For those of you aspiring to move into Management, ask your Sales Manager what they wish they would’ve known from the start of their management career. Chances are you’ll get a smile, a deep breath and a pensive, thoughtful moment from your boss. Listen carefully, you’re about to learn some valuable lessons.
Here are the top 10 things I learned as a manager
1. Understand the difference between Management and Leadership. Managers manage people. Leaders teach people to manage themselves through empowerment, self-accountability and sincerity.
2. You can teach anyone the industry. You can’t teach passion, enthusiasm and drive to have personal standards higher than your employers.
3. Don’t solve everyone’s problems. Teach them to solve their own and emulate you. Strategize with your sales team to come up with group solutions. They will support what they help create.
4. There are three motivators for Salespeople. A higher income, pride and confidence with an increasing skill set, and having fun on the job. Each Salesperson has a different order of importance. Give them those three things and they won’t leave you.
5. Stop trying to save Salespeople who aren’t investing time and effort in their career. You’re robbing the people who need and want your efforts.
6. Don’t try to sell Salespeople. Be direct, open and straightforward. Tell them the facts and what needs to be done.
7. Appreciate the Salespeople that don’t agree with you. You’ll learn from them if you listen, don’t interrupt and keep an open mind.
8. Have the tough conversations needed with Salespeople, your Boss and your clients.
9. Lead by example and don’t forget what it was like to be a Salesperson. Don’t change your philosophies the day you become a Sales Manager.
10. Finally, don’t ever take anything too personal. Ask yourself, will this issue even be something I remember six months from now? Laughing at yourself is therapeutic.
What would you like to pass on as a Sales Manager? What do you wish you knew the first day you started? What can Sales Managers do better? I really urge you to leave a comment – unanimously, if you prefer.
Dave Warawa PROSALESGUY
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