How to be an excellent sales manager?

Sales stars are not born qualified to be sales managers. The ideal sales manager must have at least six martial arts. Lisa Gershwin Turner

Don't control the sales team too much.

Sales managers complain that their work is difficult, because they must pay attention to achieving sales targets, formulating strategies and managing sales teams at the same time, and train jocelyn, vice president in charge of product development of Forum Corporation, a consulting company. Davis said. The company recently made a survey of the companies with the best sales performance in the world and reached the above conclusion. In addition, there are other findings in this study: all our interviewees report that the most important task of today's sales managers-and their weakest link-is how to teach and train the sales team.

In most cases, sales managers are promoted from excellent business people. However, those sales skills that have made extraordinary achievements may not be quickly transformed into the secret of excellent management.

Sales managers often tell me that they are excellent business people, but their initial tendency is to go out to sell. Davis explained that although they know in their hearts that they must rely on the team for their work now, out of habit, they naturally want to surpass their colleagues under any circumstances, which is their wish. They have a strong sense of self and are used to visiting customers and selling.

Promoting a salesperson to a sales manager may be a wise move or a big mistake-it depends on the performance of the promoted manager. The downside is that those sales managers who control the sales team excessively do more harm than good. And a new sales manager who just took over the sales team, his typical performance is precisely excessive control. If he wants to build a sales team from scratch through recruitment, then his control over the team is even more excessive. Such a sales manager may think it necessary to help and motivate the sales staff in this way, but doing so will only lead to excessive dependence, dissatisfaction and even hostility of the sales team, and the worst thing is to discourage the sales staff.

Help players become sales stars.

Such a sales manager can realize that actively supporting the sales staff will make them feel his value more strongly.

Just as parents want their children to succeed, those sales managers who suppress the sales staff risk hindering the sales performance of the sales team. On the contrary, well-managed managers will spend more energy to cultivate the independence and autonomy of salespeople. Only when the manager turns his attention from trying to be a top salesperson to' how to make the team do it' can he finally succeed. Davis explained that the key is to change my concept from' I am a top salesperson' to' I am a teacher, coach and influential person of my team, and their career success is my success'.

However, sales managers are often carried away by promotions. When I was promoted to sales manager, I felt that my efforts were rewarded. Cossini said, I will say some arrogant words, such as' they are all my people, all work for me', and so on, in order to establish their own prestige, belittle others and raise themselves, now it seems ridiculous.

Cossini has worked with thousands of salespeople and sales managers and witnessed the negative effects of this controlled management. Repressing the sales team and forcing them to accept your way will be counterproductive, he said. In the successful enterprises I have seen, sales managers and senior managers have created an environment that encourages people to make progress. Good sales managers don't always like to show off, but help team members become sales stars. If your team achieves excellent results, you will naturally become an excellent manager.

Be good at selling yourself to players.

Jason, the global account representative of BAX Global? Bergman used to be a salesman and sales manager. He believes that management itself is a kind of sales. He said: the difference between a sales manager and a salesman is that the salesman sells the company's products or services, while the sales manager sells the company's excellent performance to the salesman. Only one is internal sales and the other is external sales. Salespeople work for sales managers, but to a certain extent, the best sales managers are actually serving salespeople.

Usually, managers who accept this concept will adopt efficient management strategies. Taking the salesperson as a customer, the sales manager can do the same thing again and make full use of the secret of success that made him the number one seller in that year. Forum's Davis recalled that a sales manager they investigated once told them: Every time I felt panic, I thought: I am still a salesman no matter how bad I am. However, now my subordinates-my sales team-are my customers. So I began to use those sales skills to influence them, listen to their opinions, explore their needs and try to convince them.

Help salespeople set goals.

Sales goals should motivate team members to keep forging ahead, and at the same time make them proud after achieving the goals.

Setting goals is one of the important means for sales managers to influence, motivate and maintain the correct development direction of sales teams. Finding the right way to help salespeople set and achieve goals can make the sales manager's work get twice the result with half the effort. If the salesperson feels that he is the owner of the target, he will go all out to complete it. I think it's very important for salespeople to set their own goals, said Beverly, northwest manager of Ablest Personnel Company. If I set a goal for them, it means that I have given them a task, which loses its practical significance, knapp said. In the face of crisis or disappointment, salespeople can't see the future. At this time, the sales manager is needed to ensure that the sales staff can keep the right direction. As a means of making a living, sales is full of hardships and frustrations, and there are so many bitter setbacks! You must be strong, cheer up and stick to it, Chris, the sales manager of Eureka Broadband? Mcdonnell said that it is inevitable that every salesperson may lose this highly anticipated list. As a manager, you should stand up and analyze the situation and sum up experiences and lessons. When this happens, you can help the salespeople through the difficulties. You turn it into a process of learning and improving.

Know their motivation.

Sales people are different, so it is very important for sales managers to understand the motivation factors of sales people. Is to solve the problem of' what can motivate you'. Most sales managers don't care about this problem, because they think they already know it, or think that the factors that can motivate themselves are equally effective for salespeople. Davis of Forum Company explained that, for example, to some extent, everyone will be motivated by money, but everyone will also be motivated by other different things. Salespeople are eager for the sales manager to understand their actual needs and know their motives.

In some cases, successful sales managers regard their salespeople as racehorses and lay a clear runway for them to reach the finish line. Whitworth of AT&T said: I don't want them to trip over the obstacles I could have removed. I will definitely help them with the paperwork I can do or return the phone calls I can answer. I hope they can go out, concentrate on making more phone calls from strangers, expand new business and provide quality services to customers. They don't work for me, they work for themselves and the company. My duty is to make sure that they have the resources and tools they need to succeed and eliminate all difficulties for them.

When the economy is depressed, the company will reduce its sales staff to maintain its competitiveness, which requires the sales manager to be fearless and flexible. Any sales manager is unwilling to face the result of company layoffs, the reduction of sales team and the more intense competition from fewer and fewer customers. Even the most confident salespeople are traumatized.

Andy, executive director of ZS partnership? Zor Tenas believes that these challenges are an excellent opportunity for companies to improve their performance standards. He said: in a more cautious buyer's market environment, salespeople must change their sales methods. The sales manager must become a trainer, listen to the voice ahead and try to survive in the cruel market environment.

Fight for their interests

Leadership refers to being able to calmly deal with the stormy business, market, economy, competition and customers. A good leader can point out the vision, boost morale and observe discipline.

Among all other leadership qualities, the most effective is to set an example. When managers use this leadership style, they need to understand the situation at that time and solve problems from the perspective of salespeople. Stella, regional marketing manager of Livermore Hotel. Evans explained: It is very important for sales managers to understand their situation from the perspective of sales people. Mutual understanding can make team work easier.

Leadership at a higher level requires flexibility, diligence, perseverance and caring for others. The best sales managers constantly improve themselves and help their sales teams achieve Excellence. You need to let the salespeople do the work for you, for the team and for themselves, says Bergman of BAX Global. You should be an example for them to learn, and they are willing to succeed for you. To achieve this goal, you must be kind to salespeople, care about their sufferings, gain insight into their voices, meet their needs and support their work. You must fight for their interests and challenge the top of the company. If you can do this, you and your sales team will succeed.

The original text is taken with permission from Selling Rights magazine, which is 200 1 with registered copyright. Translated by Guo Yanhang. Jump from salesman to sales manager