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5 Considerations in Select-ing a GREAT SalesManager

By Lance CooperCompanies need great sales managers. To ﬁnd them, Sales VPs andbusiness owners need to (1) know, in advance, the sales goals theirmanagers will work to achieve. Sales managers assume responsibility forsales team goal achievement. And, it's important to investigate theirbackground for team achievement levels and to set clear expectations forthem at the beginning of their employment. Typical expectations are setfor team performance, individual product sales, territory expansion, andretention.As a coach, sales managers guide salespeople into prospecting and salesactivity levels necessary to produce enough quotes and sales for goalachievement. They create an inspiring environment in which salespeoplewant to motivate themselves to achieve sales goals. To accomplish thegoals of a sales manager's position, a person must be able to do certainactivities. They must show a competency to handle certain duties. We willcall these duties (2) sales manager competencies.Know the competency requirements for top sales managers in yourindustry. Examples found in a cross section of industries and salesmanager positions include:1. Recruiting salespeople2. Planning sales goal achievement3. Coaching and teaching in three areas: sales planning, activity (funnel)management, face-to-face skills4. Confronting mavericks and poor performers5. Building teams

6. Inspiring others to motivate themselves7. Monitoring individual and team performance (sales goal achievement)(Note: In some industries, a high ability to sell or close deals is necessary,while in others a moderate ability to sell is required along with greatercompetency in the areas shown above. Group presentation skills arerequired in some industries and not in others.)As you can see the competencies are the things that great salesmanagers can do and do well. To consistently do these tasks over a longperiod of time, a sales manager usually possesses certain (3) personalitytraits. Just as in athletics, certain traits produce speed and an ability tocatch a ball. In sales management, certain personality traits allow salesmanagers to more naturally do the competencies shown above. Thosepersonality traits are ....* High social confidence and ability to ask, tell, present, persuade, andconfront* Lower social drive and need for recognition and thus a greatertendency to praise others* A moderated goal drive with a respect and knowledge of salessystems: processes, tools, and skills* A moderated detail-orientation to allow for analysis within a big pictureorientation* A moderated need to nurture - ability to hear an individual's needs andyet keep time management a priority* Willingness to understand and adapt communication and coaching todifferent personality styles* Out of the box thinker and creative problem solver - personal flexibilityWhile the goals, competencies, and personality traits combine to showwhat a sales manager must do, (4) attitudes and beliefs make up thephilosophy that drives the system. They also define the sales teamenvironment and whether it will be an inspiring one. And, certain attitudesand beliefs must be present to exist comfortably within a company'svalues. The follow list contains attitudes and beliefs most commonly foundin great sales managers. Before recruiting a sales manager, it will be

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5 Considerations for Selecting a Sales Manager

Companies need great sales managers. To find them, Sales VPs and business owners need to (1) know, in advance, the sales goals their managers will work to achieve. Sales manager... (More)

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Category:	How-To Guides/Manuals
Rating:	(1 Rating)
Upload Date:	02/06/2009
Copyright:	Attribution Non-commercial
Tags:	manager sales Hiring recruiting Career & Professional manager sales Hiring recruiting Career & Professional (fewer)