“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” -Zig Ziglar
This quote holds especially in management positions where many people rely on how a manager responds to certain situations. Sales managers would need to keep up with the right attitude even though the demands of businesses are incredibly accelerating.
With that, it is very important to be aware of the challenges sales managers face being able to address them rightfully and in a way that is beneficial to the overall business. See the list of these biggest challenges and find out how to overcome them.
Hiring
Finding salespeople can be easy but hiring skilled and dedicated people are one of the most difficult challenges sales managers face. Hiring may be done by a different department yet sales managers have to contribute to the decision-making when it comes to getting people involved in their team. People skilled in selling may be available but combining dedication and hard work is not easy to find these days when a lot of people in the workforce are used to convenience and easy tasks. This challenge can be solved by improving the hiring process and trying to look for candidates with a commitment to their careers.
Training
With the availability of information all over the internet, buyers are getting more aware and keen on objections. That is why training is as important as any other preparations needed in a company’s operations. This is where the training of salespeople being handled becomes challenging. Sales skill training must be continually updated and constantly executed. Although it can be a bit disruptive in daily operations, regular training can help maintain and improve the skills of sales representatives who face the changes in buyers’ behavior every day. By providing proper and adequate training, sales representatives will be able to handle prospects’ resistance or uncertainties.
Marketing and Sales
Being sales managers, they must be aligned with other departments of the company, especially with marketing. Since it is the marketing team that does lead generation, they need to work with the marketing team closely to ensure buyers’ smooth transition into the sales process. With that, proper coordination can impact customer acquisition and even retention. The duty of a sales manager includes proper coordination within and outside their department. Establishing and maintaining these relationships can contribute to the success of a company’s operations.
Coaching
There are situations where a sales manager’s tasks include coaching. Aside from training, which imparts knowledge to the salespeople, coaching is done to continually enhance that knowledge and boost employee morale with feedback and empowerment. Sales coaching aims to help team members become self-aware that will lead them to solve problems on their own and grow from there. Being able to provide coaching for his team will help salespeople to do well in what they do and even stand out among competitors.
Technology
Technology these days is more vital than ever. When properly used, it can save time and money which are beneficial in getting results efficiently. With the proper technology, sales managers will be able to address concerns that are crucial in gathering and converting data for decision-making. As indicated in an article in Forbes, only 17.9% of a sales representative’s time is spent in CRM, which is a foundational program in sales. That means that the rest of their time is spent on non-revenue generating activities and can be improved. It is the role of a sales manager to encourage salespeople to get back to selling and use CRM. Investing in an effective tool may mean taking into consideration how it can easily streamline communications within your company and how automated your workflows can be with its use.
Indeed, the tasks of sales managers are challenging. Focusing on all these problems may seem too daunting but can be utilized for a better purpose. Initial goals may not be immediately obtained yet continuously evolving as a company will surely result in better management. In the end, a thriving business despite these hurdles is the ultimate purpose why sales managers carry on with what they do every day.