Being a good sales manager requires not only a good sales effectiveness tools but mastering of a vast set of skills. Unfortunately, while in order to be a good sales manager you must do a lot of things the right way, in order to be a bad one you only need to do a few things wrong. This post will list 3 HUGE sales management mistakes every sales manager needs to avoid in order to be successful.
Failing to recognize work ethics. The sales reps’ recognition is often based solely on their result. This sort of representative evaluation fails to recognize the activities leading to the actual sale. The surrounding activities tend to be very time and effort consuming and are essential for the success of the sale. Failing to recognize the effort of the representatives (even by as little as a compliment) and rewarding sales only will de-motivate the sales rep overtime and vice versa.
Failing to recognize small achievements. Small accomplishments, like reaching quota, selling to a challenging customers or gaining access to a top decision maker, may seem almost insignificant to the manager, but are very important to the sales rep. Recognizing and rewarding the smaller achievements the sales representative make will keep him motivated and boost sales in the long run.
Failing to be open to new ideas. Even though, some of the ideas and suggestion brought up by the sales reps can be ineffective, the sales manager must not dismiss them dispassionately. The reps must feel like they can voice their opinions, and know that they are taken into account. New ideas voiced by the reps may often lead to much needed changes that can increase sales or improve procedures. In addition, making the representatives feel like their voice is being heard will make them feel validated and motivated.
The common ground between all three huge mistakes often made by sales manager is the failures in making the sales reps feel appreciated. These mistakes, which often go unnoticed, can have just as big of an impact on improving sales if they are avoided or corrected.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
