The trait of a good manager is their ability to delegate tasks to their team or to outsource.  Knowing how to delegate is not difficult and it can make or break a manager.  Many managers are reluctant to delegate because of their own insecurity.  Some of the typical reasons I hear from managers that don’t delegate are:

• It is done quicker if I do it;
• They will just waste my time asking me how to do it anyway;
• I need it done right the first time; and
• We can’t afford to make mistakes.

Working with many different sales organisations, teams and managers I have found that most of the problems that they face on a regular basis are due to the lack of planning by the sales manager.  As the old adage states, “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”. So why don't sales managers plan?

Well over the years of training, my students have given me many reasons why they don’t plan and these are the most common:
•    I don't know how to plan;
•    I don't have the time to plan, I am way too busy;
•    I prefer to be spontaneous and reactive and planning stops me from doing this;
•    I spend so much time addressing problems, I don’t have time to plan; and
•    It isn't part of my job description so why should I do it.

The role of a sales manager is not an easy one and I have seen many fail.  Some have failed because of their own abilities but most have failed due to the company they work for.  So in this article I will outline the top 5 reasons why sales manager fail.  This is not by all means the only reasons but the ones that I have encountered the most over the years of training, coaching and mentoring sales managers.  The list is not in any order.

1.    Promoted to Sales Manager because they are an excellent salesperson - Most organisations have the misconception that if a salesperson is excellent in selling then they should naturally be an excellent Sales Manager.  While some are most aren’t and the end result is that the organisation will lose an excellent salesperson to another company.  In my experience an excellent salesperson should continue to sell because that is what they are good at.  In most circumstances they will normally revert back to selling and neglect the requirements of being a sales manager.  
2.    The sales incentive scheme - How a salesperson is motivated is critical to the success of a sales manager.  If the sales team is not making their sales targets or quotas this is a reflection on the performance of the sales manager.  But how is a sales manager suppose to help his team if the incentive scheme is counter productive.  A good sales incentive scheme is essential to the success of sales managers and their team members.  
3.   Teamwork - As salespeople normally operate as individuals they find it difficult to function as a team.  They will fight for the same opportunities and in some cases they act like children.  It is the responsibility of the sales manager to bring the individuals together and this is possible in many different ways.  
4.    Taking sales from their sales team - Normally a sales manager has been a salesperson in one stage of their career and it is their instinct to try and win business. For some sales managers their ego takes over and they believe that certain opportunities can only be won by them, so they take it away from one of their team members.  This also occurs when the organisation forces their sales managers to have an individual sales quota as well as a team sales quota.  
5.    No training -  In most circumstances sales managers are put into this role with little or no training.  Sales management is not the same as selling and the manager should be trained accordingly.

As you can see, sales managers normally fail due to organisational policies, procedures or lack of training.  It is up to the organisation to ensure the success of their sales managers.  Look out for a future articles on how to bring a sales team together and sales incentive schemes for ideas and techniques.

I have worked with many sales managers over the years and I have noticed that the successful ones have certain attributes, traits and patterns of behaviour.   When coaching or training sales managers I get them to do a self evaluation against these key attributes.  So if you are a sales manager lets see how well you measure up.

1. Lead by example -  Do you dress the way you would expect your team to dress? Do you know your products and services well?  A good sales manager will set a good example because as their leader they demonstrate through their actions what is the correct behaviour.  As they copying you? Look at your behaviour before you criticise your team.   Walk the Walk.
2. A good coach - Do you look at every encounter with your team members as opportunities to help them?  Do you get your team together for training and coaching?  Do you go on sales calls with your team members?  A good sales manager is there for their team to help them through the good and bad.  Each encounter is an opportunity to help them.
3. Understand the team - Does your teams performance reflect on your performance?  Do you know what is expected of your team members in their roles?  A good sales manager is only as good as their team.  If the team is failing then it is a direct reflection on the sales manager.   Know what is expected of each team member and help them achieve their go
4. Continually develop staff - Do you have training sessions?  Do you celebrate wins? Are losses analysed?  These are all aspects of developing your team to be successful.  Encourage your team to grow by providing ongoing training, coaching and mentoring.
5. Determined - What do you do when things don’t work out?  Do you give up or keep on going?  A good sales manager is determined and will not give up.  They understand that times can get tough but with perseverance and determination on doing what must be done, success will come.
6. Teamwork - Does your team work as a team?  Do you get them to do things together?  So many sales managers don’t understand teamwork because sales people normally work on their own.  However a good sales manager will get the team together to work on opportunities, share successes and analyse the losses.  You don’t have a team if they don’t work together.  You are part of the team?
7. Trust - Does your team trust you to do the right thing?  Who is more important, you or the team.  As a leader your team must trust you to support and do the right thing by them.  A good sales manager will go to bat for their team when times are tough and share the rewards when times are good.
8. Respect - Does your team respect you?  What do they do behind your back?  Without the respect of your team you will fail as a sales manager.  They will not listen, perform or do what is expected if they don’t respect you.  They will fail and this will reflect on you.  Earn their respect by helping, supporting and working with them.  Be part of the team.  Remember, you are not better than them because your are the sales manager, you are also a team member with a different role to play.

