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One of the greatest challenges sales managers face is helping their team in the midst of change. Sales managers may instinctively know that how the team reacts to change can create more difficulties than the change itself.
To avoid negative results and help the sales team make the most of the change they face, sales managers can coach their salespeople through personal transition using the five steps below.
Opportunity and regret reside in every change.
In order for you to take the best advantage of any change situation you’ll find transitioning easiest if you follow the 5 steps to effective personal transition. Consider making whatever change you face and the resulting transition easier on yourself.
1. Try to understand the need for a “new way”
People generally feel better about a change when they understand “why” a change must take place. Try to remember the purpose of change in business is not to make things different but to make things better. We’re not intentionally attempting to make your life more difficult; we’re attempting to answer the need the “Areas of Change” create. Keep an open mind. Consider the relationships you have with your peers and us. The more you attempt to understand the need for a new way the more likely you will feel positive rather than negative emotions. We’ll try to help. We’ll pass information about any change as soon as we have it. We’ll listen to your implementation concerns and improvement ideas. We’ll work with you to help you implement changes as quickly and effectively as possible. And, if you don’t understand, please ask us! We want changes to be easier for you, not more difficult.
2. Identify any personal opportunity in the change
“Every cloud has a silver lining.” Look for the silver lining in the cloud of change. In most cases, when you view a change through the positive state of personal opportunity, the change appears more viable and the opportunities for you in the change become more apparent. Ask yourself, “How can I get the most out of this change?” “How can I improve my situation by working with this change?” Identify some personal opportunity in the change and if you have difficulty with this, come to us and let us help you. Our work experience may provide you some insight you’ve not yet discovered on your own.
3. Identify any positive or opposing forces
In any transition there can be “positive” or “opposing” forces at work within the change. Do your best to identify these forces. Some people will view the change positively. Some may view it negatively. Let yourself be drawn to the positive people. Align yourself with those who feel positive about any situation and you may enhance the positive outlook you both have, making the opportunities in change more easily identifiable. If you struggle with this at all, please come to us and allow us to help.
4. Develop an implementation plan
Figure out what steps you must take to reap the most personal benefit from each change. What 3 things can you do to help you capitalize on the current transition? How can you feel more positive about the change? What actions can you take which would best align with your chosen positive emotions? Develop a plan that includes at least your next 2 steps and take action! Haven’t you ever noticed working with something normally feels better than working against it? Working against change depletes energy. Working with change creates energy! If you find any level of difficulty in working with change, please come to us.
5. Invest energy in yourself and others
Look for ways the change can help you with your personal improvement. Focus on the personal gain and work to help others see the positive opportunities in the change. A team is more than a cooperative group of people. A team helps each other through difficulty, and, because of that kind of mutual support, a team enjoys success even more. If you help a teammate who might be struggling this time, maybe he will be better prepared to help you when you’re in need in the future. Remember we’re all in this together. There are people on the job who look up to you. There are those who watch to see what you are going to do before they make their final decisions about some changes. Let’s all try to make any transition as easy on everyone as possible. Invest energy in yourself by staying focused on the gain and taking positive action. And, help others in their attempts to deal with change. Remember: most changes involve other people. Let’s work together!
By following these 5 steps to effective personal transition you not only help yourself, you help others. We’ve all heard before, “Change is good!” We know all change doesn’t always feel “good.” But we also know if we all work together to feel more positive about every change, the inevitable outcomes and personal rewards for everyone involved are normally much greater. Why? Because we can help to lift each other up and create the critical mass necessary to take best advantage of any change coming our way!