Coaching:
Coach, coach, and coach some more: Just like world-class athletes, even the best salespeople need weekly coaching.
Recognize and Leverage Team Strengths:
Entrepreneurs should take the time to understand the Working Genius attributes of their sales team members. By recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses, they can tailor their approach to better support each salesperson’s development.
2. Difficulty with Discernment:
Discernment involves assessing situations and making informed decisions based on intuition and experience. While entrepreneurs often possess this skill, they may find it challenging to apply it consistently in a sales management context. Entrepreneurs often are so gifted themselves they believe others should be, too. Overlooking the nuances of individual salespeople’s strengths and weaknesses and failing to create a sales process, like regular coaching 1:1’s, leads to mismatched expectations and poor results.
Resistance to Structure:
Many entrepreneurs thrive in unstructured environments where they can be creative and spontaneous. However, effective sales management often requires structure, processes, coaching, and accountability. Entrepreneurs often resist implementing the necessary frameworks to support their sales team, leading to confusion and inefficiencies.
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Struggle to Manage Their Salespeople: Insights from the Working Genius Model
Entrepreneurship is often characterized by innovation, risk-taking, and the drive to build something new. However, many successful entrepreneurs find themselves facing challenges when it comes to managing their sales teams. Understanding the dynamics of the Working Genius model can shed light on why this is the case and how entrepreneurs can navigate these challenges effectively.
The Working Genius Model Overview
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​​​​Reasons Entrepreneurs Struggle with Sales Management
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Strategies for Entrepreneurs to Improve Sales Management
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​Conclusion
Successful entrepreneurs often face unique challenges when it comes to managing their salespeople, influenced by their strengths in the Working Genius model. By recognizing these dynamics and implementing strategies to support their sales teams, entrepreneurs can create a more effective and harmonious working relationship. Embracing enablement, structure, and development will not only enhance sales performance but also contribute to the overall success of the business.
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The Working Genius model, developed by Patrick Lencioni, identifies six distinct types of working genius: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Each type represents different strengths and preferences in how individuals contribute to work. Successful entrepreneurs often exhibit high levels of Invention and Galvanization, but these strengths can sometimes create gaps when it comes to managing salespeople.
4. Overemphasis on Results:
Successful entrepreneurs are typically results-driven, focusing on achieving targets and metrics. While this focus is essential for business success, seeing the developmental needs of salespeople is often a pothole. Entrepreneurs prioritize immediate results over long-term growth, neglecting the importance of coaching, feedback, and skill development in their team.
1. Preference for Invention Over Enablement:
Entrepreneurs are typically visionaries who thrive on creating new ideas and solutions. This Invention genius drives their passion for innovation but can lead to frustration when managing salespeople. Sales teams often require Enablement, which involves providing support, coaching, and resources to help them succeed. Entrepreneurs may struggle to shift their focus from generating ideas to enabling their sales team to execute effectively.
3. High Energy for Galvanization, Low Patience for Tenacity:
Entrepreneurs often excel at galvanizing their teams, inspiring them to take action and pursue ambitious goals. However, this high-energy approach can clash with the Tenacity genius, which emphasizes the importance of following through on tasks and ensuring that details are managed effectively. Entrepreneurs often become impatient with their salespeople if they perceive them as not moving fast enough or failing to meet expectations.
Create a Repeatable, Predictable Process:
Entrepreneurs have the unique skills, ability, and inherent understanding of great timing. This leads to high close rates. However, for the above reasons, most great entrepreneurs don’t like creating the sales playbook of the what, why, and when they do what they do.
Embrace Enablement:
Shifting focus from solely driving results to enabling salespeople transforms the management dynamic. Entrepreneurs should invest time in providing the necessary resources, training, and support to empower their sales teams to succeed.
Practice Patience and Active Listening:
Entrepreneurs can benefit from practicing patience and active listening when working with their salespeople. By taking the time to understand their challenges and perspectives, entrepreneurs can foster a more collaborative and supportive environment.
Balanced Results:
Balance Results with Development: While maintaining a results-oriented mindset is crucial, entrepreneurs should also prioritize the development of their sales teams. Providing regular feedback, coaching, and opportunities for skill enhancement will lead to better alignment, improved performance, and long-term success.
