What can first-line sales managers do to succeed in their jobs and
ultimately help their salesforce drive more sales? The answer is based
upon a belief that first-line sales management is the key link between
an organization’s strategy and the day-to-day activities of the
salesforce. Identifying the sales management disciplines using Sibson’s
Growth Management System will help guide the first-line manager through
disciplined daily action. The first-line sales manager is uniquely
positioned to play a critical role in driving the decisions made
through the Growth Management System as the direct connection from
senior sales executives to the field.
I. Directing the Salesforce.
The first responsibility of the first-line sales manager is clarifying and explaining the business strategy. While the strategic decisions around marketing strategy and product/service offerings are made at the executive level, the first-line sales manager plays a critical role in translating and reinforcing those decisions throughout the salesforce.
In addition to translating the organizational strategy to the sales team, managers need to focus the reps on the right customers and accounts. Through hands-on tactical planning with the seller, a first-line manager can confirm and align that seller’s individual direction, and focus individual efforts on the highest-priority accounts.
II. Organizing the Salesforce.
All too frequently sales roles are designed in theory, yet the day-to-day activities and sales time allocation bear little or no resemblance to the intended role. It is not uncommon for a rep to spend too much of their time in unfocused administrative functions and not enough time with their direct customer contacts or sales responsibilities.
Oftentimes managers can identify individual sales people who are performing functions that are not within the scope of their job. Here, managers have perhaps one of their greatest opportunities for improving sales performance by removing the burden of non-selling activities so sellers maximize customer-facing time. In addition to spending their time on low-value activities, reps often spend their time with the wrong type of customers. A keen awareness of their team’s territories and customers can enable managers to identify low-opportunity customers and help refocus reps’ time on the best sales opportunities.
III. Executing Against the Strategy.
The Execution area of the Growth Management System is typically the focus of most first-line sales managers. Not surprisingly, managers and sellers become most concerned about their quotas, performance and compensation. Moreover, because these elements are so individual and explicit, this is often where much of the “noise” comes from. Nonetheless, much of the manager’s influence here is primarily in the form of education, communication and coaching. For example,
The support a first-line manager offers the salesforce with the right messages and tools, as well as recruiting and training talent, will determine the salesforce’s ultimate success in selling. A first-line manager can also provide guidance from a career and competency development standpoint.
By Joseph DiMisa and Jonathan Minor
http://www.worldatwork.org/
I. Directing the Salesforce.
The first responsibility of the first-line sales manager is clarifying and explaining the business strategy. While the strategic decisions around marketing strategy and product/service offerings are made at the executive level, the first-line sales manager plays a critical role in translating and reinforcing those decisions throughout the salesforce.
In addition to translating the organizational strategy to the sales team, managers need to focus the reps on the right customers and accounts. Through hands-on tactical planning with the seller, a first-line manager can confirm and align that seller’s individual direction, and focus individual efforts on the highest-priority accounts.
II. Organizing the Salesforce.
All too frequently sales roles are designed in theory, yet the day-to-day activities and sales time allocation bear little or no resemblance to the intended role. It is not uncommon for a rep to spend too much of their time in unfocused administrative functions and not enough time with their direct customer contacts or sales responsibilities.
Oftentimes managers can identify individual sales people who are performing functions that are not within the scope of their job. Here, managers have perhaps one of their greatest opportunities for improving sales performance by removing the burden of non-selling activities so sellers maximize customer-facing time. In addition to spending their time on low-value activities, reps often spend their time with the wrong type of customers. A keen awareness of their team’s territories and customers can enable managers to identify low-opportunity customers and help refocus reps’ time on the best sales opportunities.
III. Executing Against the Strategy.
The Execution area of the Growth Management System is typically the focus of most first-line sales managers. Not surprisingly, managers and sellers become most concerned about their quotas, performance and compensation. Moreover, because these elements are so individual and explicit, this is often where much of the “noise” comes from. Nonetheless, much of the manager’s influence here is primarily in the form of education, communication and coaching. For example,
- Educate sellers on quota setting: While setting targets is rarely the job of the first-line sales manager, they can influence the degree to which targets provide the highest level of focus and motivation for the salesforce.
- Measure and manage performance on an ongoing basis: Without question, one of the most important functions of a manager is utilizing relevant metrics to measure performance. It is important to focus on measures that can be influenced by the sellers and are aligned with the direction of the sales organization. A manager should only measure areas that will have a link back to the direction of the sales organization and the responsibilities of the job. In addition, managers must also coach their team through regular activities such as one-on-one meetings, phone calls, and traveling with sellers to customer sites to transcend poor performance.
- Communicate the intent of the sales compensation plan: As with quotas, the motivational impact of sales compensation plans cannot be underestimated. It is not the sales managers’ role to dissect the sales plan with their reps. It is their role to explain, communicate and give examples of how a rep can earn incentive under various performance scenarios. All too often, first-line managers fall into the trap of trying to become a compensation expert when they should be the communicator and steward of the plan.
The support a first-line manager offers the salesforce with the right messages and tools, as well as recruiting and training talent, will determine the salesforce’s ultimate success in selling. A first-line manager can also provide guidance from a career and competency development standpoint.
- Provide the right messages and tools: A first-line manager should ensure each sales representative has the right tools to identify leads, sell solutions and develop a compelling value proposition to customers. Oftentimes these tools are a part of a sales training program or can be systems-related. By making these tools readily available, first-line managers can help make a seller more efficient overall.
- Develop sales competencies: When first-line managers understand and develop competencies, they can help identify talent short-falls and methods for filling those gaps. Clarifying to a seller the types of skills required and where they may need to develop goes a long way in building a seller’s ability to be effective both in the short and long term.
By Joseph DiMisa and Jonathan Minor
http://www.worldatwork.org/
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