Revving Up Your Sales Engine: Managers

Managers are the driving force behind the sales engine. It is their passion, motivation, and attention to detail that keep the deals flowing and their teams rocking.

Sales managers are often spread too thin between advertising, forecasting, ordering, and a dozen other things to effectively coach their teams. But the most successful managers make time for their salespeople - they are the ones that make it happen, instead of wondering what happened. Here are a few traits that the best managers have in common:

They inspect what they expect 
High producing leaders promote success by making sure that every team member knows what is expected of them. They have consistent inspection processes in place to make sure that everyone is productive, focused, and accountable.

They circle the wagons 
It is a sales manager's responsibility to make sure that all negativity and complacency is left at the curb. A true sales team acts as just that: A TEAM! Working together with a win-win attitude takes teams to the next level and makes the work environment as stress-free and productive as possible.

They know how to hit their target 
Top sales managers stay focused on achieving their goals. They know that production is a result of activities that can be measured every day of the month. For example, a manager who wants his team to sell 100 units in a month knows that they first must talk to 400 prospects, demo 300 prospects, and write-up 200 prospects in that same month. They stick to the basics and help their salespeople find every deal possible.

They hold themselves accountable 
The best sales managers encounter the same challenges that every other manager does. However, they adamanatly refuse to blame the economy, competitors, marketing, pricing, customers, or other factors for lackluster sales results. Rather, they view these as merely obstacles to be overcome and they assume personal responsibility for their futures.