This post was originally published on lessonly.com.
I once had a job at an organization that I was super excited about. It was a brand new industry to me, but I felt passionate and interested to be in it. However, after receiving a list of all the things I needed to do and goals I needed to hit—only to not hit them—I felt like a total failure.
I wanted to do well at my new job in a new industry, but I needed help. I needed someone to train me. I needed to be steered in the right direction. What I needed was a sales coach with a solid sales management program in place that would set me up for success. After all, one of the biggest challenges sales managers face is the pressure to get their team to perform paired with the soft skills to motivate others. What the organization was missing was successful sales management training that would set teams and employees up for success.
Why the role as sales manager is one of the most complex and important positions in any organization
Sales managers are responsible for recruiting, training, managing goals and targets, motivating their teams, handling complaints, and executing marketing strategies, and the list goes on and on.
So, let’s not set these people up for failure. There are a lot of moving parts to sales management, and finding the time to effectively manage all of these functions is key.
It’s a real pity to assume that your top sales rep can automatically assume the role of a sales manager without online sales management training and coaching. But, it happens. And, it happens a lot. Just as we wouldn’t want to throw sales teams into the campfire, we can’t do that to their leaders either. The best sales management training to become a certified sales leadership professional needs to be results-oriented. That’s because sales managers have to align departmental goals with corporate objectives, then set and follow a plan for successful execution.
5 sales management topics to remember
Have you ever heard the quote from Tom Lehrer that says, “ life is like a sewer…what you get out of it depends on what you put into it?” Sales managers face a number of challenges every single day, but they can overcome them by putting in as much effort as they want to see come out of it. Some popular sales manager challenges can include:
Transitioning from rep to sales manager
The challenge: Many sales reps aspire to become a sales manager at some point in their career, but the transition can be challenging. Making the jump from a sales rep to a manager completely changes your role. It’s no longer just about making the sale.
How to overcome it: Take a step back and let your reps handle sales, avoiding the temptation to jump in and save the day. You need to be fit to run a team, be a coach, motivate others, and manage the sales process from a completely new perspective. So be sure that their sales management training clearly outlines their new job expectations and responsibilities so they feel confident in taking on their new role.
Hiring the right reps
The challenge: Getting the right people in the right seats is no joke, because hiring the wrong person can do some serious damage to your sales team’s performance, morale, and culture.
How to overcome It: Be proactive about how you hire. Sales recruiters advise knowing who you want to hire and giving the recruiting process enough time to find the right person. Make each hire count. And when it comes to sales topics to discuss, make sure they feel confident identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their team so they can hire the right person to fill the gaps.
Time management
The Challenge: So much to do, so little time. Sales is a fast-paced environment and for some, it can be a bit overwhelming dealing with all the tasks needed to accomplish each day, week, month, and year. From keeping your sales numbers up to helping your reps improve, new sales managers should have access to the best sales courses online that help them hone their time management skills and more.
How to overcome it: The key to effective time management is to have a plan. Break down your role into smaller tasks. Assign tasks a level of importance. Allot time for the tasks you need to complete each day, week, month. Create an effective plan to help you stay on track and get the most out of your work time.
Coaching
The Challenge: Being an effective sales coach is one of your top roles as a sales manager, but also one of the most challenging. It can be easy to put coaching and training on the back burner while you put out fires and manage the day-to-day. However, effective coaching can actually make your job easier.
How to overcome It: The more you coach and train your team with effective sales training content to handle objections and other issues individually, the more independent they will become. Make coaching a top priority, especially for new and poorly performing reps. It will improve your team’s skills, approach and make your team better overall.
Retaining talent
The Challenge: Finding top sales talent is one thing, but the recruiting doesn’t stop once you have them on your team. Putting effort into keeping your top performing reps is just as important.
How to overcome It: Be proactive about creating an inviting, strong, and engaging environment for your reps. While your hands may be tied to some extent as to what you can offer top sales reps, sales managers need to take steps to keep their team happy and satisfied. How you do this will depend on what motivates your team.
Sales management training courses are a great way to teach modern selling skills using the newest selling techniques. These courses present a practical way of learning using targeted, self-paced learning lessons. See how we can help.
