Bringing out the best in a sales force

Coming from humble beginnings as a jeepney barker, “takatak boy,” street peddler, house helper, firecracker maker and vendor, Jayvee Badile II joined Sun Life Financial as a walk-in applicant when he was 24 years old.

He became a unit manager after 10 months, eventually becoming the youngest and fastest-promoted sales manager after another 15 months. He then moved up again after 15 months to branch manager—the highest post in Sun Life’s insurance agency force, which made him the first millennial branch manager in the Philippine insurance industry.

Badile was also awarded the Asia’s Insurance Industry’s Youngest Master Agency Awardee and was recognized at the Mansmith Young Market Masters Awards in 2020.

In this interview, he shares his view on how to effectively manage a sales force during a pandemic.

Q: What did you do consistently and excellently that helped you attain sales success?

A: I committed to personal and professional development seven days a week from the get-go. I had to ensure an intact foundation. While I religiously attended training sessions, I also did self-study to gain mastery of industry products and processes.

Q: Can you share the traction marketing you use to recruit new people? What are the do’s and don’ts of this method?

A: Traction marketing positions the company as a place people naturally choose to come to. While many companies run intrusive advertisements, we choose tactical attraction. For example, managers share a strict approach to marketing on social media platforms. Dos:

1. Ensure cascaded standards, systems and structures to consistently embody the company culture.

2. Brainstorm content that conveys impact. With an online audience’s decreasing attention span, we should study appealing to emotion, experience and preference.

3. Investing in professional craft from videographers, photographers and layout artists positions us as a legitimate business; especially in the new normal where competition is evaluated massively according to visuals.

4. Venture into paid traffic or social media boosting. Businesses are now digital which means everyone is on social media. It is wise to get ahead.

Don’ts:

1. Forgo silver bullets—posting with assurance of hitting all audiences. Solutions vary for different audiences.

2. Refrain from publicity that confuses pride with arrogance.

3. Abstain from posts that appear unnatural. Stick with stories that show authenticity.

4. Avoid choosing quantity over quality.

5. Never resort to inappropriate and unethical invitations.

Q: How are you able to attract so many millennials to your agency?

A: Phoenix Palm is home to millennial and Generation Z advisors and managers. Both have a common workplace ideal—an organizational landscape that promises both purpose and growth. We want to believe there is meaning in what we do, and that we are rewarded when we do it. Therefore, the branch promotes an advocacy driven by continued excellence, generosity and fun. We sell stories of passion translated to stories of success. Phoenix Palm conveys the opportunity to achieve the same fate.

Q: Growth in your industry comes from continuously recruiting, activating, having high sales productivity, and retaining talent. Can you share critical tips in these four areas that can help other sales leaders improve themselves?

A: Recruitment. Ensuring power in manpower entails focus on both quantity and quality. While I believe qualification is a good indicator in onboarding, I personally do not adhere to heavy scrutiny in people selection. I also hire people based on hard work and grit. Though it may be gradual, nurturing people to be right for the job is as important as picking the right people. This keeps an open opportunity to work with people from different niches which in return promises a diversified market.

Activation. I believe in the law of high morale. Elevated morale comes before victory. Victories sustain elevated morale. High morale is borne from boosting perspective, increasing drive, and moderating space. This means enshrining continuous learning from experience and impactful influence while providing enough legroom to collaborate and develop competencies.

High sales productivity. Advisor motivation, adaptive innovation and leadership are keys to sustaining sales momentum. Millennials are motivated by appreciation, so I translate this to generous incentives. Along the way, we have established a culture of abundant rewards. Second, while my advisors perform, we ensure strategy and innovation by developing new ways of promotion and sales. Finally, a transparent leadership direction, guided by a solid moral backbone, continues branch productivity.

Talent retention. Structure, System, and Standard create clarity, manage expectations, enable decision-making, and provide consistency. All of which form an environment conducive for employee sustainability. More importantly, I personally choose relational leadership over transactional management. This means reaching out to everyone to empathize and connect, regardless of number and position. —CONTRIBUTED

Josiah Go is chair and chief innovation strategist of Mansmith and Fielders Inc. Follow him at www.josiahgo.com