What are the Qualities of Sales Manager? “Listening”, “present in the work” and able to “show empathy”: here is how young people see the ideal manager. This is good; the manager is an indispensable position for the company. In a sales organization, he is the interface between management and employees, ensuring both the well-being of sales people and the monitoring of their performance in order to fit into the strategy and objectives of the company. In the face of corporate evolution, what should be the competencies of this strategic profile and what are the values it should convey? In short, we may say 5 qualities of sales manager that must be in your mind as an Entrepreneur.
5 – Qualities of a Good Sales Manager
- Be a good Coach
No more micromanagement! The superior who fights his troops and puts them under pressure is no longer necessary and it is now a coach that the salespeople need. A coach trusts and makes his teams autonomous. By empowering them to manage their daily lives, performance and track their progress, salespeople will be empowered and more motivated. The sales manager will then be able to concentrate on how to make them more efficient, to advise them at the right time, and to work for the success of each one.
Coaching also means expressing interest in the day-to-day well-being of the team: it is essential to ensure that your sales staff work in the best possible conditions with the right tools and in a professional environment pleasant.
- Being a good Communicator
The commercial strategy of a company must be clear to its salespersons: the manager must share a clear vision with his teams. To this end, full transparency in the sharing of information must be established, through continuous communication (or at each stage) on the progress of the results, the feasibility of the objectives and future projects.
To ensure that the strategic message passes and the vision is shared, the manager must be able to listen. Your coaching should not become a conference where you only give directions: let your salespeople speak, ask questions and submit their ideas, in order to understand how to help them and collaborate together.
Finally, communicating also means being able to value the employee by recognizing his efforts. To motivate its salespersons, it is incumbent on the manager to congratulate each of them or the collective work at each step passed, at each objective reached, at each challenge raised.
- Be productive and Deliver results
To have motivated and productive salespeople, you must above all set an example by being yourself. If you do not apply the advice and coaching you give to your teams, how can you be credible? Become a role model for your teams to inspire them with total confidence. Any lack of coherence, in speech as in deeds, will be felt by the collaborators.
Moreover, you cannot rely solely on your sales people if the results are disappointing. A good manager ensures the results and is the guarantor. Be factual and precise about your expectations, propose quantified objectives and above all realizable. Thus, you will be respected by your team who will be more involved in performing and achieving your common goals.
- Be recognized for Managerial Skills
On a daily basis, the sales manager is confronted with the various profiles that make up his sales team. The shy, who will work in silence, having more difficulty sharing his feelings with his superior and his collaborators, will have to be heard and considered as the most expansive of the commercial. A manager must necessarily know how to make the best of each, whatever his personality, strengths or weaknesses.
Allow more time and support for “latecomers”. As for commercial tops, those that show the best performance, they often have, paradoxically, little potential for evolution: find sources of motivated targets (more autonomy, new missions, suppression of the bonus ceiling, etc.). ). For the “squad” of your commercial fleet, remember that it has a strong need to be trained and challenge to remain motivated.
In short, for your teams to follow you with determination, be a true leader … for all!
- Be able to Accompany the Changes of its Salesmen
Knowing the cravings and ensuring that each one achieves his ambitions requires a regular follow-up of the collaborators. Discuss their prospects for evolution, then set milestones regularly and find intermediate goals. The efforts will be felt quickly and you can then adjust your follow-up according to the feedback of each one.
Because the professional development of an individual also involves personal efforts and pro-activity, the manager of the future must know and make available tools that will enable the salesperson to improve his skills. Indeed, there are in the time of the digital micro-formations solutions that can constitute excellent levers of motivation for your teams. Micro-learning, for example, offers short sequences of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, using text, images and sounds. The quizzes (available on all devices) are also increasingly appreciated by employees, making it possible to ensure their knowledge, to increase or consolidate them. Reassured by his knowledge, the salesman will dare to take more initiatives and responsibilities.
Hello everyone! This is Richard Daniels, a full-time passionate researcher & blogger. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics. He loves to write about economics, e-commerce, and business-related topics for students to assist them in their studies. That's the sole purpose of Business Study Notes.
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