Over the last 10 years, sales managers have seen their missions, objectives, and working methods evolve, driven by the digital revolution. The integration of digital tools, the expansion of sales organizations, or the increasing complexity of their management can contribute to turning sales managers into mere administrators.
Yet, the role of sales managers has never been so crucial for sales forces: today, it must consist of supporting teams, optimizing their sales performance, and driving change. Discover how to turn your sales managers into true coaches for their teams.
Sales Managers: Teaching as a Primary Working Tool
Sales managers are not like other managers. Indeed, they cannot be content with merely administering a sales team by noting the results obtained by each employee: on the contrary, they must support their sales representatives on the path to success and performance.
And to achieve this, the solution does not lie (only) in the distribution of rewards and sanctions. Supporting a team will be much more effective if it is based on a pedagogical effort: sales managers must therefore not only sanction good and bad behaviors, but also explain and ensure that each of their employees properly understands the objectives and tools.
Sales Management: Continuous Training to Boost your Sales Force’s Performance
A good coach doesn’t just explain: they provide concrete examples and offer role-playing scenarios to continuously train and prepare their team.
A good sales manager must be able to do the same: numerical objectives, or overly dry negotiation or prospecting methods will not be enough to motivate your sales force. On the other hand, continuous training can contribute to this: what if you continuously trained your sales representatives?
Nowadays, many learning tools allow you to personalize the training you offer your employees. This is particularly true for micro-learning platforms, ideal for familiarizing your teams with a new product, an exclusive service, or a new negotiation method. The sales manager’s role will then be to support their employees in their learning, to identify any gaps that may require specific training, and even to spot hidden talents within their team. In a word, the manager’s role will be to coach their sales representatives!
Sales Managers: Primarily Field-Based Professionals
While the digitalization of sales organizations offers many advantages, particularly in terms of performance, it has also contributed to distancing sales managers from their teams.
It is however essential to respect the operational nature of this role: the sales manager is first and foremost a field professional. They define the missions of their sales representatives, drive performance and objective achievement, without forgetting to create a link between the sales force and company management.
To transform your sales managers into true coaches, you will therefore need to allow them to return “to the field,” in contact with teams, but also with clients and hierarchical superiors.