How can you support your Real Estate Sales Teams, to transform Sales? Are you a Level 4 Sales Team Leader?

 

“Hey Gerry” said Sandeep “I nailed it again! I won the Best Team Leader Award after just 2 quarters. Been a dream run so far. Never imagined transition would be so smooth.

Lots of friends had told me to watch out. I was moving from a frontline relationship role in wealth product sales to head a team of real estate sales guys. Friends said, you can’t get by with only your financial acumen in the new role. You need people skills here to get your sales teams to excel, they warned”

“But tell me” said Gerry, “How are you getting your teams to sell? I’m sure you must be seeing some differences, compared to Financial Services selling. I’m curious, because I’ve been a Site Head for at least 3 large real estate brands, for over a decade now”

“It is really simple yaar, if you ask me. My take is, what really works doesn’t change. Like my earlier bosses used to do, all you need is to open an Excel sheet for each sales guy. Then be after them. Track and monitor constantly. And you should specially follow up with those falling behind on numbers”

“I’m sorry if I also sound like your other friends, Sandeep. But Control + C, Control + V, copy paste may not work, beyond a point. In real estate sales, people have to be quote unquote ‘managed by support’. People managers play a critical role inspiring and coaching their sales teams to sell more and better”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing Gerry? I have told the guys I’m always available to help out if needed”

“That may not be enough. Do you recognise how frustrating it is for the Sales Person when he is unable to convert his walk-in prospects into confirmed bookings? Do you support them in improving their sales conversion ratios? The approach you are taking now may work for a few more quarters. But do you think it is sustainable?”

“My God! It never struck me this way Gerry. What would you suggest? Is there anything I can do differently?”

“Yes Sandeep. Learning to ‘Manage by Support’ is a 4 level journey for discerning Sales Leaders.   To start with, you must check at which level you are, on your path to ‘managing by support’ -  the ideal state you should aspire to reach. You can look at it like climbing up a ladder. But just be sure that you are not managing your people by creating fear. Or managing them by prayer and hope”

“Sounds interesting Gerry. Can you elaborate?  How do I know if I am a Level 4 Real Estate Sales Leader?”

Let me whatsapp you a placard I have on my table, that constantly reminds me to reflect on of how effective I am as a Real Estate Sales People Leader.  Here it is:

• Are you a Level 4 Sales Manager who ‘Manages by Support’?  
• Level 1 -
• You are proactive but need to learn more about your people.
• Level 2 -
• You know your people and their work styles but now you need to know whether their current sales efforts are adequate
• Level 3 -
• You are  clued into the team’s “as-is” sales efforts. However, you have to learn about their sales call effectiveness and sales conversion ratios.
• Level 4 –
• You know all about their efforts but must ensure that the efforts are directed towards the right Customers and right channel partners and have the right intensity to maximize sales closures

“Hey Gerry, Thank you for that placard. Looks like there’s a lot I need to pick up to become the top-notch Sales People Manager in Real Estate, that I want to be.

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Below are some related reading links that can help internalize these ideas in  your Real Estate Sales practice