Tweet

Five Considerations in Selecting a GREAT Sales Manager

Written by: Lance Cooper

Article Overview: At times, VP's of Sales, entrepreneurs, and small business owners need to select a sales manager to lead a sales team. How do they select the right person? What considerations are important? What are five important areas for selection criteria - ones that make a performance difference in a sales manager's role, and ones that we want to pay attention to when evaluating candidates?

Five Considerations in Selecting a GREAT 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 managers assume responsibility for sales team goal achievement. And, it's important to investigate their background for team achievement levels and to set clear expectations for them at the beginning of their employment. Typical expectations are set for team performance, individual product sales, territory expansion, and retention.

As a coach, sales managers guide salespeople into prospecting and sales activity levels necessary to produce enough quotes and sales for goal achievement. They create an inspiring environment in which salespeople want to motivate themselves to achieve sales goals. To accomplish the goals of a sales manager's position, a person must be able to do certain activities. They must show a competency to handle certain duties. We will call these duties (2) sales manager competencies.

Know the competency requirements for top sales managers in your industry. Examples found in a cross section of industries and sales manager positions include:

1. Recruiting salespeople
2. Planning sales goal achievement
3. Coaching and teaching in three areas: sales planning, activity (funnel) management, face-to-face skills
4. Confronting mavericks and poor performers
5. Building teams
6. Inspiring others to motivate themselves
7. 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 greater competency in the areas shown above. Group presentation skills are required in some industries and not in others.)

As you can see the competencies are the things that great sales managers can do and do well. To consistently do these tasks over a long period of time, a sales manager usually possesses certain (3) personality traits. Just as in athletics, certain traits produce speed and an ability to catch a ball. In sales management, certain personality traits allow sales managers to more naturally do the competencies shown above. Those personality traits are ....

* High social confidence and ability to ask, tell, present, persuade, and confront
* Lower social drive and need for recognition and thus a greater tendency to praise others
* A moderated goal drive with a respect and knowledge of sales systems: processes, tools,and skills
* A moderated detail-orientation to allow for analysis within a big picture orientation
* A moderated need to nurture - ability to hear an individual's needs and yet keep time management a priority
* Willingness to understand and adapt communication and coaching to different personality styles
* Out of the box thinker and creative problem solver - personal flexibility

While the goals, competencies, and personality traits combine to show what a sales manager must do, (4) attitudes and beliefs make up the philosophy that drives the system. They also define the sales team environment and whether it will be an inspiring one. And, certain attitudes and beliefs must be present to exist comfortably within a company's values. The follow list contains attitudes and beliefs most commonly found in great sales managers. Before recruiting a sales manager, it will be important for you to see which you agree with and what attitudes and beliefs you will add to the list.

- HONEST: with money, time, and promises

- HARD WORK ETHIC: the amount of hours doesn't matter

- PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: it's their ship, their watch, their people, their goals

- SERVANT HEARTED: it's all about contribution and service

- POSITIVE: meets challenges with a 'can do' attitude

Finally, the (5) cognitive strength of the sales managers is important. It determines how fast they will learn and how quickly they grasp complex information - the need for which varies between industries.

When selecting great sales managers, build a matching sheet of +'s and -'s and keep score during a best practice recruiting system. Screen, profile, and then do structured interviews. Focus on deciding if the candidate can accomplish the goals by being competent in the areas shown above. And, most importantly, for retention and for sales TEAM health, decide if the candidate will do these things naturally and in a way that will keep both sales team morale and production at high levels. Now, take the information in this article and do a better job in selecting your new sales manager. You can. Lance.

Related Articles
  Finishing Touches-Dress for Success
  Empower Your Sales People By Providing Them With Positive Behavioral Feedback
  A Top Sales Manager Adapts To The Situation…And Not The Other Way Around
  Sales Management | How To Be A Flexible Sales Leader
  Making a Logical Bid or No-Bid Decision

Article Tags: achievement levels, coach sales, competency requirements, goal achievement, great sales managers, group presentation, manager positions, managers guide, moderate ability, performance sales, personality traits, poor performers, sales goal, sales goals, sales planning, sales territory, salespeople, team achievement, team goal, team performance



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Outlook Business Contact Manager - I've just installed the new Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager and am testing it out to see how good of a CRM system it is. I like the concept because it works right within your Outlook and I already have all my contacts and emails here. Does anybody have any experience with Business Contact Manager for Outlook?
Re: what position to request? - Hi Michael, Great suggestion from David, or you could try something around a design consultancy, How about Website Design Consultant, Design and Development Manager, Website Support and Development Manager or maybe Internet Business Development Consultant. Ultimately whatever you are comfortable with and good luck for the future, Mal.
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Level 4 - Manager - Looks like I'm the first to Level 4! I'm a Manager!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Ten Twitter Tips For Work-at-Home Moms

A New Year in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Angel Investors Where Are You?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.