HTSS57 - Why I hate my sales manager and the problems it creates - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why I hate my sales manager and the problem it creates

There could be multiple reasons why you hate your sales managers. When you look at it some of these reasons could hold you back and some of them may be dead on. If you want to learn how to sell more and how to close more sales you will need to figure out if it is you or them. All too often salespeople want to only blame the sales manager for the problems they have. The challenge is to look inside first and then see if it is the sales managers fault.

10 reasons why you hate your sales manager

• The job of sales managers is to hold you accountable, that’s their job. Some salespeople don’t like the accountability or they don’t like authority. There are multiple items in the management arena that a manager can be or do that may drvie you nuts:
• They have the uncomfortable conversation with you – they tell you how it is
• Being in sales is about winning and they want the team to win, this means coaching conversations.
• They push you to be better, they push your buttons to do this and you may not like it
• They don’t take your sales process and they see through you when you make excuses about not closing sales.
• You may have an immature idea of what management is and are too friendly with the sales manager and don’t see them as your leader.
• You haven’t worked with them enough to see their style or how the develop people.
• You may dislike people who have the same weaknesses – it may be you are too similar

Take some time to get to know them and see if it is you first or them first. Sometimes one bad conversation leads to problems and you may have needed the conversation.

 

2. If they know how to hire and they bring closers in it may put you in the lower position on the team. In your mind these closers make you look bad and that hurts your feelings. This internal ranking can cause you problems. You do have to get over your your own insecurities and realize there are closers out there with better skills than your own.

 

3. The manager can close deals easily in front of you and you are jealous. You don’t like the skills they have and their ability to be a top salesperson and a manager. It may even be you don’t like the way they sell or how they talk to people. A passive salesperson will see things differently than and aggressive salesperson. Their skills may make you uncomfortable with how they sell and how they close deals. You can always learn something about the people who sell when you watch them.

 

4. When you look at the actions of the sales manager they are an evil person.

This sales managers can have a trash talking issue and say some horrible things about you behind your back.  This type of sales managers can say one thing to the team and act a different way with the owner or other manager. If they don’t hold confidence this makes the problems even worse.  Overall they are not a good person and it hurts the sales team.

 

5. For some companies they were put in their position for a bad reason. Management wanted a mouse and not a leader. In some ways this person could be a horrible person because they are a bad manipulative person. Most salespeople can see through this type of management. Sometimes this manager has no idea the games that are being played on them.

 

6. There are times were they never a good salesperson and they were a people pleaser. They were put in place because they couldn’t make it on the sales team but the owner or manager felt they were a good person. They don’t have anything relevant to talk to you about because they don’t have sales skills and they never will.

 

7. They cant help develop you as a salesperson. This isn’t their only responsibility and you

cant count on this anyway. You will need to work on your own sales skills and talents.  

Get your own coach or mentor, read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos and implement what you have learned so you can go close more deals.  

 

8. One of the worst things is when they manager des not stand up for you when they should. You may have commissions owed to you or their may be a problem wrong with a client. You know this manager does not care and it sucks.

 

9. Its all about the money for them, it’s the only thing they talk about and they are not relatable when you do talk to them.

 

 

10. If they are a weak salesperson they duplicate themselves and you end up with more weak salespeople on the team. Weak sales managers tend to hire weak salespeople. The problem with that is the team will be stocked with roughly 70% horrible salespeople and 30% closers.

Some of the reasons you may hate your sales manager may be real and some of them may be not so real. What you need to know is it is you against you first in sales. You have to develop your skills and talents so you can move if you need to. Look to blame yourself first and work through your problems. If you do work for a horrible sales manager move and go somewhere else to work.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Podcast #Howtosellshow #Sacramento
This episode was recorded in Sacramento California