What makes a good sales manager is a question we hear all the time from CEO’s, Presidents and Owners. We have worked with hundreds of sales managers over the years and each one brings his or her own strengths and weaknesses. One variable that is oftened overlooked is whether the corporate culture allows the sales manager to do the job for which he or she is being held accountable. Jonathan Farrington has a great quote that not only answers the question of what makes a good sales manager, but is also the foundation of the sales culture of any organization (emphasis mine): The Sales Leader’s role is one of catalyst – constantly helping their team to… Read More
Continue ReadingWe’re Back…
Ok, we never really went anywhere, we just took the holidays off and enjoyed a time of relaxation. Now the new year is upon us along with what I consider the best selling time of the year. From now until Memorial Day, companies are implementing plans, purchasing equipment/services and focused on business. It is a window for any salesperson to start strong on their 2009 quota. This year definitely will challenge many salespeople as the worldwide economies have been in a funk. However, sales still occur. One thing about being a successful salesperson – you have to have passion with controlled emotions. I’ve seen salespeople allow themselves to get into… Read More
Continue ReadingFatal Assumptions Of Sales Managers
Good article here from ManageSmarter.com titled Can Training Fix Manager Transition Troubles? The primary topic is transitioning sales managers from sales rep roles. This is now small task and we have seen many crash and burn. The author provides some insightful commentary into this common problem. This section truly stands out. The topic is that there are some fatal assumptions new sales managers often make that derail their success. The “fatal assumptions” identified were: 1. My individual contributor success will translate into management success; 2. It’s out of my control—someone else can and should fix this; 3. Being the expert is the most important factor for my credibility; 4. It’s… Read More
Continue ReadingDefining Excellence
Selling Power released an archived article titled Four Elements of Excellence. The short article provides a well-thought description so let’s cut right to the chase. Here are the four: 1.) Goal Setting 2.) Commitment 3.) Feedback 4.) Organizational Support I would say that is a good list. The one that jumps out is goal setting. This is something we see in the sales arena often, but not in a good way. Many sales managers believe an annual quota is all the goal setting a salesperson needs. But let’s jump back to the article: Without specific goals, you’ll never know whether you’ve achieved excellence because you’ve never defined it. Hence, the… Read More
Continue ReadingManaging Through Distractions
Dave Kurlan has a post that struck a chord with me. The topic is distractions and how they affect salespeople (my editing): Distractions can take many forms, from the call that takes them off their game, to the illness or death of a loved one that stops their game cold. Distractions can last a few minutes or they can linger for months. You can even understand why some, especially the really bad distractions, can interfere for so long. You know they’ll have distractions so it’s your job to know your salespeople well enough to recognize when they are being affected. Helpd (sic) help them cope, focus and work through them… Read More
Continue ReadingManaging Remote Relationships
The management landscape is changing drastically as more salespeople move to remote/home offices within their territory. Yet, many aspects of sales seems to be moving more towards relationship-based sales. Yes, relationships have always been a key part of selling, but it seems to be the greater piece today. Information flows freely on the Internet so the differentiation between companies is being pushed onto their salespeople. So we have arrived at the place where relationship-driven salespeople work remotely instead of at the corporate office. The strain of this new arrangement falls squarely on the sales manager. The modern-days sales manager has to work with limitations that were less common just 10… Read More
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