No sales department is better than the quality of its management team. The specialist and human qualities the sales manager exhibits has a substantial influence on both the moral and the performance of their sales people. This management training article starts by looking at the characteristics a good sales manager should poses and then poses six questions to help you check out your own sales management style.
The characteristics shown in the table below are from a survey of 500 companies. The survey identified the characteristics the sales manager needs to have in order to manage a sales team successfully.
Characteristics and their Importance:
- Intellectual capacity 71%
- Motivation 95%
- Able to get on with people 95%
- Sensitivity 76%
- Dominance 35%
- Above-average energy level 93%
- Persuasive powers 82%
- Charisma 67%
- Communication skills (inter personal) 82%
- Flexibility 79%
- Ambition 88%
- Tolerance of insecure salespeople 54%
Thus, the survey showed that the five most important characteristics a sales manager should possess are:
1. Motivation.
2. The ability to get on with others
3. Above-average personal energy
4. High ambition
5. Superior inter-personal communication skills
Being effective in a sales management role increasingly means that the sales manager has to adopt a flexible attitude to changing circumstances, different salespeople and situations.
The old style authoritarian and rigid managerial style is no longer in tune with the focus of modern companies on encouraging individual responsibility in their workforce, as well as the higher demands companies make for competence and autonomy.
In the following management training questionnaire, circle the statement that sums up your management style for each section. Be honest as your answers will help you to make changes and be more effective.
1. Setting Goals
a) I provide my salespeople with a written copy of our long-term sales goals.
b) I talk with my salespeople and generally tell them their goals orally.
c) I discuss the sales goals with my salespeople and then confirm appropriate measures with them by sending them an email.
2. Giving Instruction
a) My salespeople receive regular training in the form of self-development training materials.
b) I make time for training my team. The majority of my training is focused on filling current skill/knowledge deficits.
c) I instruct individual salespeople in whatever happens to constitute their current requirements.
3. Monitoring Performance
a) We have an automatic monitoring system so that my salespeople's performance is constantly supervised and assessed.
b) I do not keep a regular check on my salespeople's performance but will address weaknesses with them on a case by case basis.
c) I routinely discuss performance (both good and bad) with my salespeople.
4. Providing Recognition
a) I praise and thank salespeople at the end of set observation periods, which are quarterly, every six months or annually.
b) I make a point of praising my salespeople but only when they have performed particularly well.
c) I routinely discuss results with my salespeople and give praise where praise is due.
5. Constructive Criticism
a) I react immediately to deviations from targets and point out errors to the individual salesperson concerned.
b) If a salesperson has performed badly I ask them to come and see me and correct their behaviour.
c) I analyse the reasons for a lack of success in conjunction with the salesperson concerned and plan improvements with them.
6. Innovation
a) I insist on written suggested improvements in order to get some well thought-out ideas.
b) I am open to all ideas raised by my team, provided they seem to have substance.
c) I am encouraging of every new idea, even if it initially appears unrealistic.
If most of your answers are 'c', then your sales management style is in keeping with the times. If, however, most of your answers are 'a', then you should review the effectiveness of your management style. You may benefit from a management training course to update your skills.
Richard Stone (richard.stone@spearhead-training.co.uk) is a Director for Spearhead Training Limited (
http://www.spearhead-training.co.uk/ ) a company that specialises in running management and sales training courses. Richard provides consultancy advice for numerous world leading companies.
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