Sales managers are superheroes that possess special traits that help them save the day and lead their team to improved sales performance. Here's a few traits that stand out most about these savvy business leaders (as told by GIFs).
1. You're Motivational
There are many things you can do to help your team improve sales performance and reach their sales goals, and here's something that can help boost morale, inspire, and increase productivity: motivation.
While there are many ways to motivate your sales team, it's true that this trait can't be overlooked.
2. You Lead by Example When it Comes to Development of Your Own Sales Skills
Sales training isn't just for salespeople. Sales managers have many opportunities to lead by example in this area. A proven track record of improving your own sales performance and skills can show that you know areas and ways to help others.
3. You Like Setting (and achieving) Goals
Defined expectations of your team, along with setting realistic goals will set them up for growth and increased success over time because of the strong foundation they got at the beginning. Who wouldn't want this for their team?
4. You Value Traits of Different Generations
A major challenge in the sales industry in the coming years will be to attract and retain a skilled workforce as the labor market continues to tighten and technology continues to evolve. Each generation has its own distinct characteristics, values, and attitudes toward work.
To successfully blend these diverse generations, it's important to embrace changes in recruitment, benefits, and creating a culture that actively demonstrates respect and inclusion for a multigenerational sales team.
5. Productivity and Time Management Comes With Ease
To be a great sales leader, you will be overseeing not only a long list of tasks for yourself, but also your team. Sales managers and leaders who are naturally good at delegation along with managing their time as well as their team's time are able to put the right work in the right hands.
They do this by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their people and delegating responsibility to the person who is best equipped to do the job. They’re good at assigning accounts to the right salespeople by thinking about the talents necessary for success.
6. You Give Sound Advice
Sales manager, also known as coach, mentor, and helper. Each of these is known for giving advice in times of need. Coaching is huge responsibility for sales leaders. The best managers know spending time in the field coaching sellers is an important part of developing salespeople (and improving sales performance).
7. You like to Dig Into Data and Analytics
A thorough understanding of data and analytics that drive performance are key to a sales leadership role in today's data-driven business world. In sales management, it's not just the understanding of these sales KPI's, though, it's knowing how to dig into these to help set strategy and direction for your team.
While these 7 traits are major factors of a successful sales manager, there is a long list of things not mentioned. A few others not displayed in GIFs include...
- Hiring and retaining top talent
- Having hard conversations.
- Serving as the liaison between other departments
And that's just a few. Overall, we know that sales managers are actually superheroes in real life who swoop in and save the day when it's needed most.
