Keys to Managing a Sales Team is a quick read from the abcnews.com career center. The article has hands-on advice (which we like) that cut to quick of effective sales management – at least in a limited scope. One item I want to pull from the article:
Do you adapt to their style? I had a boss who never wanted to visit my work space; we always met in his office. Are you like that? It’s important to make your coaching more about the workers. Find out how they learn the best and what topics they think are the most important to discuss. The more you make it about your people, the higher the odds that they’ll start improving their performance.
Yes. The author is right on target with this point. Part of being an effective sales manager is being a good coach to your team. The most effective manner for coaching is to adapt to the style of the individual. This adaptation presents the coaching in a style that the salesperson is open to receiving and, more importantly, retaining. Many managers simply coach to their own style which leads to lackluster results.
We will be releasing a development plan/coaching sheet later this month. This document will be based on our assessment of the salesperson and customized to their preferred communication style, strongest sales skills and areas for development. Look for it soon.