A sales manager is the person who leads and guides a team of salespeople, and that's a pretty straightforward fact. The real question is, though, what does it take to be a great sales manager, and how can you bring it about?
Fortunately, it need no longer be a mystery, as the following will show you the path to take to sales manager rockstar-dom. Read on, and be enlightened.
A great sales manager ...
... Is Receptive To New Ideas
A great sales manager fosters an atmosphere that is friendly to suggestions and new ideas. Any entity that remains static is doomed to die, so you need to keep things fresh and always growing. Don't be afraid of creativity and experimentation, even if it involves a small element of risk. Also, beware of blurring the line between asking for suggestions, and simply seeking affirmation for the ideas that you've already made up your mind about. Once people start catching on that you simply want the latter (despite saying the former), they will stop suggesting things and simply sit back and let you drive the car right off a cliff.
... Is Flexible
A great sales manager rolls with the punches and is able to make adjustments on the fly, based on current performance results. If you can bring about needed change quickly and successfully, you will be an effective leader, even if the ideas that need to be veered away from are the ones you yourself came up. Call this a corollary to the first point.
Great sales leaders also know when to step in and when to back off.
... Is Consistent
Nothing is more frustrating for team members than a leader who keeps changing the way things are done, at a whim. That means staying organized, clearly outlining policies and procedures, and sticking to them. This also entails meaning what you say and saying what you mean, otherwise you will lose the respect of your team.
... Is Enthusiastic
People can't be psyched about working if the leader isn't. After all, the leader is the trend-setter, the one setting the pace. If you aren't excited about tackling the latest sales challenge, then why should anyone else be?
Part of that enthusiasm should be saved for cheering on the whole concept of teamwork in the first place. The article "Getting Your Whole Team Pulling Together" features some good insights.
... Keeps Track Of Successes
Finally, you need to have a way of measuring success. What constitutes achieving a goal? You need to keep track of your team's goals, the success rates, and define what it means to win. After all, if a team is working hard towards a goal, it's nice to know just how far they've come, and how much more is left. Not only that, by having clear-cut definitions of success, a good leader can get a grasp on how effective the team's efforts have been, and visit the possibility that adjustments need to be made.
So, if you look back at the list, you can boil it all down to: be organized, practice good communication, stay focused and enthusiastic, check your ego at the door, and accentuate the positive. And let's immediately fly in the face of that last point by focusing briefly on the negative by showing you "Seven Mistakes That May Prevent You From Becoming The Perfect Sales Manager."
Now, get out there and lead!
John Terra has been a freelance writer since 1985. He has worked on enough teams to realize that he prefers working alone.