Ralph Paglia; Internet Marketing and Sales Director at Courtesy Chevrolet


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Be a Successful Sales Manager, Not a Super Seller

There is a major difference between being a sales manager and a top-notch seller as there is a great deal of responsibility that goes along with being a manager. For starters, a manager must provide sales force motivation for the staff, as his or her career is dependent on how hard these other individuals work. In order to be good at your job, you must master sales order management and sales process management, as both of these skills will help you a great deal along the way. Motivating your team is the perhaps the most important aspect of this job, so your management skills will definitely be put to the test once you start.

The first thing that you must do is figure out what will provide sales force motivation for your team. This will allow you to develop your coaching skills in a manner that will serve each team member. Since you are attempting to build a long-term relationship with these team members, you must build their confidence in both themselves and in you as a leader.

Another extremely important aspect of being a leader is that you must realize that everyone has different sales abilities. You will find that certain members of your team will be more successful than others and there is nothing wrong with this. If you look at a professional sports franchise, every member of the team has a role. Not every player can lead the team in scoring, so part of your sales force motivation should involve getting these team members to embrace their roles within the company.

You must also be willing to relinquish your previous role of a seller, in order to become better in your new sales process management role. If you are still committed to selling, you will not be giving your team members the chance to flourish as sellers. A major part of this job is learning that your hard work will be seen in orders, rather than in your own statistics.

Make sure that you are always checking on your team’s sales force motivation, as there are many things that they should be aware of while selling. Make sure that you are not constantly telling them what to do, as this is not good for the sales process management of the company.

Finally, make sure that you are aware of the trends that are present in the industry, as this will allow you to connect with the real world and with your staff. Your sales order management will be highly dependent on this connection with the trends, so do not avoid these issues. Sales order management is a major key in this industry, as you must give your staff items to sell that people truly want to purchase.

The sales force motivation that you will instill in your team will go a long way in determining how successful you are at your job. These individuals should be able to learn from you and they should be positively motivated by your presence within this company, which will make both you and your staff successful.

Afton Village – AV Management Company – Residential Sales


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Hiring Super Sales People and Sales Managers

Hiring successful sales people and sales managers requires a scientific process, not a resume and interview ritual.  You’ve probably been fooled many times from a great impression at the interview, and then the person didn’t cut it.  S/he either quit, got fired or worse yet, s/he is still with you under producing.  Well these mistakes can be avoided, along with all the lost customers and associated expenses for training, salary, etc., by using my recruiting process.

 

The Science of Sales Person Selection

 

There are certain elements present and/or absent and/or mixed in proportions that determine selling and sales management success.  (See the White Paper described at the end of this article).  So in order to hire super sales people companies must:  Measure the amounts of each element; determine what mixes and what doesn’t; decide what can be changed or improved in the time allotted to change it; analyze findings; Interview candidates that tested positive and make your selection. 

 

This science is 96% accurate for selecting successful sales people for any industry.  That’s better than 9 super sales people for every 10 you choose.  Selling success means the person is an over-achiever and/or a top producer on your selling team.    Think of all the sales people you’ve hired and determine how many of them stayed with you and turned out to be top producers.

 

Selling Success Is Not a Personality Score

 

These elements are not to be confused with personality traits that are described and measured using a variety of personality tests – Meyers Briggs, DISC, etc.  These tests (although valuable for certain things) describe behavioral traits, but do not indicate (1) if a person can sell, (2) if a person wants to sell, (3) if a person has the skills to sell, and (4) if a person can sell for your company.  Now if you’re a CEO or sales manager in-need of someone to fill a selling void or generate needed sales, you’d like to know your selection has 1, 2, 3 and 4 and can hit the road running.

 

The Selling Success Elements

 

There are 4 critical strengths required for selling success – desire, commitment, outlook and accountability.  Commitment and desire are mandatory.  Outlook can be changed and accountability is manageable.

 

There are 5 weaknesses that everyone has.  The amounts and combination of these weaknesses will determine the overall effectiveness of the person.  That is; if someone is really flush with desire, commitment, outlook and accountability, but is encumbered with some or all of the weaknesses, his or her selling effectiveness will diminish proportionally.  The weaknesses relate to money sensitivity, need for approval, self image, personal buying traits, and emotional involvement.

 

Next are selling skills and a selling process that are more comprehensive than showing-up, presenting and expecting a purchase.  These include, getting to the right people, effective interviewing, fitting solutions to defined problems better than alternatives, securing commitment, managing accounts, prospecting, networking, territory development, and so on.

 

All of these strengths, weaknesses and skills can be measured either (1) in an interview by someone savvy questioning and listening for the elements – not many people are competent at doing this, or (2) from a test that gathers information, compiles it, gauges it and validates it regarding these strengths, weaknesses and skills.

 

Selling for Your Company

 

Obviously the person has to be able to sell, but whether or not someone can sell for your company will center on elements defining your type of sale – simple vs. complex; big ticket vs. small; titles the person has to connect to; highly competitive vs. specialty, etc.

 

Finally your type of management must be compared to the style that the person works best with – micro vs. macro management; coaching vs. left alone to survive; tolerant vs. nothing but results.  There are more, and all need to be compared – candidate to company.

 

What to Do to Assure Success

 

Although measuring the elements sounds like a lot of work, the task can be relatively simple.  Devise a test that measures these elements or use proven, existing ones.  Now if you get caught up in the cost of testing, just ask yourself what a failed sales person costs?  And if you get caught-up in the predictability, look to the longevity and satisfied users.

 

Unfortunately, measuring the elements is not all that’s required.  You will need to have a recruiting step.  That is, writing an ad that draws the right type of person and searching the various companies, websites, and other venues where your right person will be hanging around. 

