Sales Manager Tips

Regardless of the sport or the business, teamwork is imperative for success and the field of sales is no different. Salespeople, for the most part, work alone and their successes are individual, but that doesn’t mean a good team environment is not necessary. As a sales manager, your job is to create an environment that encourages all of your salespeople to reach their individual goals. If they all reach their individual goals, then you will have no trouble reaching your team goals. So how do you create that ideal environment? There are a thousand answers to that question but here are a few for you to nibble on.

Set your standards and communicate - If your team does not know what they are supposed to achieve, then how can they be expected to perform to a certain level? Be clear in what the goals, both individual and team, are and then expect them to be met.
Are the standards high but attainable - This is an important one for sales managers to master. You want to set the standards high, but not so high that they are not reachable. Every salesperson is going to be different and have different goals based on their individual situations. Make sure you are setting goals that are high but also within reach.
Hold people accountable - If the people who fail to meet the standards that you have set do not face consequences, then what’s the point of having the standards? Make sure your salespeople are meeting their goals; and if they are not, come up with a plan to assist them in reaching their fullest potential.
No excuses - Salespeople are not the only people in the world to make excuse when things aren’t going well, it’s human nature. As a sales manager, your job is to eliminate excuses.
Do not allow blame - This goes hand in hand with no excuses, but professional salespeople do not blame others or events for their lack of production. The bottom line is there is never going to be a "perfect" time to sell. There are always going to be built in excuses or things to blame for not reaching sales goals but that’s where an effective manager is important. Make sure your salespeople understand that production is expected in every situation.

Those are just a few things to remember as you lead your sales team in these challenging times.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Sales Manager Tips

posted: Friday, October 21, 2011

previous posts