I’ve always suspected it but this week I saw conclusive evidence. Premiership football teams are carried home by the crowd in the last ten minutes. Home teams obviously benefit from this phenomenon, which is why they normally win.
I’ve been to Old Trafford, home of Manchester United with a capacity of almost 80,000 fans. The noise is a crescendo of support, the home team can never fail to be lifted by the backing.
So how do you support your sales team in the last 10 minutes of their game?
If you appreciated the metaphor you’re already thinking of some ideas which is why you’re a successful sales manager, but here’s some ideas in case you want some fresh thinking:
- At the closing stage of a big deal, be on hand to schmooze the CEO of the company, don’t sell but build a rapport.
- Send an email of support, full of praise to your salespeople every now and then.
- Send a gift to their home, so their spouse sees it, this acknowledgement with their loved one is often enough support.
- Send an email to someone high up praising your salesperson with a recent success. Naturally cc them in.
- Tell them you have “their back” – that’s all top performing salespeople need sometimes.
- Ask them what you can provide them to support
- Buy them some top-quality training – preferably video and online so they don’t have to traipse to Head Office for training.
- Boost your own coaching skills so that the coaching you give is top drawer
- Reduce the admin they have to complete
I’m sure you can think of more ideas. The idea is to support not smother. Be aware of the last ten minutes of their game it’s what makes Manchester United such a great force under Jose Mourinho this season. And the chant we all sang last time, to the tune of Herman’s Hermits – I’m Into Something Good.
“I woke up this morning feeling fine, I had Man United on my mind, Jose’s playing the way that United should, oh yea, something tells me I’m into something good”
