When sales professionals engage me for coaching, I will usually find out more about their managers and their style of managing, so that my approach will not conflict that. In most cases, these sales professionals no longer feel that their sales manager is an asset to them, and here are some reasons to why. 5 Traits Of A Lousy Sales Manager 1. Favoritism. It is inevitable that some salespeople will be well-liked by his manager, not necessary because they have better sales result, but perhaps them sharing common interests. Sales manager, however, have to remember that if he shows favoritism, or is perceiving as showing favoritism, the respect for him by other salespeople in his team will be hugely discounted. 2. Poor People Management Skill. Sales managers, the majority of them, are where they are not because they know how to manage people, but because they fulfill the minimum criteria for promotion. With poor management skills, these managers will have challenges resolving conflicts, garnering support and commanding respect. The culture of the team often speaks a lot about the management skill of the manager. 3. Not Walking The Talk. Managing a team of salespeople is not easy. With different expectation to manage, it is almost impossible to cater to the needs of everyone. But if creating a healthy culture that promotes growth is the objective, it must start with the manager. The easiest and fastest way to bring a point across is to walk the talk. For example, apart from telling salespeople to go for roadshows, he should also be there to lend his support. Best if he is actively prospecting during the roadshow. 4. Not Killing The Black Sheep. If some salespeople in his team are sprouting vulgarities to one another as a form of communication, the sales manager should take on the responsibility to eradicate it. Usually, salespeople who sprout vulgarities in the office bring in lesser sales comparing to the rest. And by not taking any action, he is seen as protecting the less professional salespeople in his team, indirectly alienating and splitting his team into different sub-groups. A team under 10 people having 2 or more different sub-groups within it often spells of underlying problems the manager is ignoring and not resolving. 5. Stop Personal Development. It is understandable that sales managers have less personal time. That, however, does not justify why they should stop developing themselves. And when that is the case, their salespeople are also usually not into developing themselves. The ranking of the sales team often say it all. Case in point, sales managers should read more books.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 04:15:04 +0000
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