-process-tips-for-sales-managers.   

Webinar Alert: You might also be interested in checking out our upcoming webinar on January 31, 2011 entitled “Can Branch Managers Be Effective Calling on Small Businesses?” by going to http://www.eventspan.com/event/2011-01-31-can-branch-managers-make-effective-calls-on-small-businesses