Skills required for effective sales force managers

Sales and Purchasing Management

Skills required by a sales force manager

Sales managers must be result-oriented

A sales manager must be recruited based on their ability to deliver the desired results. Sales managers must be clear about the results to obtain from the sales force. This must be made clear in the interviews. In some cases, salespeople have been hired with the wrong idea of what the job requires of them. Another aspect of proper hiring deals with the fit between the company and market needs. Some sales employees are suited to a given environment while others are not. The appropriate way to identify the proper fit is for the sales manager to appreciate and like the prospective salesperson genuinely (Rogers, 2011).

Offer superb sales training

Another important skill for a sales force manager is training. This includes identifying the skills that the sales force will require to own in order to generate sales in a competitive market. The second aspect involves teaching the new recruits the required skills. The sales manager must help them to make calls and supervise them as they work. Provide them with available audio programs and send them to sales seminars. A sales manager cannot expect the team to perform well in areas that require skills without the appropriate training. Thirdly, the sales manager must have the capacity to reinforce and follow-up what he has taught or what the sales force has learnt. It is important to remember that sales training is a continuous process in the career and life of a sales force (Rogers, 2011).

Effective

A sales force manager must have the capacity to manage sales people in an effective manner. This begins with setting clear sales quotas and goals for all team members. All members must be aware of all their roles and ways to achieve them. In addition, the manager must set clear plans of action in terms of making appointments, prospecting and following-up. It involves managing and motivating the sales force. Once the sales manager and the sales force are absolutely clear about what they need that the sales force must accomplish, the manager must continually encourage the sales force to engage in the activity. This process must be vigorous to lead to the achievement of the desired objectives. Surprisingly, it appears that all the sales management skills can be learned. An excellent manager can be developed systematically (Rogers, 2011).

Skill development

Sales philosophy is always evolving: no one knows everything about sales. In addition, it is easy for a sales force to develop bad habits. Therefore, a sales manager must have a plan for developing skills for the sales team. This involves getting to devise an approach for developing the team members. The manager is required to probe strategies on how to inspire the overachievers so that they continue achieving more. In fact, they know how to manage the under performers and lead them to perform (Rogers, 2011).

Leadership

This skill falls under the management category because a strong sales manager is also a leader. The sales force run across walls for the sales manager. The success belongs to the team and their manager. The manager must establish how individual sales persons create an environment where others are encouraged to imitate them and their teachings. Sales-force retention and leadership skills operate collaboratively. As strong leaders, sales managers must keep their strong sales persons on board for the long haul (Rogers, 2011).

Porter's Generic Strategies

Companies like Home Depot have introduced the big box warehouse stores in main metro markets. The company has re-designed its logo with the intent to attract professional contractors. Adhering to the strategies of low prices, great service and best assortment, Home Depot has outperformed its competitors as it continues to expand at a rate of approximately 25% per year. As the youngest home merchandise retailer, the company has grown to become the largest in the industry recording over $60 billion annual sales (Rogers, 2011).

Companies that have transformed into large corporations and expanded into major markets are currently under threat. Firms such as Lowe have been opening new stores after every three months. The increase in revenue exceeds those of other players in the industry. To counter the strategies of competitors, companies are now shifting their strategies from cost leadership to differentiation, insisting more on customer responsiveness. Sales teams from all the sectors have initiated programs to reserve enough time for customer service (Rogers, 2011). Such program includes education programs that add specialized products and services to professional customers. A number of main new entrants continue to make their way in various markets by investing in quality customer service. The new initiatives of cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus, and differentiation focus offer a neater approach for achieving high incomes.

Reference

Rogers, B. (2011). Rethinking Sales Management: A Strategic Guide for Practitioners. New York: John Wiley & Sons.