Maybe I'm biased, but I'm convinced I have that job. Why? Here’s what I do every day:
And best of all, I have the privilege of working closely with some of the greatest managers out there. After all these years, I can tell you that there are 15 things that every great manager knows.
The best way to grow a sales organization is to hire people who have the innate abilities to do the job — regardless of their experience (or lack of). Gallup research shows that, beyond a short learning curve, there is little correlation between experience and sales productivity.
Nearly three in four employers say their companies have been adversely affected by a bad hire.
Research of strong sales teams shows that at least 30% of sales reps are significantly lacking the most critical talents. Imagine if they had gotten every one right.
It's estimated that the cost to replace an employee can range as high as a shocking 250% of that person’s annual salary. A recent Gallup study gives a conservative estimate stating that the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary.
It's easy to fire someone if they've done something wrong but exceedingly more difficult to fire someone who is underperforming (especially when there is evidence they are trying hard). This is one of the greatest obstacles in organizational growth.
When you spend time developing a talent (yours or those of the people you manage) you can increase performance up to 10 times! That’s time well spent.
If you spend time focused on developing an area of weakness, you'll be waste your time and only increase performance by roughly 10%. You’ll also frustrate everyone involved.
Good sales training is highly effective for those that have the right stuff, but additional training offers little benefit for the bottom 50% of most sales teams.
The best way to grow an organization is to grow the people in that organization. And you do that by regularly reflecting on the natural talents of each individual, and challenging yourself to find additional ways to develop those natural talents into strengths.
Employees who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths everyday are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. They are also three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general. That’s life-changing power in your hands!
70% of top performers who leave their jobs point directly to a breakdown in their relationship with their manager.
It's clear, people want to feel appreciated.! U.S. Department of Labor statistics show the number one reason people leave their jobs is because they “don’t feel appreciated.” And 79% of employees who quit their jobs last year cite a lack of appreciation as the main reason for leaving.
Taking the people you hire for granted is a surefire way to drop levels of employee engagement. A recent report shows that 37% of employees prioritize recognition and cite it as the most important support method.
A great manager never treats others as they themselves want to be treated. Instead, they understand the unique talents and needs of each person they manage and in turn coach each one exactly as they need to be coached. That’s following the Platinum Rule.
While it all starts with talent, where there are sales superstars, there's almost always a great manager nearby!
Great sales managers know these things, but even a great sales manager can struggle from time to time with each thing on this list. It's important that sales managers freshen up their skills as they continuously learn and grow also. Taking the time and investing in growth with a Talent Focused Management workshop or individualized coaching could take your skills (and your team's success) to the next level.
*Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in 2018 and has since been updated.