| How many sales teams suffer because their sales | | | | succeed in the role and end up leaving, or being |
| manager is not doing their job at the right "level"? | | | | asked to leave. On the way to this, they may have |
| Sales figures suffer, sales people suffer and the sales | | | | upset a number of the sales team who do worse |
| managers feel pressured and possibly even stressed. | | | | and might leave!) This job description needs to |
| I want to look at some of the reasons why this | | | | emphasise that the role involves a variety of |
| occurs and offer some initial ideas for how sales | | | | activities which are not connected with their own |
| managers can carry out their roles more confidently | | | | face to face selling. When it is clear what the |
| and effectively - for everyone's benefit! | | | | competencies are and the sales manager can assess |
| Why does this seem to happen so often? It does | | | | themselves against these, some form of |
| seem that the transition to sales management is one | | | | development plan can be identified to close any gaps. |
| which can often prove a struggle! There is a long list | | | | The sales manager needs to understand the overall |
| of reasons, few of which are the fault of the person | | | | strategy and know how to plan - especially in |
| doing the sales manager's role. The organisation is | | | | developing a sales plan. They have to be able to |
| probably a significant contributor to the problems | | | | analyse the current situation, market and competition |
| facing the sales manager! A lack of clear succession | | | | as a starting point. As part of their plan they need to |
| planning is part of the equation. Maybe there is a | | | | evaluate the capabilities of the sales team and decide |
| limited understanding of what the role really involves, | | | | whether they have the appropriate structure to |
| or should involve! The chances are that the senior | | | | deliver against the strategy and plan. |
| management may share many of the misconceptions | | | | If there is no clearly defined sales process, it will help |
| of the sales function and how it operates in a | | | | if they can identify one and break it down to the |
| successful environment. Where sales is concerned, | | | | main steps. From this, they can identify the critical |
| there is usually too much short-term thinking and a | | | | areas to monitor and control. Knowing these points |
| focus on results. I agree that the sales manager is | | | | can give the early warning signals if their might be |
| there to achieve the targets and to work within a | | | | problems in achieving the results later and can also |
| budget. However, to paraphrase the great Peter | | | | help with more accurate forecasting. There are |
| Drucker, "sales results are not an objective in their | | | | plenty of software systems to help with this aspect, |
| own right, they are an outcome of achieving the | | | | from the top end such as Oracle and Seibel through |
| other objectives." Another tripping point can be an | | | | SalesTrak to ACT or Golmine. |
| expectation that the new sales manager should be | | | | From this, you can see that a key part of the role is |
| acting like a predecessor - provided they were | | | | desk-bound, making time to think, assess and make |
| successful and, typically, outgoing and told a | | | | decisions. This is only part of the whole! While the |
| convincing tale about how things would turn out! | | | | desk time can help in identifying areas to set targets |
| In common with many other managers, the sales | | | | and goals, it is not the best place to evaluate the |
| managers have probably been promoted into their | | | | skills and potential of the sales team. The job |
| role with little real preparation, guidance or training. | | | | description should establish some key performance |
| This will be compounded if they were given the | | | | indicators about time spent with the sales team on |
| opportunity because they were one of the best in | | | | field visits. |
| the sales team. (Rather than choosing the person | | | | Days spent with the sales team will usually have |
| with the right qualities to do the job.) Sales does | | | | multiple aims. The primary one is to support and |
| have an additional time pressure, in that results need | | | | develop the sales person. Observing them with the |
| to keep being obtained from the outset. There is | | | | prospects or customers, reviewing how the call went |
| little time for a learning curve! Without the | | | | and then coaching them to improve. A key part of |
| development support the newly appointed manager | | | | this is to provide useful feedback and support. (Not |
| has a limited range of choices. A typical response is | | | | just blaming or criticising or saying how you, the |
| to think about role models we have known and | | | | manager, would have done it!) There is also an |
| adopt and adapt what we liked or respected about | | | | element of communication and relationship building to |
| them. This is often done unconsciously as well as | | | | keep the seller informed of things within the |
| consciously. Entering a new role with more | | | | organisation and also getting to know more about |
| responsibility carries different pressures. These will | | | | them. None of these is really achievable working from |
| cause most people to feel some degree of | | | | a desk and trying to manage by telephone and email! |
| under-confidence. To overcome this, it is natural to | | | | A minor part of the day is to also meet with |
| do some things which will help to reinforce | | | | customers and find out what they are thinking about |
| confidence. For many, this will mean finding | | | | the organisation and its service. |
| opportunities to prove they are worthy of the new | | | | If the organisation has a key (or major) account |
| role. Where are these? Dealing with customers, | | | | strategy, there might be valid reasons for the sales |
| chasing the large order and proving to the sales team | | | | manager to have direct contact with some of the |
| why the manager should have been given the job! | | | | personnel in the accounts. This should be at the |
| This latter approach may help the manager feel more | | | | direction of the account manager or sales person as |
| confident, or give then the buzz they had when they | | | | they are in charge of the account. The sales |
| were a seller. It will probably also start to diminish any | | | | manager is there to support them not to take over! |
| respect they may have from the team, especially if | | | | There will be some other time with the sales team, |
| some of these orders are taken from their | | | | whether one to one or at sales meetings. The sales |
| customers. It hardly does their confidence any good | | | | manager can use these to review performance, |
| as they will feel undermined! | | | | communicate, deal with problems and agree the way |
| The root of the problem is frequently something as | | | | forward. The balance of the sales manager's time |
| fundamental as the actual job description. How well | | | | might be spent between doing their own |
| does it set out the range of responsibilities and | | | | administration activities and also interacting with other |
| tasks? Does it define the competencies required to | | | | functions in the organisation. |
| do the job well? The key outcome for a sales | | | | Across all of these there is no emphasis on being the |
| manager is to achieve the required sales targets and | | | | super seller!! The role is to be the sale manager. This |
| margins. This should be done by using the resources | | | | means getting the results through the resources |
| effectively, especially the sales team! Taking a few | | | | available - and the main resource is the sales people, |
| orders might help in the short-term and reinforce the | | | | whether in the field or on the phone. The sales |
| ego of the sales manager, it will not provide an | | | | manager needs to develop their management skills in |
| ongoing solution for under-performance with team | | | | analysis, planning, monitoring and then grow their |
| members. | | | | leadership skills alongside these to develop and |
| What can be done to improve this and make sales | | | | support their people. Learn to get motivation through |
| managers operate more effectively? Begin at the | | | | seeing the team achieve rather than getting that |
| beginning with a clearly defined job description as | | | | deal! The job can become more enjoyable, the sales |
| mentioned above! This can be a great help with | | | | people are more successful and positive, and results |
| recruitment or promotion and might reduce the | | | | improve. Do this and everyone is happier from the |
| classic tendency of promoting the top seller. (A | | | | top down and through the sales team! |
| frequent recipe for disaster as they may not | | | | |