characteristics of great sales management
DESCRIPTION
Before you can build a sales management function in your organization, you first have to understand what successful sales management looks like so you do not make some of the classic mistakes most companies make. This is an overview of what great sales management looks like.TRANSCRIPT
Characteristics of Great Sales Management
Sales Management Series Class 1
Agenda
1. Understanding sales management
2. Defining your opportunities
3. Building your team
4. Goal setting
5. Developing a Sales Management plan
6. Motivating and leading
Sales Management
• What is it?
• Why do you need it?
• How do you develop it?
• How do you make it part of the culture?
Top 10 characteristics of a successful sales management function
1. Has a seat at the table to help craft the vision
2. Is the voice of the customer and the sales team throughout the organization − cross functional
3. Is always looking for a better way of doing things to get better results
4. Knows how to prioritize and motivate others
5. Has a methodical approach to the market – able to direct resources
Top 10 characteristics of a successful sales management function
6. Wants to win
7. Can build a team – Coach – Make tough decisions
8. Uses data to guide decisions – objectivity
9. Not afraid to give credit to others
10.Sells more through the team than they can on their own
1. Have a Vision/ Organizational Alignment
• Know what you want to be and where you want to go
• Never satisfied
• Agility
• Have a publicized goal - BHAG
2. Market Oriented/Customer Focused
• Know their “ideal client”
• The customer is king
• Aligned on the customer like a LEAN manufacturing process
• Outstanding marketing content
− Client-centric
− Multiple channels
− Communication
3. Culture of Continuous Improvement and Learning
• Make improvements over time at all levels
• Realize improvement is not a cost
• Culture of innovation
• Bottom up solutions
4. Operate Under a Sense of Urgency
• Shorter sales cycles
• Custom solutions
• Offensively and defensively strong
• Eliminate constraints for the sales force
5. Process Driven
• Defined processes and systems
• Clearly define how a customer goesfrom A to Z
• Flawless execution
• Coach to the system/process
• Accountability
6. Superior People
• Hire right for the right traits
• Can teach products and skills
• Can’t teach enthusiasm or drive
• Treat people as the end
• Give the people the tools they need
• Invest in them (training)
7. Results Focused
• Tangible results are still a primary objective of any company
• Success comes from execution at all stages
• Successful funnel management
− Volume and velocity
• KPI’s – leading indicators
8. Can Measure Success
• Sales and profits do matter
• How you get them matters
− Professional sports teams analogy
• Utilize business intelligence
• Consistency/rhythm/cadence
9. Reward Success
• Celebrate success
• Pay for performance
• Give everyone skin in the game
• Open book management
10. Have Strong Sales Leadership/ Sales Management Function
• Leader
• Business manager
• Coach
• Recruiter
• Trainer
Top 10 Characteristics of a Successful Sales Management Function
1. Has a seat at the table to help craft the vision
2. Is the voice of the customer and the sales team throughout the organization − cross functional
3. Is always looking for a better way of doing things to get better results
4. Knows how to prioritize and motivate others
5. Has a methodical approach to the market – able to direct resources
Top 10 Characteristics of a Successful Sales Management Function
6. Wants to win
7. Can build a team – coach – make tough decisions
8. Uses data to guide decisions – objectivity
9. Not afraid to give credit to others
10. Sells more through the team than they can on their own
Having a Goal and a Vision
•What is your goal?
•Financial VS Non-Financial
Marketing Message
• Not about you!
• Who is the customer?
• What do they want?
• How do they buy?
Benchmarking
•Where are you today in your efforts?
Hiring for Fit
• Personality assessments• Motivators• Sales traits• Environmental factors
Sense of Urgency
•What happens when you leave today?
•Complacency Test
Defined System and Process
•What is your Sales Process?
•What is the Buying Process?
•What is your on-boarding process?
•Hand-off?
•Closers VS Account Managers
Leading Indicators
• Leading vs. lagging
• Rear view mirror or speedometer
Measuring and Celebrating Success
•When was your last party?
•Would you even know when to throw one?
Compensation Alignment
•Straight salary
•Cash incentives
•Top-line VS margin
•Premium incentives
•Blended
•Spiffs
•Rewards & recognitions
Defined Structure
•Regional
•Product group
•Service specialization
•House accounts
•New accounts (Eat what you kill)
Top 3 Duties of a Sales Manager
1. Recruiting
2. Setting goals and developing plans
3. Coaching
Building Your Team
Assessing talent
• Knowing who is on your team
• Are they in the right seats of the bus
• Hire for fit
• Hiring and firing
Structuring Your Team (Company)
• Leading from the front, the trenches, or the office
• By region/product/market/area code/zip code/eat what you kill
• What do the customers want?
− Support roles
Goal Setting
• What’s your goal?
• Who developed it?
• SMART
Developing a Plan
• Necessary activities
• Delegation and support
• Top of the funnel
Motivation and Leadership
• Managing former colleagues
• Leading by example
• Win commitment by earning trust
• Help sales people achieve their potential
• Share credit
• Accept responsibility
