Every leader has a responsibility to, in some way, guide and direct their younger, less experienced staff. A sales manager, for example, is much more able to influence effective selling techniques if he is able to share actual experiences and involve the young sales rep rather than merely provide sales training and try to motivate through sales meetings. Frequently this guidance is provided through mentoring by the sales manager. And, while effective when done properly, this can be very time consuming for the sales manager of a large team. And, if diverse behavior styles exist, the mentoring process can be even more difficult. Add to this the fact that mentoring has the perception that the mentor is more knowledgeable, thus the relationship between the sales manager and the mentee (young sales rep) is one that places the manager at an elevated position.
We at The Price Group, believe there is a better way. We call it GenBlending™--a process we developed that blends the generational knowledge of both the senior, experienced individual with junior, less experienced individuals while honoring and valuing what each brings to the table.
GenBlending doesn't require time from only the manager; it can
involve several parties. Most importantly, it pairs senior,
experienced top performers with younger, less experienced high potential performers and it presumes that each brings value to the process of selling. While the older, experienced salesperson may have encountered a variety of situations throughout their sales career, the younger, less experienced salesperson actually brings a fresh and less tainted view of each situation. Thus, when there is a willingness from both individuals to share, they are able to approach situations with a new, accepting openness that can provide fresh, objective and new ideas that can expand each of their horizons.
In traditional sales training programs it is standard for experienced individuals to instruct the less experienced how to handle situations. Think how much more effective it would be if, in fact, there was instead a shared participation and dialogue of a sales situation in which the younger individual actually experienced the way the senior individual handed the situation instead of just hearing about it from a training perspective.
In a GenBlending team project for planning that included a team of 12 individuals from four levels within the organization, the CEO was astounded at the fresh, valuable ideas and incredible grasp of issues that came from the team versus the kind of outcomes that had previously come when only the senior team had participated. By ensuring that everyone on the team, regardless of their position or depth of experience, had something of value to contribute to the planning session, each member felt comfortable making suggestions and sharing insights that may not have otherwise come forward. The objectives agreed upon and set by this multi-generational team were far greater in scope than could ever have been brought forth with just seasoned, experienced members contributing. The same benefits can be accomplished with your sales force by working as a GenBlending team or by pairing GenBlending partners.
There is an old African proverb that states, “When a person dies, a library burns.” How true. Yet in today's business world one of the most valuable resources is often ignored by companies–the experience and wisdom of its senior, experienced people. Don’t waste the valuable knowledge already housed within your organization— knowledge that only comes through a process of accumulated experience. Continue to mentor when you can, but do something even better—formalize and implement the process of GenBlending and watch your profits soar.
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