In previous articles on Performance Management we have discussed how important it is to fully understand Performance Management of sales people and ensure that you have not only a process for PM but also the necessary skills to implement the process. In the last article I emphasised how vital it was that each sales person know specifically what was expected of them in terms of performance areas, targets and objectives. Once the salesperson has this clarity it is then the responsibility of the manager to ensure that the salesperson is capable of achieving the targets and objectives that have been agreed.

The manager should take time to sit down with the sales person and look closely at each objective and the following questions should be posed:

• How capable does the salesperson feel in achieving the objective?
• What makes them say that?
• What needs to happen in order that the salesperson feels capable of achieving the objective?

By asking these three simple questions the manager can identify which objectives the sales person feels capable of working on with limited support and also which objectives they may need supported with. Support can take a number of forms from simply passing information to organising training interventions. The end result though of the manager’s coaching session should be the formation of the sales person’s personal development plan or PDP. It is also important to note that during the session where the above questions are asked, the sales manager should be looking closely at how confident the sales person is in answering the questions. Often, in order not to appear lacking in skill, a salesperson may claim to be able to carry out particular objectives but underneath may be very unsure. The sales manager has to challenge any incongruent body language and voice tone and ensure that support is put in place to boost the sales person’s confidence. Similarly, if a manager is unsure and has a "gut feeling" as to whether a sales person can confidently work towards achieving an objective or not, then they must speak out rather than let the feeling go!

The personal development plan should take the same form as the sales person’s business plan in that Performance Areas should first be identified, and then specific objectives should be formulated and agreed, together with measures where possible. The purpose of the PDP is to develop the salesperson’s capabilities to not only deliver their present business plan but also to prepare the salesperson for future promotion and other roles within the company.

An example of a simplistic PDP could be as follows

Performance Area	Objectives	Measures	Timescales
Sales & Negotiation Skills	Attend Advanced Selling Course	Feedback	By end June
	Spend x days with Sales Master	Feedback	June - Aug
	Arrange y days with Field Trainer	Feedback	June - Dec
Meeting & Exhibition Skills	Shadow Sales Master at next Exhibition	Feedback	May
	Organise one exhibition with Field Trainer/Manager	Feedback	April
	Attend next Clinical Symposium	Feedback	By end June
Sales Data Analysis	Spend one day with IT at HQ	Feedback	September
	Arrange time with local IT Coordinator and Sales Master	Feedback	May

The above is fairly simplistic but in many ways the more simple a PDP the better. There is huge emphasis on Business Planning and in many cases Personal Development Planning becomes an after-thought. Although PDPs are put together by sales people (usually around a standard template) many simply gather dust and are not reviewed regularly. This is an area where sales managers need to look at their own development, particularly where regular review of these plans is concerned. Time taken to produce a PDP in partnership with a salesperson, and then regular reviewing of that plan can pay great dividends and really accelerate the development of the salesperson. The end result is usually a delivering of the business plan, provided of course the PDP is implemented.

Another area of development that sales managers are not so "hot" on is that of actually sitting down with sales people prior to their going on a training course. How many managers actually take the time to sit with the sales person and agree learning objectives for each training course they are on? How many sales managers sit down with the salesperson after the training has taken place in order that they can both measure how successful the salesperson has been in achieving these learning objectives?

Too often, sales managers do not see training or the follow through of training as their responsibility. This vital activity is not often pursued and in many cases can be completely ignored with many managers "dumping" the responsibility on that of the Training Department and/or a Field Trainer. How on earth, will the sales manager ever be in a position to assess the progress of their sales people if they do not support them fully, both in the business plan and in their PDP?

Sales Managers have to take time with their people, both in the creation of Business Plans and Personal Development Plans, and also in those plans’ implementation. To abdicate responsibility to another department or individual is not managing the performance of the sales person effectively.