5 Keys to Hiring the Right Sales Manager

There are few decisions more critical for a company than the hiring of the leadership of their sales organization. Yet, few know how to do it well. Many err and promote their best seller to a sales management position. Why this is called a promotion is beyond me. The job of the sales manager is vastly different than that of a sales person, so why is this considered employment elevation? Often times, sales managers earn less than the top sales people. Promotion?

Some sales people make the transition successfully, but many struggle with the change. Sometimes, it is a mismatch of the person to the role. However, more frequently, the struggle is caused by the lack of recognition by the company that this is not a promotion, but rather a move into a completely new job. How do you handle an employee in a new job? You train, mentor, and monitor their performance! Look, most people do not come out of the womb with the skills required to be an effective manager. Thus, it is a key responsibility of the company to recognize that when moving their top sales person into that role they need to own the development of that individual. A congratulatory handshake and smile just will not get it done.

Many companies look for their sales management candidates from outside their organization. This approach also has its challenges. Whether you promote from within or hire from outside, consider these five points to make sure you find the right person for the role.

Selling versus Managing. If you consider the broad spectrum of responsibilities from selling business directly to managing a team, what percentage of the time do you expect this person to be focused on personal selling versus managing? As mentioned above, the skill set required for those two responsibilities is vastly different. It is also difficult to find professionals that have equal strength in both skill sets. Often times, there will be a trade-off. If there is a sacrifice to be made, it makes the best sense to select someone who has their primary strength in the more predominant part of the responsibility.

If the decision is made that the position has equal responsibility for selling and managing or the dominant responsibility is selling, it may make sense for an internal hire. This allows the company to develop a new manager. However, the plan falls down if the company is not committed to a development plan.

Creating versus Executing. Another consideration is what your expectations of the sales manager are relative to developing the corporate sales architecture (the framework of the sales organization). In some companies, there is a plan already in place and the job of the sales manager is to ensure the plan is executed as written. In essence, the job is to motivate the troops and coach them to make sure revenue targets are achieved. This is usually the case for mid-level sales managers.

In other situations, the primary job is to establish the overall direction of the sales organization, formulate the compensation plan that supports that direction, and execute the plan. Needless to say, this is a very different profile than the sales manager described above.

Title versus Responsibility. Check any job board and you will find a plethora of titles referring to sales management. However, there is not a direct correlation between title and responsibilities. This can create a disconnect with the new manager and with clients if those two are not synchronized. If you are going to give someone the title of Vice President, there is an inherent expectation that this is a high-responsibility, high-authority position. When clients hear that title, they believe that this person is a senior-level person in the company and can make decisions. Thus, this can create client frustration if the responsibility and authority are not consistent with the title.

At the other end of the spectrum, calling this person a sales manager creates a more junior-level perception. There is nothing wrong with the term, but it is important that you recognize the created perception. Again, this can cause issues with both the person in the role and clients if the responsibilities does not match the title. Some very good sales management candidates will elect not to apply to your company because they believe it is a junior-level role.

Interviewing. Probably the toughest role for which to interview is the sales manager. For one, they are experienced in interviewing. They know the desired answers. They know the sales lingo and buzz words. How do you get past the fluff and get your real answers? One way is to develop a list of benchmark questions that candidates are asked. This allows for comparison of answers among the candidate pool. (Send me an email and I will send you my favorite 20 questions.) It is important that the questions not follow a sequence so that the candidate cannot build off their prior answers. Be sure to document the responses to each so you can review them later. You will be amazed by what comes out of this step of the process.

Another important consideration when interviewing these candidates is with whom they will need to have a healthy business relationship to be successful in their role. For example, there is an inherent strife between sales and operations. However, the company will fail if the leaders of those two areas are not able to work together in a productive manner. Consider the various department leaders with whom this person will interact and engage them in the process. This also helps the new manager assimilate into the organization once they are onboard.

The Ultimate Screening Tool. The most effective tool that I have found in screening sales management candidates is the request for the submission of a written business plan. When the candidate has satisfactorily completed all of the other steps of the pre-offer process, the request is made for a one-page business plan that shows how they would approach the job. I mention the one-page scope three times in the conversation so my expectations are clear. The candidate is asked by when they can submit the document. It is important that the submission date be asked of the candidate, not the other way around as you will see in a moment.

The benefits of this step are numerous. For one, it shows if the candidate can communicate in written form. Writing is a lost art in business, but a critical one for someone in a leadership role.

Another benefit is that it shows if the candidate understands what the role entails. A number of hours have been spent with the candidate by this point. If they are near the finish line, they should have a clear vision of the expectations.

Another is to see if there is a synergy in the approach to the role. It is best to see before the marriage is performed if their approach is aligned with the vision of the leadership team.

Still another is the ability to see if this person can meet a self-imposed deadline. I asked when he could have the plan to me. He provided me with a date and time. If it is late, the candidate is no longer considered for employment. End of story.

Finally, in this role, I am the client. I have asked for a one-page plan, not an epic. Do they follow directions? Or do they ignore what the client desires and do whatever they want. While I do not eliminate candidates solely for this, I refer to this in a follow-up session with the candidate.

One final point that is critical when hiring is to background screen. Resume fraud is at an all-time high! Candidates lie about employment history, salary history, and their education experience, not to mention criminal history. Find a reputable firm to do this work for you. If you would like my white paper titled, Are There Criminals On Your Sales Team?, send me an email.

