The Top 10 Mistakes Sales Managers don't even Know they are Making
Posted by Frank Belzer on Wed, Jan 12, 2011 @ 10:19 AM
After having an interesting dialogue this week with another struggling CEO I thought it might be great to share some of the mistakes I see happening over and over again. Admittedly being a sales manager is one of the toughest jobs - if not the toughest job out there. Rather than focus on some of the tactics or techniques I wanted to focus on the nuance, the negative messages and the subtle effect example might have on your sales team.
- Your sales people learn to be consultative with your clients by your example being consultative with them. Everyone wants their sales people to be consultative but so often managers operate through ultimatums, quick commands or terse comments - not consultative.
- Your sales people learn how to listen because you listen to them.
- Your sales people learn how to make your prospects feel comfortable with change because you demonstrate how it is done when changes need to be made on the team.
- Rather than holding people accountable by collecting numbers or metrics great managers focus on coaching as a means of holding people accountable.
- Managers often focus on helping the struggling or helping only the performers but great managers realize that everyone needs help.
- If a one on one discussions ends with only the sales person having a list of to do's and things to work on and not both the manager and the sales person this is a huge mistake.
- Great sales managers know how to walk the line of not being too much of a friend while not being too much of a dictator.
- Great managers realize that under performance or problems with their sales people are a result of something they are doing or not doing - even if it isn't.
- Mangers should never use their personal interests to motivate - "I missed my bonus because of you" will have no beneficial result - in fact quite the opposite.
- Great managers have a no excuses policy but at the same time they know the difference between a reason and an excuse - they don't blindly label every disagreement as an excuse.
What do you think? The impact of these errors might be subtle but believe me - over time it will tear up the fabric of your team.
