No one is born knowing the secrets of sales management. If you’re a rep who’s been promoted to a leadership position, a software directory can help you find the tools that your team needs. But leadership and communication are harder. In this article, we’ll offer you some effective strategies that you can use to start growing as a sales manager.
In this role, you may only occasionally get involved to close important deals. So how do you get your team to acknowledge your leadership? The following tips should help you get started with that.
6 sales management tips
1. Maintain a positive attitude
Be a bastion of positivity. Don’t let personal issues or a tough economy dampen your optimism and passion. Look at the bright side of things and try to bring out the best in your sales team members. Your very presence should energize and motivate your sales reps to put forth their best.
2. Lead by example
Your personality and character should be of the highest standards. Do not compromise on ethics. Don’t let your sales team members indulge in fabrication, over-exaggeration, or misrepresentation just to sell more. Also, don’t let them treat the competition unfairly in a bid to show your company’s products in a better light. Your work ethic should be of high standards, and you should be willing to put in long hours to be an example for the team.
3. Demonstrate loyalty
Your sales team must understand your loyalty to the organization and its services or products. Believe wholeheartedly in your company’s goals, the products you sell and how you market them. You need to show full trust and conviction in your company’s sales philosophy, sales processes, operating methodology and its future in the industry. Therefore, you should eat, sleep, talk, walk and epitomize your company’s sales objectives all the time.
4. Lead by example
Show your team members that you have already practiced what you preach. For example, if you stipulate that each team member should close seven sales deals every week, they should know that you personally met this target when you were in the same position. Otherwise, there can be credibility issues about your leadership and the sales goals you set. Your team should know that you are personally willing to accomplish what you ask from them and have also done earlier in your career.
5. Guide reps to success
A winning sales leader effectively communicates his vision and expectations to team members. Provide direct and clear expectations to help them focus on important tasks and goals. Be encouraging and positive, and motivate them to enhance their performance continuously. Plus, be generous with praise and recognize their hard work and successes. Check with them at regular intervals to ensure they are on track and to spot any workload adjustments.
6. Drive high performance
Prepare realistic and challenging goals for your team members so that they stretch themselves fully (without burning out). If the goals are too easy, they may not take them seriously. Therefore, communicate high expectations to keep them on their toes. Tell your team members when their efforts are clearly working and will help to meet the company’s sales goals. Motivate them to work harder and improve future achievements.
We hope these tips help you to lead your sales team by example and effectively communicate your vision and targets. Feel free to share your own sales management ideas with us below.
