Symphonic Management

Have you ever noticed symphonic conductors are the only ones not making a sound? During a performance, conductors manage by miming; through facial expressions and hand gesturing, they guide the musicians through a performance. Like a coach, a conductor is unable to offer instruction during a performance; he has to rely on thorough preparation and evaluation-prepare the performance; evaluate the results.

Conductors don’t just show up for a performance; why do we? As a manager we cannot perform the, “Win one for the Gipper,” speech every morning; nor can we chant, “Sell a car, save your job!” If you owned your own fully stocked Home Depot you would complain that you didn’t have enough materials to build a house? Why do managers insist they don’t have anything to talk about each morning? Thanks to forums like Dealer Elite (dE) (no plug intended) and a ga-billion blogs, tweets, and podcasts there are tons of no-cost materials out there in order to conduct a well thought out meeting. Those who have started online forums and blogs spend huge amounts of time and effort putting the final touches on what they wish to share to those who care. Why not use what is available? I’ve always said, tools work better when the toolbox is opened. Just as athletes review game film, conductors listen to their completed performance, so too must a manager review a sales person’s efforts. Tracking demos, write-ups, sold, and delivery percentages are methods of evaluating a sales person’s performance. You cannot inspect what you don’t expect. Using real data will hold your salespeople accountable for their actions; when they become accountable, they become more profitable.

Coaching is not done during a performance; that is called conducting. Your conducting is the result of your coaching. See you on the BlackTop!

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Comment by Joe Clementi on June 8, 2011 at 9:37pm: Marsh, you did an exceptional job stating the obvious. It's a shame other dealers, managers and "leaders' will never read this post. Now we know why :)

Comment by Marsh Buice on June 8, 2011 at 11:53am: Thanks Stephanie :)

Comment by Stephanie Young on June 8, 2011 at 10:15am: Marsh, I love this blog!!!!!!!!!!! I like the analogy of the conductor and how it really does apply to management. The time to coach is not during the sale, it is before the sale. The time to evaluate is during the sale, but the the time to continue the coaching is after the sale. I too think DE has become a great tool in any managers toolbox. Opening the tool box is the key to opening the opportunities for your team. There really is a tremendous amount of educational tools for management and salespeople alike on DE. Shameless promotion of DE....maybe, but it would be a shame not to promote the vast library of tools available for free to all subscribers to the site. Rock on, Marsh!!!!