So how did you go? Most of these are common sense, easy to understand, but they can be difficult to perform.  Successful sales manager are no longer salespeople.  They need to be different to be successful in the role.  
Good Hunting.

The ideal Manager has the following abilitites:

1. Keeps people informed
2. Listens
3. Is trustworthy
4. Honest
5. Is accessible
6. Fair
7. Is approachable
8. Is positive
9. Follows up
10. Is supportive
11. Consistent
12. Lets them know where they stand

If you would like some tools to develop in the above areas as an effective leader, incorporating leadership development training, subscribe to our website where we can show you step by step how to be an effective leader.

The following relationship habits have been identified as being possibly current ways that Managers interact with employees.  They all have negative consequences as outlined below:

1. We play favourites with employees.  Employees see this behaviour and model their behaviour on yours.  They may have favourite Managers or employees too, that they know that they can talk to about what is going in the workplace.  Or they may be able to manipulate these Managers by playing games.
2. We micro manage employees.  By not giving employees the space to perform their jobs, you are indicating that you don't trust employees to do the right thing and therefore cause them to do the wrong thing as that is the behaviour that is expected of them.
3. We expect employees to stay late after work and not to be paid for over time.  Employees may have commitments after work such as children or sporting activities.  In order for them to feel balanced and happy, they need to engage in activities outside of work.  More follows....
4. We only meet with employees when they have done something wrong.  They will come to associate you being the School Principal and that the only time they come to you is when they are being told off.
5. We get emotionally involved with our employees.  To remain objective when dealing with employees, we should keep our emotions out of the discussion and request our employees to not become emotional.
6. We begin to believe the soap opera.  Staff members can hardly be expected to speak about facts if they are becoming emotional.  Try and address what the real problem is without directing blame to employees.
7. We get caught up in the dramas and stress of the workplace.  If someone wants to drag you into a witch hunt, refuse to be involved.  Don't contribute to the conversation and don't get involved.
8. We think we can "save people".  Does that person want to be saved?  What are they getting in return for acting that way?  Are you rewarding that bad behaviour by giving them attention?
9. We believe that if they like us, everthing will be OK.  We are all different in personality, background, how we look and the life experiences that we have had.  We cannot expect everyone to like us, nor should everyone like us, if we are saying and doing things just to benefit a person or a group of people, what have we sacrificed in order to maintain that relationsihp?  Is that in line with the business vision and mission?

Before you go into a meeting with a customer or employee, consider the following:

1. Go in disconnected to your emotions.  Be objective right from the start and try and obtain a positive outcome without concentrating on the communication techniques of the other people in the meeting.
2. Make a plan.  Plan what you would like to achieve in the meeting, send an Agenda so that the attendees will know what to expect.  Allow twice as much time as you think it would take for the meeting.
3. Ask lots of questions and listen.  Don't get caught up in the drama.  Try and ascertain the facts.
4. Give everyone equal access to your time.  Ensure that you treat everyone fairly with your time, even those trouble makers.
5. Set a course for the discussion and consistently follow it.  It is a good idea to set an Agenda and send it before the meeting so that all attendees know what will be covered in the meeting.

If you liked this article, there are plenty more articles about how to run effective meetings.

How you react in your work environment influences the culture and morale at work in more ways than you realise. Can you identify with the following Management styles and how they impact on culture and morale?

Passive

• Only addressing major problems
• Won't confront poor performers
• Won't deal with difficult issues
• Retreats when challenged
• Narrow job descriptions to maintain control
• Procrastinates
• Blames higher Managers for unpopular directives

Aggressive

• Gives negative feedback
• Complains and criticises on impulse
• Does not identify the problem
• Treats employees as worthless
• "I'll talk, you listen"
• No discussion or listening
• Gets frustrated and yells

Assertive

• Is approachable and listens
• Encourages feedback
• Has clear and firm expectations
• Employee development is crucial
• Communicates often and has regular reviews
• Treats employees as individuals
• Offers praise and rewards
• Work is enjoyable
• Is fair and impartial, is consistent and predictable
• Gives time for feedback and improvements

Which manager are you? There are further articles about each type of manager and how you can influence employees in a more positive way. Please give us your feedback on this article.

How effective does your team work together?  How can your team improve?  This questionnaire will help you to identify the trouble spots in your team.  You may even want all your team members to answer it to ensure that your perceptions are consistent.  So, honestly, rate your team effectiveness out of 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Grab a pen and paper and score yourself out of ten, with 10 being the best and 1 being the lowest.

1. Are all the team members productive in their teams?
2. How effective are your team roles?
3. Does each team member understand their responsibilities to their team?
4. Do you have effective team goals?
5. Do you effectively solve problems as a team?
6. Are tasks delegated to individual team members?
7. Does your team use effective communication techniques?
8. Does your team have effective communication systems in place?
9. Do you run effective meetings which cover all the important issues?
10. Do you take minutes and action lists for your meetings?

This tool identifies areas that you can improve on in your team building training.  Once you have identified areas that you would like to improve, you want want to utilise some tools on this website or visit Team Building Training for more information.

Tally up your results.  What score did you get?