Last month I wrote about how a canvass manager can de-motivate canvassers, even when they fully believe they’re motivating them.
There’s no doubt that canvassing is a stressful profession, but one thing you can count on, and this comes from first-hand experience, when you do it right, you can make a lot of money. For some, and I included myself, it can be a lifelong career. To get to that point can seem like an uphill climb. The canvass manager’s role is to help and motivate the canvasser every way he or she can. Too often I see managers get caught up in a canvasser’s “bullshit.” You know what I mean; the poor attitudes and excuses canvassers can throw at you. It can be overwhelming.
How Do You Deal With The Bullshit?
Quite simply, you don’t. You can avoid the entire headache by simply ignoring it. Understand it’s not going to go away. You’ll always have people who are late to the meeting and have excuses why they couldn’t make it on time; “my car broke down”, “my dog ate my scripts”… and on and on.
From your position as a canvass manager the whole thing should be focused on what they (the canvasser) want to achieve? To what level do they want to climb within the organization? Canvassing is one profession where the “sky is the limit”, but it’s all up to the individual. You have to find this out early in their time with you and then drive them based entirely on that … not based on whether or not they can make it to work on time.
It’s about leading them to their goals. As a manager, you’ve probably made it to your position based on what you were able to achieve, not on excuses; so don’t take any. You do have to be empathetic with people, but you’re not obligated to be sympathetic. There’s a big difference. You can understand their problems, but you don’t have to get caught up in them.
Manage the system rather than the person’s problems. Most people’s lives operate in “chaos” and you can’t get caught up in their chaos. Your role is to help them operate successfully within the system. It’s their mama’s role to console their troubles, not yours. If you feel you don’t have a strong system to operate, then you’re in the right place. I’d recommend you dig into some of my back articles. And when you need more help there’s plenty of opportunity here for more.
You Define The Criteria Of Success For Them
The manager’s role is as a coach, and the coach’s role is primarily communicating the goals and direction of the organization with the team. You have a team of canvassers and your success will lie in effectively communicating with them.
I have 3-pillars around which all my communications with canvassers are driven. As you’ll see, it keeps the focus on the system and out of the drama.
My 3 Pillars
- Performance
- Attendance
- Behavior
Performance is self explanatory; how well are or aren’t they producing leads? If they’re producing, are they hitting the targets you’ve set … if not, how far off are they, why are they and what do they need to do to get on track?
Attendance – Are they on the job? On time? And ready to go to work when they’re there? I also measure their appearance and dress. Are they wearing what you want them to; and are they wearing it the way you intended (no pants half way down their backside)? In short, do they exhibit responsibility?
Behavior encompasses both their actions and attitude. You can have a fantastic producer, but they could be cancerous to the team. They can be making you money, but everything else they do inhibits others on your team from doing the same for you. Often I hear of that person who’s “bad- blood” for the team; and they may have to go.
Are “no calls” and “no shows” driving you insane? This kind of behavior adds up and is exactly what you use to motivate a canvasser, or terminate them.
It’s not rocket science, but 3 pillars of quantifiable information all derived out of and from the system. Basing your directions and decisions on tangible information will make your life easier and put the burden back on the canvasser.
To sum it all up, ask canvassers what THEY want to accomplish. Once they’ve told you, you simply hold their feet to the fire. It keeps you out of the “baby/mama drama” and in the game as their coach.
Next month I’ll discuss how long you go before deciding to pull the trigger and terminate a canvasser.
If you want to short-cut the process, then check out my new program, “Canvassing in the New Economy.” The entire 3rd DVD in the program addresses what I think is critical to every canvasser’s success … Having The Right Mindset.