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Are your sales managers adding value?
(April 25, 2013)
Multiple studies have shown that effective sales management has a significant impact on sales results. Yet despite this, most organizations still find their sales managers among the ranks of top sales performers and promote them to a leadership role without training them on how to add value to sales performance.
Without sufficient leadership development, most managers see their job as hiring and then keeping strong sales performers, and managing sales activities (number calls, proposals, wins, etc.). The result is salespeople who are quick to move when a higher-paying opportunity comes along, who are more loyal to their customers than to their employer, and who feel isolated and unsupported. In fact, in a recent study by Krauthammer International 52% of salespeople reported not having had a performance review in over six months.
Today, sales managers must play a vital role in creating sales effectiveness. Research shows that sales managers who engage their salespeople, coach effectively, and lead through a systematic sales process have higher win/loss ratios, higher revenue, and lower salesperson turnover.
- Wilson Learning’s own research shows that you can increase sales performance by up to 43% through effective manager coaching.
- Research by SCO Insights and Aberdeen shows that you dramatically increase the use of CRM systems and the sales process when managers are actively engaged.
- Effective sales managers manage the links across “silos” in their organization, making sure that others see their job as “sales enablement” and not “sales prevention.”
Read more about how managers can add value to your sales force.
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About the Author
Michael Leimbach
Michael Leimbach, Ph.D., is a globally recognized expert in instructional design and sales development, sharing his message that it is not about what you learn but what you use. His approach has been adopted by numerous Global 1000 organizations in Australia, England, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and throughout the United States. Dr. Leimbach is Vice President of Global Research and Development for Wilson Learning Worldwide. With more than 25 years in the field, he provides leadership for researching and designing Wilson Learning’s diagnostic, learning, and performance improvement capabilities. He has managed major research studies in sales, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Dr. Leimbach also developed Wilson Learning’s impact evaluation capability and return on investment models. He has served as a research consultant for a wide variety of global client organizations, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Advances in Developing Human Resources professional journal, and serves on the ISO Technical Committee on Quality Standards for Learning Service Providers. Dr. Leimbach has authored six books, published numerous professional articles, and is a frequent speaker at national and global conferences.
