Communication Breakdown: 3 Common Mistakes Reps Make in the Field [Video]

As a rep, you know how frustrating it can be to maintain good communication between the field and the office. Reporting may be delayed or forgotten entirely, information can crawl through the chain of command, and perhaps your manager has been breathing down your neck about a lack of quality feedback.

Though you may sometimes resent your higher ups for placing the burden on you, truth is, it falls on the shoulders of both reps and managers to maintain effective standards of communication. As a rep, identifying areas you could improve upon is the first step to solving any issues with correspondence. You need to provide good, useful information to your boss, which in turn will make both of your lives easier.

We spoke with Mike Volpe, a seasoned startup investor, advisor, and the CMO at Cybereason. He provided us with insight into some of the biggest mistakes reps make when communicating with their managers, and gave us the low-down on how reps can avoid these blunders to foster a more productive channel of communication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mistake #1: Not Utilizing Technology

Hand written field notes and reporting are a thing of the past. Join the 21st century by harnessing the magical powers of technology to improve communication in your workplace. Many modern businesses rely heavily on group messaging applications, cloud-based data management, and mobile task reporting to get them through their busiest days. Mike hypes up the benefits of using an app that ties all of these functions together in order to strengthen communication between reps and management. He brings up the following point:

“[Managers] don’t get an opportunity to be out in the field as often as the reps do, so [increasing the amount of] information you can give to them about what’s actually going on -- what’s working well and not working well -- is really valuable to them.”

In saying this, Mike highlights something reps sometimes forget: your manager is relying on you, considerably, to provide her with useful feedback so that she can improve the company. When you think about it, this is a major responsibility!

Communicating through technology lightens this load significantly. The software that Mike discusses can provide the opportunity for reciprocal communication between the field and the office. Some of the benefits of these types of apps include:

• Ease of communication between field and office
• Real time updates of activity in the field
• Collaboration between remote teams
• Facile sharing of data, photos, videos, etc.
• Data organization and centralization

Besides the practical implications of technology, the ease of communication can also help build camaraderie across field teams and even between reps and their managers -- which leads us into the next mistake reps make…

Mistake #2: Failing to Reach Out

When many of your days are spent alone in the field or with just one or two other reps, it can be easy to forget that there is a whole team of other people operating in different locations on behalf of your brand as well. Neglecting to maintain constant communication with your manager, Mike explains, can cause huge problems in the grand scheme of things, leading to poor reporting, incorrect data, and a flurry of other issues.

Mike suggests that reps take the initiative to establish a relationship with their managers, and have the confidence to reach out on a regular basis. Keeping in touch with your manager helps her stay updated on what’s happening in the field, and lets you promptly relay small bits of information that may have otherwise been forgotten. Try sending your manager periodic updates of your day, and develop a more casual relationship where you feel comfortable connecting via text message, video chat, or an informal email.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to go to your manager for help or support. As we stated earlier, better communication makes everyone’s lives easier, so your manager will likely welcome the added interaction, and appreciate your efforts to keep her in the loop. It is your manager’s job to help you do your job, so going to her with challenges or concerns you are facing in the field can help resolve issues quickly.

Mistake #3: Thinking They Have Nothing to Report

While this is somewhat of an extension of mistake #2, it is so common that we decided it deserves it’s own section.

While the saying goes, “no news is good news,” it’s actually quite the opposite when it comes to the relationship between reps and their managers. No news is, in fact, very bad news to a manager.

In Mike’s opinion, “If you go for more than a couple days without talking to your manager, it probably means you should be thinking about what you could’ve communicated about something you’ve done… or seen in the past couple of days.” Regardless of the substance of your feedback -- be it a serious grievance, or just a positive conversation you had with someone that day -- it may be of more use to your manager than you think. In truth, reps should never think, “I have nothing to report.” There is always something to report, so don’t underestimate the value of your thoughts and opinions in the field.

The main takeaways from all of this? Reps should take advantage of technology and build stronger relationships with their managers by asking questions, maintaining constant communication, and checking in with them every few days, if not daily. As Mike says, “communication is actually a two way street.” A two way street that, apparently, becomes a lot shorter when reps and managers agree to meet each other halfway.