Q&A How often should a sales manager visit the customers?

by Dave Kahle

A:  There are a couple of ways to answer the question.  From one perspective, as a sales manager, you need to have your own relationship with good customers in your area of responsibility. There are several reasons for that.

First of all, you’re a boss – part of the company’s management.  As such, you are perceived to have more power and influence than a salesperson.  Your good customers will want to know you because the relationship with you gives them access to higher levels within your organization.

Additionally, many of these good customers will tell you things that they won’t tell the salesperson.  They will share concerns, plans, and goals that they don’t typically share with your salesperson.

I believe in you

I believe that everyone has greater potential to do more, become more, have more, influence more.   The XI Community is where I help them do that.

Won’t you join me?

Secondly, you need your own relationship with the good customers so as to provide a backup if the salesperson leaves.  In the worst-case scenario, if a disgruntled salesperson leaves and joins the competition, you need to know who the customers are, and they need to know that you are the face of the company behind the front-line salesperson.

Notice that the emphasis here is on “good” customers.  I don’t think that you need to know every customer, nor do you need to know the prospects.

Now, back to the question.

How often should a sales manager visit the customers?  Often enough to accomplish the above two objectives.  These are visits that you make, by yourself, without the salesperson present.

Then, you should visit them with your salespeople to support the salesperson, add credibility to his/her presence, and to coach and counsel the salesperson on techniques and strategy.

That’s the first answer.  The second answer is simpler.

How much time should you spend in the field, visiting customers and working with salespeople?... READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.