“I really want you to push against the status quo”.  Great leaders don’t want a bunch of “yes men”, they want reps that take risk, try new things, and push back a little on doing things just because they have always been done that way.  These leaders know that high performing reps are always learning a better way to do something or a new way to increase sales.  They value individuals who might buck the system just enough to improve performance.

“You may be our #1 producer on the team, but I’ll fire you in a second for having a negative attitude”.  Great leaders understand that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.  They know that it takes an entire motivated team to achieve sales goals, not just one superstar.  A good leader will diligently protect a team from being pulled down for any reason.  He or she knows how critical it is to have positive attitudes when it comes to achieving success as a whole.

“I want you to fail”.  Great leaders know that the best way to learning and improving is failure.  They expect and want reps to fail at some things in order to foster their development.  They may interpret lack of failure as a sign that goals and other assigned tasks or objectives may not be stretching a rep enough.

“I know who is giving their best… or if you are just punching the clock”.  Great leaders know how critical it is to build a culture of highly engaged and motivated reps.  When reps truly love what they do, results will come naturally.  These leaders notice everything, every move, and every action of their reps.  They know when reps habitually come in late, whether they take long lunches, and how they spend their time during the day.  They can see determination and passion and they know who is really giving their very best and who isn’t.

“Shut up and listen!”.  Great sales managers know how critical it is for reps to talk less and listen more.  They hate it when reps show up and throw up with a prospect or client.  When your boss suggest you try asking more question, they are really saying to themselves “shut the heck up!”.