Written by Andrew Trim

The most effective tool leaders have is time with their salespeople - talking one-on-one, over coffee.

At times we can be so busy that everything else becomes a priority and we fail to make time for this most critical leadership function. Do we really save time by neglecting one-on-one time with our people?

There is an old leadership saying:

Loyalty is most often won in private.

This is why taking the time to sit down with a salesperson and asking “How are you?” is so important. In fact it is so important that if you fail to do it regularly you will spend much more time hiring new people than you will ‘waste’ doing one-on-ones.

Ask “How are you?” and you may avert a performance slump, resignation, or even better, you may help your team member overcome a problem. This is the highest calling of leadership and the one that wins loyalty above all others.

And do listen to what your team member replies. Never accept “Good” or “Okay” without further questioning. Listen to the tone of voice and observe the body language. If their results aren’t where they should be, or you detect something is not quite right, ask this follow-up question: “How are you, really?”

You might be surprised what you learn. Perhaps the team member is not getting support from their spouse and is thinking of leaving. It might explain why their performance has waned. Now you know what the problem is, you might decide to take your team member and their spouse for dinner and address the problem.

One-on-one time will give you an opportunity to build on your relationship with them and uncover any issues behind the scenes that could be stopping them from operating to their fullest potential. At times you may think there is nothing to talk about or that everything is going along smoothly for them. You will be surprised at what can come out just by taking the time to catch up with them. I have had many one-on-ones where I thought everything was going fine for the salesperson, only to uncover issues they weren’t comfortable speaking about in a work environment.

Time is a valuable tool often overlooked by a real estate principal. Stay connected with your salespeople by giving them your time. It will win their hearts, then you can win their minds.