The past few posts have been focused on
the employee, the sales rep. Being in my position, as a sales manager and
consultant, I often deal with the employees from a review, mentor, training
perspective. However, there are also times when the sales manager is the issue,
the bad boss.
Sales people come and go. That is the
nature of the role and the game we play. How they come and go, however, can be
a telling sign of the boss, the sales manager. In a smaller company the sales
team members tend to be few. If you have turnover every 2, 3, or 4 years, and
the reps perform at or above expectations, you likely have a very solid sales
manager. It doesn’t mean a bad rep doesn’t slip through the cracks every now
and then, but generally speaking you’re doing something right. If you go
through sales reps every 6 months or 1 year, you may need to look at the sales
manager.
There are a ton of great companies out
there that treat employees beyond fair. They are enjoyable to work for and with
great benefits. There are perks for the employee and their families. The
company reputation is solid in the marketplace among customers and
competitors. But, that bad boss, the underwhelming sales manager can make even
the best company not feel so great for those sales reps.
It is important that sales managers be
properly trained in managing people, not just great sales reps themselves.
Sales managers need to lead by example with the ability to explain their
process, not just show up with a closed deal and tell everyone how great they
are. Sales managers need to be supportive while professional, friendly yet
stern at times, and most importantly, sales managers need to make their reps
feel like they are a part of the team. Sure, the reps have their part too as in
hitting their numbers, but a good sales manager will make the rep feel
appreciated. Don’t be a bad boss.