Sales managers engage in a lot of conversations with their sales team. And in this day and age of technology, there are many ways to communicate and connect. We’ve got text, email, Whatsapp, video, cell phone, Slack, just to name a few.
With all these modes of communication available to us, what inhibits sales managers from holding great coaching conversations? One of the reasons is:
Hurry Sickness
This term was coined by two cardiologists, Ray Roseman and Meyer Friedman. It’s not a diagnosable condition, but rather consistent behaviors associated with being hurried. (And I would add harried.) The observable behaviors of hurry sickness are:
- Always rushing.
- The incessant need to do multiple things at once.
- Interrupting people that are talking slowly.
- Getting irritable when encountering a delay.
Hurry sickness affects a sales leader’s ability to coach and develop members of their team because….
Hurry is the enemy of relationship building.
A sales manager that is always rushing doesn’t show up to a coaching conversation calm, composed or present.
They rush into coaching sessions hurried and harried. This behavior sends a loud and clear message to a salesperson. "I don’t have a lot of time so let’s just keep this conversation at a high level.”
As a result, the salesperson doesn’t bring up topics that are going to require more time and discussion.
This creates superficial conversations instead of deep, problem solving, relationship building conversations.
Multi-tasking sales managers are confused sales managers because they confuse being busy with being productive.
They refuse to believe the vast amount of research that shows the quality of work is compromised when human beings engage in multi-tasking behaviors.
A sales manager can conduct a coaching session. However, if they are not fully present during the meeting, the quality of the conversation is compromised.
A salesperson that has to fight for their manager's attention doesn’t feel important or valued. He or she doesn’t feel like the manager is invested in their growth. Trust erodes as does the relationship.
So, what the prescription for curing hurry sickness?
#1 Cure For Hurry Sickness In Coaching Conversations
Get your calendar under control. On the days you have coaching calls with your sales team, stop scheduling back-to-back meetings. Allow extra time between coaching sessions in case a coaching conversation goes longer and deeper.
#2 Cure For Hurry Sickness In Coaching Conversations
Create environments that improve your ability to be fully present. Instead of fighting the urge to multi-task and check your technology, remove technology from your line of sight. The best conversations are those where you give your full attention to the person with whom you are meeting. Send a loud message, “You are important and you are my priority.”
#3 Cure For Hurry Sickness In Coaching Conversations
Manage up. I’ve heard from more than one sales manager the frustration around other people in the company scheduling meetings on their calendar. And some of those scheduled meetings are when you are supposed to be meeting with a member of your sales team.
Apply the EQ skill of assertiveness and have a conversation with your boss and colleagues. Explain to them the importance of your coaching cadence and the need to be consistent, present and not hurried.
Brainstorm and gain agreement on how you can work together to attend the necessary meetings to achieve company goals and your goal to be a great coach and teacher.
Hurry is the enemy of relationship building.
Hurry is the enemy of quality work.
If you desire to be a better sales manager, make a decision to eliminate hurry sickness.
Good Selling!