Finding the right person for your sales management role is difficult. It is also expensive. These five keys will help mitigate the risk and create a happy, healthy sales marriage between you and your new employee.

Sales Manager

Intro

If you want to make sure that you’re the best sales manager you can possibly be, why not check out these helpful sales manager hints below? By employing some of these sales manager tactics, you’ll soon be able to motivate and direct your team better than ever before.

Sales Manager Strategy #1: Learn as much as you can

To become the best sales manager you can, you really need to stay up to date on sales topics and trends. This means you must read books and articles on the topic of sales, even when you’re not on the job as a sales manager. Keeping yourself informed should always be in the back of your mind, so the next time a brochure for a sales manager training comes across your desk, don’t put it in the “circular file.” Instead, look it over. You just might benefit from attending this kind of sales manager seminar.

Sales Manager Strategy #2: Get a sales manager mentor

One of the greatest ways you can improve as a sales manager is to learn from someone who is already a successful sales manager. If you don’t currently know someone who fits this bill, ask around at your local Chamber of Commerce. They might be able to hook you up with a professional sales manager who can assist you in becoming a terrific sales manager. And who knows? You may just become such a sought-after sales manager that someone asks you to mentor them!

Sales Manager Strategy #3: Give your employees the tools for success

It’s tough for sales staff to perform at their highest levels if they haven’t been given the tools necessary to succeed. One of the best items you can offer your employees as their sales manager is a sales management software program. There are some terrific ones on the market, such as Prophet, a program that works with your current MS Outlook system. (You can find out more about Prophet at Avidian.com.) By enabling your colleagues to become lucrative sellers of your products or services, you’ll be doing them a huge service as their sales manager.

Sales Manager Strategy #4: Provide consistent, measurable feedback

It can be very tough to offer feedback as a sales manager, because you’ll sometimes be seen as the sales manager “bad guy” (or gal). However, every sales manager must be willing to sit down with his or her employees to provide ideas and suggestions. If you’ve been avoiding this task, it’s time to start. After you institute regular feedback sessions, they’ll become much easier for you. Just remember to focus these sales manager/sales staff pow-wows on measurable data and leave emotions at the door for maximum benefit.

Sales Manager Strategy #5: Be a hands-on sales manager

Don’t sequester yourself in your office. Instead, be out and about. Show your sales team that you’re not just the sales manager; you’re also a sales person just like they. If you’re afraid to make cold calls, don’t let them know it; go ahead and fight past any of your personal fears. If you do this, you’ll be showing everyone that you’re willing to jump in the fray, and they’ll respect you more as their sales manager and leader.

Sales Manager Strategy #6: Reward your employees

When was the last time you rewarded your top-notch sales members? Was it today? Was it last week? Or would you have to look through your Palm Pilot to estimate when you last gave your team some “kudos”? As a sales manager, you should be giving your employees constant positive feedback in the form of rewards. And you don’t have to break the bank to do this, either. Offer top performers the option of coming in an hour late or leaving an hour early; pay for a team luncheon of pizza and soda when your department scores a huge account; or offer small trinkets as tokens of your appreciation as their proud sales manager. Just make sure that they realize their sales manager is watching and he or she appreciates what they do.

Sales Manager Strategy #7: Try not to keep sales manager secrets from your staff

As a sales manager, you’ll probably learn some things (maybe from your sales manager) that your staff doesn’t need to know. In fact, your bosses may tell you specifically not to pass information down to your team. However, it’s important as a sales manager that you understand when to let your colleagues know that there’s something afoot. Again, this can be a very tricky spot to be in… but that’s why you were given the sales manager position! You’re up for it; just be cautious and maintain confidentiality where required.

Sales Manager Strategy #8: Don’t blame your team for negative outcomes

If your sales were down last month, you probably wanted to blame your lackluster sales staff for the low figures. However, as a good sales manager, you have to realize that the buck actually stops with you. This means that if your team didn’t perform well, you have to take responsibility for any failure on their part. Is this difficult for a sales manager to accept? Absolutely. But if you stop blaming others, you’ll be in a much more powerful position because you’ll begin to take action when you see things starting to head south.

Sales Manager Strategy #9: Learn from your team

A great sales manager is a coach who listens to his or her players. When was the last time you asked for one of your employees’ advice? Chances are, if you’re like most sales managers, you’ve simply made decisions on your own. Instead of continuing on this dictatorial path, allow your people to help in some of the managing of your department. Give them a voice, and you’ll actually be strengthening your position as a sales manager.

Sales Manager Strategy #10: Have an open-door policy

If you want to be known as the “best” sales manager your employees ever had, you’ll need to implement an “open door” sales manager policy. This means that your staff can come to you with questions or concerns any time. Formerly, a sales manager was not encouraged to have such open dialogue with team members, but times have changed. If you want to be known as a 21st century sales manager and leader, you need to start welcoming your colleagues, even if you’re busy. That’s what separates a so-so sales manager from a phenomenal sales manager.

About Avidian Technologies:

Avidian Technologies is a software company specializing in creating software solutions for users of Outlook and Exchange. Prophet, developed by Avidian Technologies on the .NET platform, is the leading contact management and sales CRM software built in Outlook. The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. For more information, please visit http://www.avidian.com or call 1-800-860-5534.