Sales managers have a lot of responsibility. On top of hiring, firing, and training salespeople, they must also put energy into motivating their team and conceiving new, innovative ways to close deals.
Without a good sales manager, the sales team doesn’t meet deadlines, salespeople lack work, and new hires don’t receive adequate training. In the end, the entire sales department falls apart. That’s why finding the right person for the role is essential.
Excellent sales management requires a specific kind of person, so if you’re looking to fill that role in your company, look out for these eight traits.
1: Communication (including Listening)
Sales managers spend their day communicating with various people, including the sales team, other business departments, and leads. Due to this, high levels of communication are essential. That doesn’t mean only being able to speak confidently – it also includes having excellent listening skills. With these skills, they can effectively motivate their team while helping them develop within their careers.
2: Tech Knowledgeable
These days, all salespeople and sales managers must be tech-savvy enough to use the digital platforms and gadgets of the business. It is vital for managers to coach new hires on how to use those platforms. Without being tech-savvy, they won’t find it easy to do that.
When comfortable with online platforms and other forms of tech, sales managers can utilize them to maximize revenue from each rep. For example, sales enablement platforms can create short videos and other interactive lessons to bring new (and even old) hires up to speed. VISIT Allego to learn more.
3: Innovative Thinking
Great sales managers are visionaries. On top of motivating the team, they also use their experience to conceive new, creative sales strategies to drive more sales. Not only does this give the sales team creative ideas, but it also inspires them to come up with their own innovative sales plans.
4: Motivation
At its core, sales management is all about passion. That’s why all sales managers must be highly motivated. If they aren’t, how are they expected to motivate their team?
5: Coaching Experience
Training new hires is one of the biggest challenges of any sales manager. Managers need to coach them on everything, from how to use digital platforms to the best way to secure deals. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds, especially if the business’s sales department has particular ways of doing things.
By getting someone with excellent coaching experience, they can use their expertise to improve new reps’ performance and create great salespeople out of them.
6: Adaptability
A sales career changes day by day. No sales manager can expect their role to look the same throughout their career. Over time, they must lead new people, develop new strategies, and work with new technologies. Someone stuck in their ways will find this far too challenging.
Due to this, adaptability is an essential trait for sales managers. Whatever the day throws at them, they can adapt, refocus, and guide their team toward closing deals.
7: Positivity
A sales manager with tons of negativity would harm the surrounding salespeople. They would feel unmotivated, unassured, and uncomfortable in their workplace. It would lead to few sales and a high turnover rate – something every sales department must avoid.
That is why it’s crucial to hire a positive sales manager that brings motivation and passion to their work. It truly makes an enormous difference to the sales teams’ results.
8: Loyalty
Loyalty means trust and understanding between the sales manager and the salespeople. When there is loyalty, the sales team feels comfortable asking the manager for sales guidance and inquiring about career development – both of which are essential for the salespeople to succeed in their roles.
When hiring a sales manager, it makes sense to search within the sales team, as they will understand the ins and outs of closing deals for the specific company. In addition, they can use their experience and expertise to help their team reach their full revenue potential.There is a chance that you will find the perfect sales manager from outside the company. Wherever you decide to search for your new sales manager, be sure to look out for the above eight traits.
