“Make the customer’s problem your problem”. – Shep Hyken

I had only been with the organization for a few months but my antennae had already picked up on something disturbing. We had a Superstar salesperson who was bringing in about $200,000 per month in high margin revenue.

So what’s the problem? Why would I be concerned about a guy that was absolutely killing it?

My reason was simple. He was a lone wolf and not a team player at all.

This fellow was very guarded about his customer contacts. He did not enter customer visit reports into our CRM system. He also did not attend regularly scheduled sales team meetings.

I approached this person’s boss and stated my concern that we had a problem. “This guy is responsible for a large book of business but he is on an island. He is the classic case of the customer relationship being with the salesperson and not the company. I’m worried that he could leave at any moment and take the work with him”.

The boss assured me that he knew this guy had been approached numerous times about joining another firm and he always stayed with us. When I asked about the salesperson not complying with our CRM requirements and not attending sales meetings the reply was terse. “This guy is a rainmaker so we have to make some allowances for him”.

Well, you guessed it. Our rockstar salesperson is leaving to join a competitor. We have no sales reports to even know who his primary contacts are with the clients. We have very little information at all about what he was doing to secure the large amount of work he brought in monthly.

I eventually found someone at the client firm that knew our salesperson. The client told me our Superstar salesperson was great at customer service. He always anticipated their needs and would move heaven and earth to ensure they were fully supported.

In other words, he was the kind of salesperson any client would like to work alongside.

But we had allowed him to “go rogue” and now we were going to pay a price for our poor judgment.

So what are the takeaways from this real-life story?

For starters, we need to know how to identify the traits we might find in a Superstar salesperson.

  • They want to run the show and they have the attitude that says: “You need me more than I need you”.
  • They can be arrogant, forceful and very sure of themselves.
  • Superstar salespersons can be disrespectful and willing to challenge authority.
  • These salespeople are very good at building strong relationships with customers.

What are some other characteristics of the Superstar salesperson?

They are fond of visible signs of success

o   Expensive suits

o   Monogrammed shirts

o   Personalized license plates

o   High-status cars

What motivates the Superstar salesperson?

  • Making the biggest sale
  • Winning sales awards
  • Buying a faster car

What are the greatest strengths of Superstar salespersons?

  • They are great closers
  • Not afraid of cold calling
  • Will push hard to make the extra sale
  • They require no hand-holding

What happens when the Superstar salesperson becomes dissatisfied?

  • They blame the manager for things not going smoothly
  • They threaten to leave and take other salespeople with them
  • May try to hold you hostage for extra perks

So if you are a sales manager you have to understand how to manage your superstar salespeople. To do this effectively you must:

  • Make it clear that you hold all the cards when it comes to power dynamics
  • Maintain your authority
  • Demonstrate assertiveness
  • Don’t be shy about bringing in other top executives to bolster your position

In short, you must not be afraid to call his/her bluff. If you will simply set and enforce fair limits the Superstar will respect you for doing so. They will respect managers who are not swayed by their power games.

Like any other asset, a Superstar salesperson is something we should all want to have on our side. They can make meeting your sales numbers much easier and they can add an element of predictability to monthly revenue targets.

In many ways, a Superstar salesperson is like a Superstar athlete. They can be the difference between being part of a championship team and being an also-ran. However, they cannot be seen as being above the rest of the team.

One great example of this can be found with the legendary “Broadway” Joe Namath during his junior year at the University of Alabama. With one game left to go in the regular season, the team was already set to play in the Sugar Bowl during the postseason.

Alabama Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant got word that Namath had been observed drinking, which was against team rules. When confronted by the coach, Namath admitted to the transgression. He accepted the cause and effect of his actions.

In spite of Joe being the star of the team, Coach Bryant suspended him from the last regular-season game and the Sugar Bowl. Bryant’s reasoning was simple. The rules apply to everyone without exception.

As a sales manager, you are like the coach of your team. Take a lesson from Coach Bryant and enforce the rules fairly and equitably. Your entire team, including any Superstars, will be the better for it.

“Show class, have pride and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant