If you give a sales guy a lead, he’s going to ask for a phone number.
When you give him the number, he’ll probably ask you for an email address.
When you’re finished, he’ll ask you for a creative pitch. 
Then he’ll want to set a meeting to make sure he’s on the same page.
When he sits down in your office, he might notice he doesn’t have a pen. 
So, he’ll probably ask to borrow one of yours.
When he’s finished taking notes, he might get carried away and take your pen along with him. 
Back at his desk, he’ll probably want to take a working lunch.
You’ll have to pay for a little box for him, with a sandwich and a pickle.
He’ll dig in, eat until he’s full, and wipe his hands with a napkin a few times.
He’ll probably ask you to read over his email draft.
So, you’ll read it over and he’ll ask you to show him anything he should change.
When he looks at the changes, he’ll get so excited that he wants to write a new pitch of his own. 
He’ll make a graph.
When the graph is finished, he’ll add supporting text and make a PDF.
Then he’ll want to send it. Which means he’ll need your approval.
He’ll walk into your office, hand you papers, and stand back.
Looking at your desk will remind him that he wants to make more money.
So, he’ll ask for a lead.
And chances are if he asks for a lead, he’s going to want a phone number to go with it.
 
This sales story might sound familiar. It’s a take on the pretty well-known children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Many sales guys (and sales gals) start out like this: excited, unsure, inexperienced. And early on in a young sales professional’s career, there isn’t such a thing as too much training or help. Long-term, though? You bet. Sales enablement is the quickest way to turn a green sales rep into a weak one. Have a rep on your team that can’t (or doesn’t want to) find new customers? Put your cookies away.

If you give a mouse a cookie, what happens? This week, The Woman Behind the Curtain is sharing a sales story – for managers and reps alike. How do you balance a team’s success while equipping individuals in their own right? Comment below or connect with Jennifer directly.