Sales people are often
independent, driven and confident. And because a salesperson's job is about
convincing people to do what she wants, she'll probably see through any attempt
to manipulate her. As a result, sales people are particularly hard to manage. It’s
hard, but not impossible. Effective sales management requires a slightly
different approach from management in other departments.
1. Speak plainly
Many basic management techniques
are about manipulating employees into cooperating with policies that they don't
essentially like. But these management techniques are very like to sales
techniques intended to prod prospects into buying. So most sales people will
see right through manipulation plans, which means they'll backfire on the unlucky
manager. Not only will the sales team not do what you want, they'll be irate
with you for trying to influence them. The best approach in sales management, thus,
is to be upfront and honest with the sales team. You may end up doing more
arguing with your sales people, but it's better than the option.
2. Ask for input
If you're contemplating a policy
change or a new campaign, get your team mutually and ask for their input. Then
make it clear that you take that input acutely! The best way to do so is by
using the team’s suggestions, but if that isn’t a opportunity, explains accurately
why you can't use their ideas. Showing that you respect your sales team is the
first step towards getting them to respect you.
3. Explain
Don't tell your team about new
policies or measures and leave it at that. When you make a change that affects
the sales team – whether it's a different compensation structure or a new order
form – explain why you're making the change and why you think the new move
toward will work better. You can resolve a lot of offense by showing the sales
team what they have to gain by doing things in a different way.
4. To be a team player
Sales managers are often in a
middle management position, with sales people reporting to them and other
managers or executives above them in the corporate structure. In this state,
higher levels of management often pass down policy changes to the sales manager
and expect the manager to report to them as to the performance of the sales
team. As the person in the middle, your role is to act as an interpreter for
both sides. When the CSO sets a new policy, find out why he's chosen a new
approach and pass that information along to the team. And if your team is
struggling, work with them to find the cause so that you can explain the
problem fairly to the executive side.
5. Treat all your sales people equally
Given that there are a restricted
number of hours in the day, many sales managers focus their coaching efforts on
the best and bad sales people on the team and let the ones in the middle do
their own thing. Unluckily, this approach doesn't accurately send a positive
message to the abandoned salespeople. Set aside time to meet with every member
of the sales team regardless of their performance.
6. Give positive feedback
Sales people are apt to have two
top motivators: money and recognition. You may be limited in how much money you
can shower on your sales people but there's no limit to the appreciation you
can provide. If a salesperson is performing well, praise her both privately and
in front of the team. Any time a salesperson's performance improves markedly –
even if he's not doing much better than the rest of the team – make a point of
showing him that you noticed that improvement. A little positive feedback can
do wonders to boost your team's morale and get them performing at an even
higher level.
Also read about the Different Areas of Human Resource Management
Also read about the Different Areas of Human Resource Management
