Want to be a better sales manager?

According to recent research, up to 40% of sales managers fail in their first year* because their skills fail to meet the needs of their position.

So when it comes to being a successful sales manager, what are the key attributes that help ensure success?

meta-morphose International has consulted with hundreds of companies on the recruitment, training and development of sales staff and has aided some of the countries top leaders in improving their sales performance. The following five points represents attributes demonstrated by the best sales managers.

1.) Communication. In countless surveys, clear, concise communication - free of buzz words and business speak - is rated as the most important attribute a sales manager must possess, itís no surprise that listening skills are also a major factor. Employees repeatedly cite their frustration with leaders who are comfortable talking, but not listening. ìCommunication has to be a two way process, and those who merely pay lip service to this idea will soon come unstuck.î says Roy Bowles, M.D of meta-morphose.

2.) Leadership. With 43% of sales managers admitting they could be better leaders^, its no wonder that employees often feel they lack clear direction from management. ìItís a sales managerís responsibility to offer this direction, while at the same time allowing their sales force the freedom to reach their goals,î continues Roy, ìA great sales manager guides the sales team to success when necessary, but also knows when to step back and let the team gain their own momentum. This creates an environment where individuals are empowered to succeed; never forget that great people make great things happen.î

3.) Integrity. While leading by example is an important first step, in order to properly manage with integrity, a sales leader must approach everything they do with honesty and openness, so those who look to them for direction can trust their decisions.

4.) Inspirational. ìIf youíre not excited about leading your team to success and donít actively focus on inspiring your team, its difficult to expect them to be highly motivatedî continues Roy, ìand inspiring your team is more than just setting challenging targets or congratulating people for a job well done ñ you have to live and breathe what you do, so your passion rubs off on others.î

5.) Willingness to develop. Many organisations assume that employing a sales manager with a good (or even a great) track record is enough to ensure success. While good results seem to confirm this, many companiesí sales profits could inadvertently stagnate due to a lack of development for their sales staff and their leaders. ìThe reality is that many organisations could be doubling their sales performance if only for proper support and training for their sales teams and sales managers. You need to stay fit for selling, regular experience training that changes behaviour works. Talk to meta-morphose if you want to know how to make this happen!î

*Manchester Partners International Survey
^Richmond Events