When you have something you need your people to do or buy into, how do you get your people on board? You could use your authority to demand compliance or you could choose a better way and learn how to create alignment towards a shared goal through the art of Enrollment.
Get notified each time a new 60-Second Sales Coach video is released.
Complete transcript taken from a live Q & A session in Phoenix.
Backdrop: Someone in the audience asked a question about an employee who he has recently promoted to salesperson who came from a technical background and how resistant she is to actually selling. This transcript represents the suggestion I made to this business owner after a brief assessment.
You bring up an interesting topic that I make sure we cover during any training I deliver, which is this Art of Enrollment. Here’s the scenario. You’re the manager, you have an agenda. There’s something that you need your people to do or try or buy into. How do you do that without just pushing or saying, “You know what? I’m your my boss, you’re my direct, you need to do this, why? Because I told you to.”
They might do it, but there’s a big difference between them doing it and really being bought into it. Imagine how the quality of output would increase exponentially.
So, enrollment is really about creating greater alignment. Now, imagine if, here’s your goal. (Holding right hand out.) This is your business objectives right? And here’s that person’s personal goal. (Holding left hand out.) You know your people have their own personal goals and perception. Now, imagine being able to create an alignment towards a shared vision that everyone can buy in to? That’s enrollment.
And one idea that I’m thinking about that you could try and again, just brainstorming with you here is, sitting them down and saying something like, “Listen, I’m sensing that there is this resistance you have about selling. And what I’d love to do is better understand where you’re coming from around sales, because I think there’s an opportunity for us to create an entirely new definition based on our work that we do and the service we provide for our clients that you would be comfortable with. Would you be open to exploring that in more detail?”
What you’re really doing is you’re setting the expectation of that conversation. You’re opening them up, demonstrating what’s in it for them and creating an opportunity to do a deeper exploration in the conversation.
Besides, people aren’t motivated by what you want. They’re motivated by what they want.