 

This leads us to determining what the right person should look like.  What experiences, salary levels, and successes s/he should have.  Finally, your interviewing process must be set-up to see if chemistries match and to explore red flags indicated by the elements test.

 

This is the recruiting process and now I invite you to learn more about it.

Secrets to Effective Sales Management

Company’s used to as a matter of course promote the best sales person to the position of sales manager/ coach purely on the basis of their own results and not on their ability to coach and mentor their peers, thankfully this practise in most cases has ceased.

Below I have listed some of the criteria I believe to be important if you are to become a successful sales coach, these are the methods I have used personally very successfully over a number of years

CREDIBILITY

It is important that a sales coach has credibility with those he or she is mentoring.

That means they need to have walked the walk before they can talk the talk. They must have a successful sale background not necessarily have been the best but certainly in the top 10 % of achievers. This may sound contradictory to my previous statement, there is a lot more to being a successful sales coach than being a successful sales person, but you must have a score on the board before you can convince others to follow you.

Of course having a successful sales background is only the start, there are other disciplines required ensure success.

AVAILABILITY
Being available to your team is important, that is being on site when they return from their days selling, having your mobile phone  on and accepting calls regardless if it means after hours contact, being prepared to listen and act if needed, offer counselling and support as required.

I found that by setting aside 20 minutes each day to my team allowed them an opportunity to discuss any concerns they had, knowing they had my undivided attention during that timeframe. I would switch my mobile off and close my office door and it became “our personal” time. Client accounts, potential sales, progress to targets, even personal problems could be discussed knowing that confidentiality was guaranteed.

I found this process a great way to gain the confidence of my staff and even today I have people who still contact me seek advice. I must say it makes me feel worthwhile knowing I am still making a contribution.

MONITORING PERFORMANCE

When setting goals and targets too many organisations forget to monitor progress towards these goals.

In business I always abided by the principal that if you set a task then you must check progress towards it and act where appropriate. Remember “WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS DONE”

I acknowledged good performance and counselled where performance was poor. At all times my people knew exactly what my expectations where both from a results and work ethic point of view.I always held regular sales meetings where results were discussed and again good performances acknowledged.

Charts and graphs can also be useful tools when monitoring performance.

SALES MEETINGS
Regular sales meetings are important as they allow a cross flow of information from the sales manager and representatives.They must be inclusive with everyone being encouraged to contribute.An agenda must be set as this will formalise the meeting. Minutes should be taken with action points and timeframes for reporting noted. Copies of the minutes must be circulated to the attendees for they action.

I always found that by encouraging the sales representative to report on their week’s activities a healthy competitive spirit would evolve and results would improve

As a manager it is very important never to “put some one down’’ as it may inhibit ongoing discussion by intimidating the other attendees. If there was a disruptive influence within the meeting I would adjourn and have a quite word to the person concerned that normally worked.Sales meeting should always end on a positive note.

I introduced role plays into my meetings with myself as the representative and a nominated person as the customer. I invited people to put forward their most difficult objections whish I would endeavour to overcome. These role play session are followed by a question and answer session.

FIELD COACHING
Going out in the field with your sales people again build the team spirit and shows the sales person you are prepared to work at the coal face with them. Building their confidence in you as a person who can help them achieve their goals is another upside to field coaching.

You must plan your day well, understanding who is selling and whose observing. Always debrief after each customer visitation.

DELEGATION
Always be prepared to delegate where appropriate as it can be a great training tool. Ensure the task you set is understood and have a timeline in place to complete the task. Make sure you are available to assist if asked but don’t interfere.

GOOD SALES MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP.

BE LEADER NOT A MANAGER, PEOPLE MUST RESPECT YOU .

IF OFFERED A CHOICE BETWEEN BEING LIKED OR RESPECTED THERE IS ONLY ONE CHOICE…

RESPECT EVERY TIME.

Hire the Right Sales Manager

Although every organization is different, hiring a sales manager is not as simple as it looks. In fact, the wrong sales manager can quickly damage morale, if not scare away the sales reps and potentially injure the firm.

A common mistake is to promote a high achieving sales rep who wants to move up in management. Unfortunately, a highly successful sales rep may be exactly the wrong candidate for sales management. Often aggressive sales reps are impatient, lack team-player characteristics, and tend to have huge egos; these can be exactly the wrong characteristics for a sales manager.

In my opinion, the following general characteristics or traits are needed for a good sales manager:

1. Teaching skills- This includes the ability and interest to help others learn.

2. Empathy- A good sales manager needs to understand how reps feel and how to react accordingly. Sales teams can be highly emotional and fragile. Insensitive sales managers fail.

3. Ego in check- A strong ego is required, but the needs of the team are greater than the manager’s.

4. Communication skills- This skill is an obvious requirement that includes the ability to lead the sales team and to work with the other departments.

5. Relationship skills- This is the ability to create long term relationships with internal and external customers. Sales managers must be likeable.

6. Analytical skills- The best sales managers must be able to decide the strategic options in complex sales situations. They have to make the tough calls.

7. Wins through the victories of the team- Gets satisfaction by helping sales reps win; this is knocks out a lot of reps who want to be managers.

8. Ability to handle pressure- On a day to day basis, the sales manager is “under the gun” more than any employee in a typical firm.

9. Continuous learner- I find that the best sales managers are always looking for new ways to get things done. They are naturally curious.

10. Sales manager experience- I always favor gray hair when it comes to hiring a sales manager. Conversely, rookies will likely make mistakes and those mistakes could be costly.

Remember to do an extensive background check on external candidates. Look for a history of strong performances with good references. Life is short, so hire winners.

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.