SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Sales — tracks feedback from sales managers and executives. We run the poll question each Wednesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: Do you punish your team members for telling you the truth?
- No: 77.59%
- Yes: 15.52%
- I’m not sure: 6.9%
Like all of our sales activities, this comes down to the right communication strategy.
As a boss, when you initiate a dialogue with team members, you should expect that they will be honest with you. When you seek an employee’s opinion, you are building trust, and it’s important that you respect the feedback given. If a salesperson initiates a discussion with you, the same holds true — respect that the person is coming to you, and deliver a reaction that is appropriate to the information received.
It’s not about the content of the feedback; it’s about fostering working relationships through a respectful communication strategy.
Stephen Pia is the founder of COACH MEdia and a sales trainer and coach.