EVEN A BLIND HOG FINDS SOME ACORNS IF IT IS UNDER AN ACORN TREE

As a business owner or manager, it can be very perplexing if you hire new account managers and the anticipated results don’t seem to materialize. It is easy to begin wondering if you made a bad hire. It is also easy for the relationship between a manager and a poorly performing account manager to become strained.

More often than not, the tendency is to increase the pressure on the account manager to get better results, i.e., bring the revenue through the door, especially if the account manager seems to be settling into a rut of being, “Busy, but not productive.”  As a general rule: if the results are not there, the activity is not there (calls, appointments, etc.). Sales results will always be a trailing number. Whatever is happening today is the result of yesterday’s effort (last week, last month, three months ago, six months ago).

Recently, I sat down to assemble some bar stools. I began the effort with the best of intentions, but to my dismay, the project was taking far longer than I imagined. The main reason for the disparity between how long I thought it would take, and how long it was actually taking, was attributable to the fact that I did not have the appropriate tools for the job. All too often, such is the case with account managers who are expected to produce a certain level of revenue from their territory, but are constrained every step of the way because they are poorly equipped.

If I were to go on a fishing trip, hopeful of catching the limit, but am either poorly equipped when it comes to my fishing gear, or have greatly underestimated just how much bait I will need, the odds are stacked against me realizing my goal. Unfortunately, the same holds true with account managers who are hired to sell litigation support services but are either poorly equipped with the necessary selling skills, or are inadequately prepared to do their job on a daily basis.

“No amount of pressure from the manager can solve the shortfall in appointments overnight.”

Interestingly, if an account manager is not getting in enough appointments, their shortage can usually be traced back to the number of prospects listed in their database (or list with names and numbers).

If an account manager targets a broad base of prospects, i.e., paralegals, attorneys, lit support managers/coordinators, etc., as opposed to targeting only top tier decision makers in their assigned firms, they should be calling 40 to 50 prospects weekly in an effort to book appointments, especially when they are in the early phase of building their base of clients. Realistically, if they have a limited number of prospects listed in their database, a percentage of which do not yet have corresponding phone numbers, no amount of pressure from the manager can solve the shortfall in appointments overnight.

At the risk of suggesting the obvious, it is not possible to be effective in calling prospects until the account manager has an adequate number of prospects with their phone numbers listed, i.e., “fishing without adequate bait.” It is my recommendation that an account manager should never have less than 100 names, with numbers, and that new names are added on a consistent basis via referrals. Ideally, in a large market, an account manager should strive to have 300 names and numbers in their database at any given time, especially during the early months when their revenue producing base is usually low. 

In just four months, an account manager who is averaging twenty appointments per week will begin future potential buyer relationships with 320 prospects (20 per week X 4 weeks = 80 per month; 80 per month X 4 months = 320). It is shocking to contrast that total with what happens if the account manager is averaging only ten appointments weekly. You can do the math…four months later, they will have no less than 160 fewer potential buyer relationships in their pipeline. Amazingly, the only difference in these two examples is one additional appointment in the morning, and one additional appointment in the afternoon…daily.

As a boy growing up in the country in Southern Tennessee, I often heard the expression, “Even a blind hog finds some acorns if it is under an acorn tree.” This expression provides practical application to the importance of making sure your account managers are exposing the merits of your business to an adequate number of prospects.

“You don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect!”

If a manager wants to see their account managers increase the number of appointments, they may need to back up a couple of steps and first focus on managing the activities of their account managers.  In doing so, they should focus on the number of names and phone numbers the account manager has at any given time, and monitor on a weekly basis the number of calls being made to new prospects, as well as the number of appointments scheduled. This recommendation falls into the category of, “You don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect.”

I realize that certain senior level account managers do not need or like this level of management. Depending on the maturity and the success of a specific account manager, this level of management might not be necessary or advisable. However, when/if you have a recently hired account manager who needs help developing the right approach to the job, or an account manager who has not lived up to your expectations, this level of management can easily mean the difference in their success or their failure.

There is one other factor that greatly influences an account manager’s success in the business of selling litigation support services, and that is their developed ability to sell with knowledge and confidence. In fact, one of the reasons an account manager has “call reluctance” is that they are not confident in their ability to effectively conduct a sales appointment. It’s not uncommon for people to migrate to activities where they know they will succeed, and creatively find ways to avoid settings where they do not feel as confident.

Based on the challenges of selling in the litigation support marketplace today, the selling skills of an account manager have never been more crucial than they are right now. In addition, there has never been a time when an account manager’s knowledge of advanced discovery services, i.e., Electronic Discovery, Digital Imaging, Coding, Online Repository, other Online Review Solutions, and Computer Forensics, etc. is more critical to their success than it is today.

The marketplace has never been more competitive than it is today; and the challenge of getting in front of high-value target audiences has never been more difficult than it is today. Consequently, the payoff of making sure your account managers are properly equipped to play the game of take-away has never been greater than it is today.

An owner told me recently, “Once I have made the decision to hire someone, I am going to take the next logical step and invest in the outcome of their effort by sending them to you to be trained.” If you have hired someone new, or if you have individuals currently on the payroll who continue to disappoint you with their performance, consider giving them the best chance to realize their potential by sending them to us for professional training.

“One other factor that greatly influences an account manager’s success in the business of selling litigation support services is their developed ability to sell with knowledge and confidence.”

You significantly increase the odds that your account managers will achieve the success to which they aspire by making absolutely sure they are thoroughly equipped to face the challenges of today’s marketplace. Simultaneously, as an owner or manager of a business, you optimize your return on the investment you have already made when you take the additional step to ensure your account managers have all the tools they need in order to succeed.

Our current class schedule for the coming months is posted on our website under “Training Schedule.”  Let us know if you have account managers you would like to register to attend one of the upcoming classes.  If you have any questions about the specifics of this Sales Training Course, the new Sales Management Retreats, or our Placement and Consulting Services, please give us a call at 1-800-929-8740.  We look forward to hearing from you!