Human Resources: Taming Your Salesperson

Dealing with even one of the above behaviors can be harmful to an organization. Therefore, the owner or sales manager is faced with a key decision. Should he or she apply their energies to gain control of the salesperson and prevent the behaviors I have described above or should they plan to constantly be on the alert to fix the issues when they arise and soothe the tempers of their other employees?

I have seen so many cases where the owner takes the second approach and is forever held hostage by the salesperson. They do this because they have fear that the salesperson will leave them and take the work elsewhere or they may lose the customer if they don’t meet the unreasonable commitments that were made.

The Time is Right

When you are ready to hire a salesperson, make sure the right personality traits are there. It’s a fine line, but there is a difference between tenacious and rogue—make sure you know which one you have.

Next, unless you want ulcers and to constantly be dealing with turmoil in the business, take action now to gain control of your salespeople and make them toe the line. Develop the processes that will support your salespeople and make them successful, but you also need to establish controls and enforce them to ensure the salesperson is a reliable, non-disruptive team member. I can attest to the fact that this may be a full time job, but the payoff will be worth it.

Debra Thompson is President of TG & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in Human Resources for the Graphics Industry. Debra can be reached toll free at 877-842-7762 or debra@tgassociates.com.