Sales Management Tips
Jeff Lehman
author/consultant The Sales Manager’s MENTOR
10 Biggest Mistakes the Sales Reps Make
26% - Didn’t follow client’s buying process 18% - Didn’t listen to the client’s needs 17% - Didn’t follow-up 12% - Were pushy, aggressive or disrespectful 10% - Didn’t explain solutions adequately 6% - Made exaggerated or inaccurate claims 4% - Didn’t understand the client’s business 3% - Acted too familiar 2% - Didn’t know or respect the competition 2% - Other (such as charged high prices)
(SOURCE: Harvard Business Review 2006, Atkinson and Koprowski)
One Dozen Tips for Sales Managers
The Five Big Concepts
– Be a mentor not a tormentor. – Manager + Mentor = Sales Leader – Salespeople have to work for Sales Managers. They want to work for Sales Leaders – Always be focused on helping your salespeople and your customers create more of their customers. – Find a mentor for yourself.
What makes for an ineffective sales manager?
(MENTOR, pages 17-20)
Consider this scenario:
You’ve been a top salesperson at your company and just got the “call up” into the ranks of sales management. You are thrilled and terrified. You want to keep your personal career momentum going but your new management job is a completely different job description. What do you do to keep from looking like a “new” sales manager?
One dozen tips for sales managers:
1.
2. 3.
4.
Take the time to understand that you are entering a new phase of your career and that you will need a little time to transition. Resist the temptation to continue to do what made you a success as a “Fighter Pilot” salesperson. You are now a “Ship’s Captain”. Meet with each person on your team and gather some “Emotional Intelligence (EI)” on them. Use that information only in a positive way. Go on sales calls with them and let them do the pitches. Critique them later with a constructive 1:1.
One dozen tips for sales managers:
5. 6. Find out from the members of your team how they like to be managed. Stick with that as long as they are consistently making their numbers. Treat the people below you like kings and queens…they are doing the hard work. Have kind ears…be the person they want to go to with questions and problems. Realize that a salesperson’s problem is your problem. Take bullets for the team.
7.
8.
One dozen tips for sales managers:
9. 10. 11. 12. Teach self sufficiency and resourcefulness. Set realistic sales goals. Be analytical not ANAL-lytical. Always maintain your personal integrity. Train your team constantly and review team goals regularly.
BONUS TIP:
13. Foster a fun environment for both you and your team.
If this is all seems so easy, why don’t more sales managers do these things?
THANK YOU!
jjlehman@earthlink.net