Sales Management Mistakes ? Sales Coach AZ

It never ceases to amaze me how many Sales Management Mistakes can be made by small business and medium size businesses. How many times have you heard that ?I just can?t find good sales people?? Is it because Sales Management is spending its time growing the business instead of trying to grow the Sales People.? Here are a just a few of the Mistakes that I have seen.

1. ?The CEO/Owner acts as the sales Manager ? Being an effective sales manager is more than a full time job.? There are enough operational and financial issues in which a CEO / Owner has to manage than being the Sales Manager.? How valuable is your company when you are the chief rainmaker?? Close to 0.?
2. Not Sharing the Company Vision and Values with Sales Representatives ? Realize that 53% of sales people are turned over every year.? Time and time again, I see companies hire sales people and tell them just sell.? Yes, they give them some training, but they do not give them the Message and Vision of ?Why??? For a great explanation of this watch this video ?How Great Leaders Inspire Action??
3. Promoting your top Sales Producer ? All the great qualities that make someone a great producer usually are contrary to making a great sales manager.? Because they have been successful in the way that they do it, they cannot understand why everyone else does not do it their way.? Top Producers have a tendency to sell for their sales representatives, and not coach, teach and help their representatives succeed.?
4. Allowing Sales Superstars to Get out of Control ? There is a general fear of the Top Producer.? They therefore gain a sense of entitlement and frequently lose the support of their teammates. This sometimes causes turnover in other departments as well as teammates sabotaging the superstar and the entire company?s success. Respect for all individuals, their roles, and that this is a team effort is an extremely important message to give.?
5. Not Utilizing and Understanding the Sales Process ? The Sales Process is a map, NOT a railroad track.? Sometimes one goes off the road and comes back on.? In most businesses either there is no sales process at all or the process is like a railroad track.? You can get on the track, but don?t ever veer off.? Sales is creative, and not always black and white.? One needs a map, but not a rail.?
6. Hiring the Wrong Sales Person ? Most companies hire for experience, and fire later because of attitude. This is because companies are reluctant to train, and want an immediate ROI on the sales person.? Hire people based on motivations and behaviors.? If they are motivated, they will learn the business quickly. ??
7. Not using available assessment tools for Hiring and Motivation ? Yes most sales people are bottom line and commission oriented.? However, that is not their only driver.? Some want to grow to other positions.? Some love to learn and get bored by selling the same thing over and over.? Other sales people may be motivated by things related to the social good.? Understand them and help fulfill their motivations besides commissions. I have been using the TTI Performance Systems assessments and find them to be great tools.?
8. Not Holding the Sales Representatives Accountable ? Sales people have to have numbers to go by.? Not just revenue goals, but new business developed, appointments made, size of accounts.? This gives them a clear direction.? Yet Sales Management has to develop these goals with them and not arbitrarily assigned.? Then the rebellious sales person will not buy into it, nor will they attain the goals.? ??
9. Making the Sales People into Customer Service and Clerical Help ? Keep the sales people hunting and closing new deals.? When they get involved too much on the Customer Service side, they stop hunting.? This is not only bad for generating revenue; it does not help sell the benefits of doing business with the company team.? If the salesperson is the only contact then when they leave the business goes with them.?
10. Using a CRM, but NOT utilizing the Reports and available information ? It is absolutely amazing the great tools that are available like Salesforce, Zoho, and ACT.? Most people use technology to about 5% of its actual capability.? Sales Management does not take the time.? If sales management and sales reps just take the time to understand the full capabilities of these programs it will save a lot of time, trouble, and improve the communications throughout the company.?

Advertisement

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Source: http://salescoachaz.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/sales-management-mistakes/

haunted houses favicon.ico favicon.ico footloose best iphone 4 case best iphone 4 case sonic youth