HTSS43 - Traits of good sales managers - Scott Sylvan Bell

Ideas for managing salespeople better  

There are multiple ways to look at what a sales manager does. A good sales manager is an asset to not just the company but also the sales team. When you have a good sales manager you should pay attention to their traits.

Sales managers can either be good or bad. There are plenty of challenges with being a sales manager. Some of the challenges come from external issues and some of the problems come from internal drivers.

Top sales management skills and traits

One of the toughest things sales managers face is leading by example. To be good at managing it take leadership skills. These skills can be learned over time and most people do not have them naturally. A good sales manager will lead by example to the people who they work with and who work for them.

Salespeople love recognition  

One way to motivate the salespeople on a team is to congratulate them for good deeds. Public recognition is one of the greatest ways to build momentum for a sales team. Top salespeople love to brag just as much as regular salespeople. When a person can get in front of a team and thump their chest an internal drive may be created.

Giving the public recognition in front of a sales team mixed with the ability to express themselves in front of the group does help make a difference.

A well placed piece of recognition one on one goes a long way as well. This can be done face to face or over a call.  

Show me the money

Salespeople are also driven by money. A surprise bonus is one way to get the attention of the team. When its time for salespeople to get paid it is important to make sure they get their money. If a salesperson is worried about their commission in a sales presentation they will lose their focus on their client.

Making sure games are not played with money is one of the best ways to lead a sales team and show them they are safe in closing deals.

The greatest traits of a good sales manager

Let the team know they are safe to ask for help. New salespeople struggle out of fear they will look dumb so they don’t answer questions. It is important to squash ball busting when someone asks for help. If a salesperson is really struggling they can be brough in off time and not hold up a whole sales meeting.

Defend the sales team in front of others and make sure they see it or hear about it. Basketball coaches who get the Technical in front of the bench can rally the troops.   

Fighting for commissions when there is a gate keeper or bean counter trying to take their money shows you understand that their work is important.  

If you are privy to information it is beyond essential to hold confidences and not share what has been told.  

Answering the phone call, text message or email when a salesperson needs help can lead to more closed deals. This also means being willing to help close a deal in person, over the phone or through assistance.  

The training of sales representatives

If a sales team votes on the skills of a new sales representative after they are trained it can remove some friction. Test the new guy or girl in front of the team and let the team vote if they should get leads. This means you let the new sales representative role play as proof they belong. This is a way to get buy in the new sales representative is not chewing through leads that could have been sold by a better salesperson. (check your local laws for this event)

When you bring in good trainers that can actually help. When you push out bad trainers the team can see you understand what they go through.  

Limiting meetings that are unnecessary can also build moral on a team. There is no real money to be made from sitting through countless sales meetings. If a skill is being trained for that is a different story. All meetings should always work off an agenda even for outside trainers and vendors.  

 

How to have the tough conversation

A good sales manager will be able to have a conversation about any topic. When a salesperson gets a meeting schedule sent to them they already know there is trouble. It is important to have a tough conversations the right way. This means it is all about the conversation and talking through the problem. Yelling and screaming doesn’t work nearly as well as a conversation about expectations and how they were not met.

Tell the salespeople the problem and hold them accountable. One way to make this happen is to put the onus on the salesperson and make them come up with their game plan. If the plan doesn’t work modify it. The salesperson should sign off on what they agree to and understand timetables as well as what is expected of them.  

Get the poison out

The last thing you want from a salesperson is to walk out of a sales meeting and take out their problems on a new lead or a client. One of the ways to deal with the bad feelings after a meeting is to let the salesperson say what needs to be said and get everything off their chest. You will see a moment where there is a shift in the body language.

The permission to speak freely session allows the salesperson to walk out of a meeting and not complain to the rest of the sales team dragging them down as well.  

This is not the only list

This episode is not the end all be all of what it takes to be a good sales manager. There are plenty of other ways to help a sales team move forward.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@Scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #podcast #howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California