How Sales Managers Can Build Trust With Their Teams

We’re living in the “life’s a pitch” mindset –according to  Lou Solomon, TEDx Speaker and founder of leadership development firm, Interact. “It’s an environment of constant posturing that creates breaches of trust that undermine the way we experience one another at work and in the marketplace,” says Solomon.

Sales leaders are particularly at risk. With shorter product cycles, opportunities fly by at breakneck speed. Solomon says when managers are faced with complexity, ambiguity, and changes in the market, it leads them to feel like there isn’t enough time to really connect with their staff or customers.

“So, we bear down, manage harder and go faster,” she says, “We send heat down the line to people who push premature pitches before establishing a human connection.” The result: damage to productivity, employee engagement, and a leader’s reputation –not to mention an erosion of trust if leaders don’t recognize and slow down, she observes.

The ROI of Building Trust

Though trust might seem like an abstract concept, it’s easily quantified, according to the Great Place To Work Institute. Companies whose employees report high levels of trust in their workplace are high performers that experience low turnover –as much as 65% less. That saves bottom line costs of hiring, training new staff, and working to implement new sales training techniques.

“Without trust,” Solomon cautions, “people assume self-protective, defensive postures that inhibit learning and performance.” Not to mention that they’re more likely to steal and lie.

Tips You Can Trust

Fortunately, Solomon says there are techniques for both managers and salespeople to use to foster a greater sense of trust with colleagues and clients.

It starts with authentic communication, she says:

“Leaders have to remember that people are not ‘formulas.’ People want real stories and real expression. When you bring stories and passion, this invites an authentic connection and doing so, develops trust. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Where you are internally confident as a leader you learn how to let your guard down a little and relate to people more. Don’t just talk about the heavy tactical business objectives, rather brighten it with real stories.”

Authenticity: A leader cannot fake trustworthiness. The attempt to manipulate is more transparent than leaders think.

Responsibility: If you want the personal power of influence, you cannot ignore the responsibility of shaping environments in which human connections can produce the trust that really pushes performance.

Consistency: A leader has to establish a steady pattern of consistency, be able to “walk the walk,” and have their actions reflect their words.

A Word About Cynics

Culture, not just within an organization, but of our greater society, also plays a part. “Mocking irony, snark, and cynicism are very much in vogue, but they are also toxic to your company’s culture,” notes Rich Karlgaard, author of The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success.

Cynical attitudes can chip away at an organization from the inside, making bad behavior towards co-workers and customers appear normal. Karlgaard maintains that cynicism is a sign that people feel powerless and under-valued, and less likely to trust.

The flip-side can be found at Northwestern Mutual, Karlgaard writes. In business for over 150 years and worth $25 billion in sales, the company cracks down on cynicism by embracing more trust-boosting practices that range from sincere handshakes to achievement ribbons.

Wrapping up, Solomon says: “When trust increases, the dividend is a performance multiplier — creativity, productivity and employee engagement all increase.”