Not too long ago I was talking with the CEO of a company that needed a new sales manager. The question came up as to where to find someone for that role. The typical go-to person is the top sales producer. They obviously know the products/services. So you ask yourself, “What else is there they should know to lead, manage and grow a sales team?”
This is a common perspective and a typical wrong perspective.
Let’s take a look at the skill sets of a top sales producer – sales prospecting, positive outlook, control & close, resists think it overs, accepts responsibility, takes action, problem-solving … and the list goes on. Your top sales person is a tactician skilled in the art of finding prospects and then getting that prospect to do something he or she would not otherwise do without the salesperson’s influence.
These are a few of the top skill sets of a good sales manager – recruiting, hiring, interviewing, coaching, leadership, supervising, delegating, goal setting, strategic thinking, time management, etc. The sales manager is the one who, if they are doing it right, ensures the revenue goals are being achieved through the salespersons in the field. The sales manager is not, in most cases, in the field selling.
So, where is the commonality between these two roles? Is your top sales producer your best fit for a sales manager? The usual answer is no. Then where and how do you find a sales manager?
One of the first questions is: Do you have the budget to recruit and hire an experienced sales manager? Or, do you have the time to grow and develop an existing employee? If you have the budget to recruit someone, it’s simple. Find a reputable recruiter and let them do their job.
If you are going to grow your own internally, you have a bigger time expense – your time. You must identify in whom you want to invest, screen them for the job’s skill sets (see above) and then you (or you find a training program) begin coaching and mentoring your management trainee. Finally, determine what is a reasonable course of time to develop this person and follow your plan. Of course, there is nothing stopping your newly trained sales manager from jumping ship, and leaving you to start the grooming process all over again.
Good hunting for your next sales manager.
Dave Harman is an associate with Sandler Training. He has over 30 years’ experience in sales and sales management with Fortune 500 companies as well as small, family-owned organizations. He has held positions from sales to senior management with companies such as Conoco/Vista, Amresco and Ohio Awning, and owns his own business. He earned his MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. You can reach him at [email protected] or (888) 448-2030.
