This is the third in an occasional series of guest posts from James Hughes, sales management coaching expert and founder of Sales Leadership Consulting. You can find Jim at www.salesleadershipconsulting.com
What makes someone want your job? Well, there are people outside who want to do it because they have done a similar job. However, they don’t really know your job.
There are people in your current organization who may want your job. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine recently wrote a blog that provides “6 Killer Tips to Get Promoted to Sales Manager.”
However, I believe we have the opposite problem. Based on the work reps see sales managers doing their general inclination is “I don’t want that job?”
Why is that? Well, first of all there are already many reps that got promoted and they actively complain about the work. “It’s not as fun” It’s not fun because as a sales rep I had much better control of my time. As a sales rep, a good one, I knew my job and could get up and know how to go about it. As a sales manager there are so many new things to learn, that the job is more stressful. One of the biggest forms of stress is also the number one complaint. “Too much paperwork!” There are not many reps that yearn for a job with more paperwork. That’s not how we are made.
It can’t be the money; for the most part reps make more than sales managers. (The good ones)
It must be the recognition. No, because as a manager you know that the recognition must go to the feet on the street. It must be the goal achievement. No, because even though it is nice to make your numbers, again the real credit goes to the rep.
So, what is it that makes sales managers good at their job, makes it look fun, and gives reasons for sales reps to consider sales management?
Coaching and developing their people!!!
Of all the work you need to do as a manager, this is the one thing that is squarely in your control and where you are the largest influencer! Imagine the pride when your team makes their goal, and they each get credit, but the credit you get is that most people didn’t think that group of people could achieve their goals. The growth you gave each rep is what allowed the achievement. Each sales rep on your team got better, and everyone knows why.
So, instead of 6 Killer Tips for reps to get promoted, let me identify the 6 Critical things sales managers need to do to have people want their job.
- You need to change from getting kicks for bringing in the order, to helping others get the order.
- You must state and act that your number 1 goal is to make each sales rep more successful, better, and earn more.
- Act that way!
- Learn how to effectively coach and develop people without being an expert on everything you sell or on every skill.
- Practice coaching every day!
- Ask for feedback
The result: you become a better manager, you get more people to mention your name when they get asked “Who was your best manager?”, you have developed a “High Performance Sales Team“, you are having more fun, and people want your job so you can backfill when you get promoted!
Good Selling and Good Coaching!
You can find Jim at www.salesleadershipconsulting.com
The best sales reps make the worst sales managers.
