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are the key elements of successful sales management: |
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Vision. Sales managers lead by identifying ways to create value
for their customers.
• Strategic sales plan. Leaders who understand the
big picture must be able to specify the best sales opportunities and decide
how the sales force should go after them.
• Base your training strategy on specific needs. Make
sure everybody in your sales operation buys into your strategy. Training
should spell out paths of success for each individual.
• Develop a relationship-oriented management style. Shift
your focus from reviewing to planning. Sit down with people to help them
plan crucial calls.
• Updated compensation plan. With more people sharing
corporate accountability, sales managers need to measure and reward their
sales forces for their impact on profit, not gross sales.
• Empowerment. Effective managers prefer that salespeople
make most key decisions. Adopt an attitude of trust and teach salespeople
how to make these decisions.
• Targeted incentive programs. Achievement awards
must be based on what salespeople want, and the requirements for winning
must be realistic. Incentive programs should focus not only on salespeople's
productivity, but on the contributions of all people and all channels involved
in the sales effort.
• Know whom to promote. Ambitious salespeople often
want to move into management, even though they might do better to stay in
sales. Make sure such individuals get recognition within the organization.
They should feel valued for the work they do so that they don't feel a continual
need to improve their status.
• Automation. Make sure your company has a contact-management
software program. That will make it easier for salespeople to keep track
of customers and prospects and communicate with them. |
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