5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became A Sales Manager
There are some pretty archaic views around about how a sales manager works and achieves their targets. And let’s be honest, this is a tough job. Without the right tools and methodology, it could even be a potential dead end.
1. The Leap from Sales Rep to Sales Manager
The first thing to appreciate is the big gap between being out in the field or having a specific sales function and being the person managing the whole sales process.
Instead of focusing on your own targets, you now have to understand and coordinate a diverse team of people, with different strengths, challenges, ways of working and stress points. You can’t simply teach them to match your own style – you have to coordinate them; making them better versions of themselves.
2. Gather All The Tools of Your Trade
Being ready to take on a management role is a given if you got the job. But that’s not to say you don’t need preparation for the tasks ahead. Sales management training would be useful, but if possible find a sales manager mentor, someone who has been on the job a while and knows the ropes.
3. Build Your Own Sales Pipeline
Make sure that you have lead generation systems in place to support a steady flow into your sales pipeline. You are only going to be effective if you are working with qualified leads of the right quality. You can’t always rely on existing databases and prospecting methods for this. When you first start out on the job, it’s the perfect time to introduce systems you have faith in. You are setting yourself up for success, rather than hoping inherited leads and the existing pipeline is sufficient to prove your worth.
4. Develop Your Own Sales Culture
Another great start as a sales manager is if you refresh or even reinvent the sales culture within your team. Your new role is as much about getting the best out of your staff as is it about keeping lead generation healthy. The whole sales process revolves around everyone being data-driven, agile, accountable, ambitious and working towards a common vision.
5. Can’t Ignore Sales coaching
Sales Model is changing and the new sales model consider sales coaching is a very important “must-do” thing for a sales manager. It has been seen how significantly sales manager do so well if they are well-coached.
Take some time to get to know the team well, find any skills gaps and fill them in a “no blame”, constructive way.