Perhaps you have heard the saying:
“Behind every successful man is a woman.”
Or, as Groucho Marx said:
“Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.” [rimshot]
In our business the expression must be simply:
“Behind every great external wholesaler’s success is a phenomenal internal partner.”
And all great wholesalers have had to suffer through the departure of one, or more, of their esteemed partners.
Truly one of the hardest things to do is to get that new internal up to speed quickly so that the territory’s productivity (not to mention the external’s sanity) does not suffer.
With that in mind, here is a list of things you can do to get your new internal wholesaler to speed as quickly as possible.
- Go visit them in person at the home office ASAP. Nothing helps solidify a relationship faster than a face to face visit, an adult beverage and a meal.
- Record your product pitches for them. This can be done as easily as using the firm’s voice mail system and laying down the tracks for the most important product pitches and sales ideas.
- Give them a piece, if not all, of the “trinkets and trash” budget. Doing so will demonstrate your trust in them and build their accountability more quickly.
- Carve out a part of the territory that they should own and cultivate, i.e ‘C’ producers. Consider incentives for production hurdles reached from this list.
- Take a sincere interest in their personal/non work life. No one wants to talk business all the time – even the highest type A wholesaler. Show a genuine interest in their life outside of the office.
- Explain to them how you intend to help them reach their career goals. Be a mentor. Here’s a question for you: How many of your former internal’s are now external wholesalers? Managers? National Sales Managers? Made a million dollars wholesaling?
- Invite them to the region ASAP. Similar results as item number 1 will be achieved except it’s on your turf. Get their list of expectations for this visit (meet top producers, understand the geography, visit COIs) before they come. If you’re inclined, have them to your house to meet your family and/or see your life away from the game.
Yes, changing internals sucks. That said, these 7 ideas can help you expedite the learning curve and minimize the pain.
Have ideas of your own? Why not share them via the comments section below?