This week we focus on a critical sales management trait. We often encounter sales managers who attempt to sell first, manage later. This approach may pay short-term dividends, but the long-term effect is an underdeveloped sales team. We always look at this measurement when hiring sales managers.
Developing Others
The ability to understand the needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses of others and utilize this information for developing others. This trait is derived primarily from a person€™s concern, their ability to evaluate others, and their ability to identify with others. It is affected by a person€™s focus on structure and order. The person with a strong focus on structure will tend to better understand the importance of building an organizational system. If the person also has positive empathetic skills, they will see the development of others as the way to build
the organization through people.
A sales manager with strength in this trait will be able to: accurately identify the strengths and weaknesses of an individual, evaluate them against the requirements of a job or goal and then design a program which will effectively elevate that person€™s skills to the needed level to achieve success.
A sales manager with weakness in this trait may have poor empathetic abilities and may not be able to determine who needs development. They simply may not consider it important. Also, a manager with weakness in this area may not take a proactive approach to management. They fail to perceive the importance in planning ahead to develop contingent talent. Instead, they may tend to be reactive and deal only with the immediate, or that which presents itself now.