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Avoiding Administrivia: Moving From Paperwork to Productivity

by Anita Sirianni    

Over the last twenty years, I have struggled with my share of routine reports and can sympathize if you battle the same frustrations. Other than finding the time to collect and compile the information, the most frustrating part of completing a report is knowing that it will likely be added to the pile of last weeks or last months reports without being looked at!

So what's the solution? As a rep, not completing reports could jeopardize your job or at least serve as a huge C.L.M. (career limiting move). As a Sales Coach, I have the privilege to work with hundreds of top sales performers and I have noticed they look at paperwork in an entirely different way—as do the managers they work for. So, I'd like to offer my advice and observations to help you make paperwork more productive.

First, let's start at the top-- with the boss. Reports and paperwork are no more fun for the sales manager to read than the reps who author them! However, these forms serve as an important line of communication from which you can effectively manage and move reps to higher levels of performance and productivity. Yet, as we just discussed, reps resent and resist busy work for the sake of habit or history. To ensure your reporting process is streamlined and most productive, ask yourself on a semi-annual basis the following questions:

"What information is really necessary to effectively manage this team and develop our overall sales potential?"

Look at the quality of information your current format is delivering. Does it deliver enough detail to provide a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within a territory? Are there areas that of minimal importance and value to assessing the sales situation that market?

It is important to treat all reports as tools not weapons. Reps and managers alike mistake reporting as a paper "big brother" where rep actions and activities are carefully watched and scrutinized. Monitoring reports is a poor method of evaluating performance and activity since most reps are smart enough to give managers what they want to hear or read, in this case. Instead, shift your attention to ways you can use the information presented to help each rep maximize their sales opportunities.

As you read sales reports, switch from a management vs. rep mentality to a team approach. Use the report as a starting point to discuss market trends, changes in customer expectations and shifts in the competitive climate. Ask reps, "Using your call plan, where can we identify new or additional business possibilities?" Notice this approach is very different than discussing why a certain number of calls were or were not made compared to company quotas.

A good rule of thumb in streamlining your reporting system is to eliminate all reports or requirements that do not have a direct impact on monitoring current and potential sales opportunities. If you require reports, graphs or summaries for the sake of communication only, my advice to you—pick up the phone! Sales managers who require reps to jump through elaborate reporting 'hoops' are setting themselves up for a resentful, frustrated and less than effective sales team. Remember, the power is in the potency of the report not in the volume.

"Does the report cause an investment of time and effort that might otherwise be automatically created by software?"

Tracking the accounts and the number of calls made in a given period is quickly accomplished by even the most basic off-the-shelf contact management applications. If your company has not invested in this type of software because of expense—consider the cost and loss in business when reps are out of the field doing paperwork. In addition, most contact managers provide a variety of report options that could increase your management effectiveness in seeing sales trends, territory opportunities and shifts in customer expectations.

"How have I communicated the use and value of these reports to my team?"

As mentioned earlier, reps resist and resent doing paperwork that is not used. If you constantly receive reports late or battle reps who fail to submit them at all, consider your communication. When was the last time you discussed the contents of a report with your reps? The emphasis your dialogue places on a report will improve the quality of the information you receive as well as do wonders for rep compliance.

Getting reps to get excited about or look forward to doing paperwork will be as easy as force-feeding spinach to your kids. However, by asking yourself these questions and streamlining your reporting system with these ideas, it will dramatically improve your compliance and your communication.


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Anita Sirianni is a professional writer, speaker, and “sales coach” in high demand. She is the president of ANSIR International and can be reached at 800-471-2619. Her web-site is www.AnitaSirianni.com