XXXX why did sales last year not complete the target? RETHINK IS YOUR CHIEF CONCERN YOUR SALES QUOTA OR THE CUSTOMER BIZ PROBLEM

TO TAKE A GIANT STEP IN STATEGIC SELLING ... grow your sales managers who have to lead the key account management team along a new plane

7 Proven ways to become

 a Great Sales Manager?

Don't make the same mistake many Marketing Chiefs make by automatically promoting your company's best salesperson to sales manager, unless he or she possesses the qualities necessary to manage, not just those qualities necessary to sell. The jobs are quite different.

 What made them all GREAT  is that they followed the same eight practices of the great sales manager:

¨     They asked, “What needs to be done?”

¨     They asked, “What is right for the enterprise?”

¨     They developed action plans.

¨     They took responsibility for their decisions.

¨     They took responsibility for communicating.

¨     They focused on opportunities rather than problems.

¨     They ran productive meetings.

¨     They thought and said “we” rather than “I”.

The first two practices gave them the knowledge they needed. The next four helped them convert this knowledge into effective action. The last two ensured that the whole organization felt responsible and accountable. The great sales manager, focuses on contribution. He looks up from his work and outward toward goals. He asks: “What can I contribute that will significantly affect the performance and the results of the company I work for?”

In addition there are some natural talents and some basic qualities that all good sales managers possess Fortunately, most can be learned.

Here they are; make sure that if your current sales manager (or someone you are considering promoting to sales manager) doesn't currently possess these characteristics, he or she is actively working on developing them.

 1.   BE PASSIONATE & COMMITED TO YOU PURPOSE.

All the studies by leading research organizations in the field of sales success, indicate that enthusiasm is the number one characteristic for success in life. Enthusiasm breeds commitment. A committed sales manager will figure out a way to overcome adversity especially when the sales graph is low..  Commitment breed persitance Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. A great sales manager is committed to the success of the project and of all team members. He holds the vision for the collective team and moves the team closer to the end result. It's the great sales manager's commitment that pulls the team forward during trying times. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

2.   BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE.

If a sales manager is not people-oriented he or she doesn't have much of a chance of succeeding in this job. Treat people not as they are, but as they are capable of being. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Sales managers must care enough about their salespeople to help them reach their full potential. This is no easy task. A great sales manager must be skilled at slowly, but surely converting individual liabilities into assets. Give your sales force permission to grow through honest mistakes… that’s how you build a sales force. Don’t assume you are a genius who never made a mistake and you must have geniuses in the saleforce who will never fail. “It is amazingwhat you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

 

3.   CREATIVITY … NEW SITUATIONS CALL FOR DIFFERENT ACTIONS

Creativity is what separates competence from excellence. Creativity is the spark that propels projects forward and that captures peoples' attention. Creativity is the ingredient that pulls the different pieces together into a cohesive whole, adding zest and appeal in the process. Don't throw the same formula for every sales campaign. New situations call for different actions. If a sales manager wants different results, he  must have the willingness to try different things. Flexibility and versatility are valuable qualities in a great sales manager. Beneath the flexibility and versatility is an ability to be both non-reactive and not attached to how things have to be. Versatility implies an openness - this openness allows the leader to quickly change on a dime when necessary. Flexibility and versatility are the pathways to speedy responsiveness. “An ability to embrace new ideas, routinely challenge old ones, and live with paradox will be the effective leader’s premier trait.” – Tom Peters

4.   SEE THE BIG PICTURE CONCURRENT WITH MANAGING THE DETAILS.

 Excellent great sales managers see the big picture concurrent with managing the details. Small actions lead to the big picture; the excellent great sales manager is skillful at doing both: think big while also paying attention to the details. The context and structure we work within always have a set of parameters, limitations and guidelines. A great sales manager knows how to work within the structure and not let the structure impinge upon the process or the project. Know the structure intimately, so as to guide others to effectively work within the given parameters. Do this to expand beyond the boundaries.

5.   INTUITION…

Intuition is the capacity of knowing without the use of rational processes;. It's something that we all take for granted, yet is it not remarkable that somehow we can come to correct conclusions without having all the fact to hand and without using reason? it's the cornerstone of emotional intelligence How is it that we can form an immediate assessment of a person the first time we meet them and find that our initial insight is proved to be correct. And why is it that we can sometimes make a correct guess at a prospective customer and get it exactly right?  People with keen insight are often able to sense what others are feeling and thinking; consequently, they're able to respond perfectly to another through their deeper understanding. The stronger one's intuition, the stronger will be your ability to interview and select the right people for your salesforce.

6.   KNOWLEDGE …the cutting edge of effectiveness

A thorough knowledge base is essential. The knowledge base must be so ingrained and integrated into their being that they become transparent, focusing on the employee and what he needs to learn, versus focusing on the knowledge base. The excellent great sales manager lives from a knowledge base, without having to draw attention to it. Great Sales Manager are willing to see themselves as others see them. To be  effective they must be willing to ask questions about their management style and be willing to listen to feedback from both their sales force and their higher ups.

7.   DISCIPLINE/FOCUS…

Discipline is the ability to choose and live from what one pays attention to. Discipline as self-mastery can be exhilarating! Role model the ability to live from your intention consistently and you'll role model an important leadership quality. GET SMART AT DESKWORK (NOT ONLY FIELDWORK). Organization is the foundation of just about everything in life. For a busy sales manager- too field bound & prone to neglect his office desk, I strongly suggest that as a great sage said “It is never too late to be who you might have been.”