TOT Taming Tips: The Sales TOT

Dear Lynn,
There is a lot of pressure where I work because we have so many quotas. It’s especially rough at the end of the month. My boss goes through these moody periods where he’ll be really nice to get us to sell and then if we don’t make our quotas, he quickly turns into a beast and yells at everyone.
–Alex

Dear Alex,
Sales quotas can bring out the dark side of all of us, but fortunately, you can anticipate and solve these kinds of problems early. Remember, if you are under pressure to make sales, so is your Terrible Office Tyrant, and he’s got to answer to the Super TOT in your organization. That’s a situation that creates stress, self-doubt, and fear. It’s easy to see why that could send him into panic mode every month.

When a TOT is overwhelmed, you can help by breaking the tasks down into smaller, bite-size pieces. Take the monthly quotas and create weekly benchmarks. That gives some early warning if the team is struggling to make your numbers (and create peace of mind if you are on track.)

Encourage your boss to communicate more frequently with Super TOT. Bad news is never fun to share, but if he’s proactive about it, Super TOT will generally handle it better than a last-minute surprise.

Finally, let him know that you understand the pressure he is under. You may also consider gathering support from colleagues. That way you can get your “TOT on Board” with the deeper problem. Your willingness to work hard at your job and show concern will go a long way!

Best regards,

Lynn

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