Sales leadership is quite different from sales management and more efficient. Anyone who has direct reports in sales must demonstrate their leadership and assume full responsibility for the behavior and the attitude of their team.
Effective sales managers possess these characteristics:
1. They are passionate about sales and are committed to continuous education
2. They are sturdy in the process
3. They’re great coaches
4. They have experience and expertise that they can impart to their salespeople
Continuous Learning
Do you devote 10 percent of your time developing new skills, seeking feedback and researching the psychology of top performers and networking, going to seminars and reading books or articles, and always looking for ways to do things better and more effectively? Sales leaders are always seeking the latest knowledge to avoid becoming stale. Set learning goals and strive to become an expert. There’s an endless amount to be learned in the vast area of sales, including networking, business development, and building connections, preparing meetings, prospecting, and the list goes on. Select a subject and get into it. Communicate your thoughts to your team members and earn respect and confidence from them.
Process
Every high-performing company follows an effective sales procedure. There are procedures for contacting prospective customers and clients, which include the time you call them, what you are asking for, and the method you choose. There must be a procedure about networking to ensure sales representatives reap the greatest advantages of attending tradeshows, conferences, and other industry events. When it comes to identifying the needs of your prospects and determining solutions for your customers, do you have a procedure that makes sure you’ve discovered the needs of your prospects from both a commercial and personal standpoint? Do you follow up every single time, and do you maintain charge of your selling process? If you’re successful in gaining business, do you use a continuous contact plan to determine what you can improve on and also convey to your customers the impression that you’re thinking about your customers beyond when they’re purchasing?
Coach
One of the least understood areas of sales leadership that of coaching. Coaching is about motivating your salespeople to set themselves goals. The most fundamental principle of coaching is to keep in mind that you can’t ask for more from your team members than what they would like for themselves. Your primary task is to discover what motivates the people and then help them develop their own strategy to reach their goals. Get started now. It is the most practical way to use your time and will be more beneficial instead of setting goals based on performance, gathering and processing data, and then preparing reports. Take time to spend with your team and guide them! To be successful in your job, make sure you meet them on a regular basis or, ideally, every two weeks.
Experience and Skills
To become a true leader, you should also possess the ability to assist and coach your team. There are times when you’ll notice weaknesses in their skills, and it is your responsibility to fill the gap. While the initial method is to make sure that your salespeople resolve their own issues, you must also be the expert in sales in the event that they don’t know the answer. That brings us back to the primary quality – constant learning!
Leadership is a duty that is shared by many of us working in the workplace. If you are promoted and aspire to become a manager, be aware that management is not inspiring and is based on what I refer to as “old-school” thinking. Get out of the mold and become an effective leader. Develop a system that people can trust, and then most importantly, guide your employees to achieve success. By following this method, you will see a steady improvement in your sales performance.
Craig Rennick: Copyright 2010
In every company, an individual set of issues can be identified in the areas of the performance of sales accounts management, sales management. It is crucial to determine what the gaps are and develop a plan to address these gaps.
My goal is to measurably improve the sales performance of your business. You will receive the necessary tools and knowledge to develop relationships, broaden your income base, enhance your work practices, and put in plans and processes, which will lead to an increase. By providing sales coaching, training, and consulting, I’m dedicated to providing companies with real insights and practical tools that will make a difference.
