How to Become a Better Sales Manager

An effective sales manager is more than just the best salesperson with a promotion. You can become a better sales manager by stepping out of your salesperson shoes and developing your coaching skills. Yesterday's sales manager functioned as a watchdog and a nag; today's sales manager motivates the team to make its numbers.

Instructions

1. Determine what makes an effective sales transaction in your field. This helps you to hone your coaching strategies. If cold calls define your field, this requires different confidence building skills than a situation where the salesperson must build long-term relationships.

2. Respect the different selling levels of your team members. Few sales teams consist entirely of top producers. It's fine to encourage a competitive spirit, but listing everyone's numbers in a public place can cause resentment and low morale among less successful salespeople.

3. Let go of your desire to control the sales transaction. If you've worked as a successful salesperson in the past, it's tempting to take charge of a sales transaction that's coming unraveled. However, a good sales manager works through others.

4. Elicit the critical thinking skills of your salespeople by questioning them about their sales techniques, rather than telling them what to do. Selling is a dynamic process, so you can't coach salespeople with an imitative teaching style. The dictum you issue for this sales call could fail at the next call.

5. Stay abreast of the selling environment and market trends. While you don't need to put your hands in every pot, you shouldn't let communication technology like text messaging and email to put a barrier between you and the real world. Attend sales calls and professional conferences as necessary.