7/22/2024-Your Mgr is rooting for you

It would be idyllic if your sales manager looked you in the eye and said, "I work for you." While it’s cliche to say you need to train your manager, you play a big role in the relationship.

Do you gasp when seeing a "call me" text from your sales manager?

You shouldn’t. Your SM wants the best for you, so confidently make the call-back and assume nothing.

Your manager is your manager for a reason, yet you must guide them in how you want to be coached and inspired. The more you share with your manager, the easier it is to rely on her/him when needed.

Don’t wait for your manager to initiate communication – speak up and tell your manager how you need her/him.

Get a lunch date on the books with your manager so you can talk openly and honestly. Tablecloth meals are best for good communication. (No Chipotle….too fast, too busy.)

Bring your hardest, most challenging issues to the meeting…the ones that require space and time to dissect. (Of course, pre-alert your manager to your agenda.)

Never drop a pile of dung on their lap; managers aren’t good at magic and can’t turn your pile into gold. So bring some strategic thinking with you to the lunch.

If all goes well, you two will graduate to regular Chipotle runs for informal discussions.

Talk! Frequently.

Unfortunately, the modern-day sales management job has become more of a firefighter role than that of a teacher or advisor. Still, going to lunch with your manager is an opportune time to access the advisor side of your sales manager.

Most sales managers are good advisors, so be prepared for questions coming back at you. The best managers start with a standard, excellent default question, "…so, what do YOU think is the best solution?"

Whether your topic is about everyday issues – like resolving a personal conflict on the team – it goes without saying you’ll deliver the facts and keep the emotion and drama to a minimum. The same goes if you’re talking about something like compensation. Either way, your manager will be eager to hear your solutions and the thinking behind them.

Even if you have a strong rapport with your manager, you know each meeting can have a different color. Whether it’s an in-office one-on-one or you’re out at lunch, it doesn’t matter. This is why you know you have to be prepared, be focused, do your homework, present facts, and bring a few solutions, including rationalization.

Trust is the foundation of a good rapport between you and your sales manager. Drama and emotion are the ultimate trust killers.

Neither you nor your manager need that.

You want harmony.

Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei discusses workplace trust in this Ted Talk that might propel you toward a stronger manager relationship.