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Sales management

sales management The success, or otherwise, of most sales operations is generally closely linked to the quality of the sales management.

Before you blame any sales problems on the sales force, explore the factors behind the symptoms and get to the cause!  Sales people do not set out to fail - if they are struggling look at the structure, the market or your sales management!  You need good, capable and committed sales managers who are given the appropriate sales management skills and tools.

For information on how we can help to develop your sales management skills, contact us or e-mail.


Thinking about your sales management!

Investing in sales management training or development  may prove worthwhile.  In many organisations, the sales managers were previously successful sales people.  Have they been shown how to leave this behind and are their sales management skills the key factor for them?  When thinking of any form of budget for sales training, make sure part of it is allocated to sales management training!

Even if they are going well, you may want to just go through this checklist for your organisation or as a personal assessment.  Think about each of these points in relation to your own sales operation - and you can identify the key areas to address.
  • How good is your sales management (and leadership?) Think about both the systems and the people involved.
  • What areas are done well?
  • What could be improved?
  • How effective is the sales planning?
How clear is the sales plan?  Is it thorough, well-researched and easy to understand?
  • How do the sales managers spend their time?
How much time is spent in the field with the sellers?  How frequently?  Are they focused on supporting and coaching the sellers in the field and not taking over  the sale?
  • Do they provide the right direction, inspiration and development?  Do they have effective sales controls?
             What sort of planning and reporting to your sales team have to complete?  Is it              providing the right information to direct and monitor the sales people?
  • Are you using the most effective structure for your sales operation?
When was your sales structure last assessed - and adjusted to suit the organisation's strategy and the market need?
  • Do you know the Sales Process that works best for your organisation and your target market?
Can you break it into clearly defined stages and the best practices?  Does it match the customers' expectations and buying process?  Does your control system give you feedback against your sales process?
  •  Are you measuring the right things? 
Does your system look at the activity levels - or is the focus on the sales results?  Are you, and your sales team, clear about the key sales activities?  What are the key ratios you use to monitor progress?
  •  Are there clearly defined competencies for the various roles?
How are people assessed against these?  How are they developed to be able to work to them?
  • Is your organisation committed to investing in refining and developing the skills of your customer facing people - whether sales, telesales, or service?
 Is there an on-going development programme?  Do all your managers and supervisors support and coach their people?


You may like to check your own Sales Management competencies before moving on!  For information on how we can help to develop your sales management skills, contact us or e-mail.