The Key Behaviours of a Top Sales Manager

High-performing sales teams normally have one thing in common: a high-performing sales manager at the helm. Understanding and possessing the key competencies for a sales manager is crucial for effectively leading and driving sales team performance.

Effective sales manager skills go far beyond sales skills, active listening, strong closing ability, sales planning and interpersonal skills. While these are important skills, when it comes to sales recruitment, finding a sales manager with strong leadership ability is crucial to establish, maintain and manage a successful sales team. While there are many core competencies that can contribute to the effectiveness of a sales professional, great sales managers unequivocally show these top 5 abilities in interviews and on the job:

1. Developing Individuals

Rather than treating a sales team as a single unit, good sales managers will focus on the individuals within the team. They work hard to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and understand what drives each of them. By adopting a flexible, personal approach, they actively support individuals in achieving their specific sales goals. Career visioning can be a useful tool in guiding a career path towards the role of senior sales manager and helping individuals focus on their future goals within the organisation.

Successful sales managers need strong leadership skills to effectively guide their sales team. This includes setting clear goals and expectations, providing coaching and feedback, performance management and fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. A sales manager with strong leadership skills can inspire their team, build trust, and create a high-performance culture.

2. Reinforcing and Incentivising

Aside from implementing and managing an official incentive structure that includes salary and bonuses, an effective sales manager will make every effort to recognise and reward good performance to empower team members, wherever possible. On-the-spot praise, celebrating success, promoting and developing high flyers and instigating in-house competitions are all positive ways to reinforce key behaviours and incentivise good performance.

Reinforcing and incentivising positive sales performance is a crucial aspect of sales management. An effective sales manager understands the importance of recognising and rewarding good performance beyond the official incentive structure. They actively seek opportunities to provide on-the-spot praise and acknowledge individual and team achievements. Celebrating success, whether it's through team-wide recognition events or individual accolades, creates a sense of accomplishment and motivates the sales team to continue striving for excellence.

Additionally, a skilled sales manager identifies high-performing individuals and promotes their growth and development within the organisation. This can involve providing them with additional responsibilities, offering opportunities for advancement, or assigning them as mentors to junior team members. Furthermore, the sales manager may initiate in-house competitions to foster healthy competition, encourage collaboration, and drive performance improvements. By reinforcing key behaviours and incentivising good performance, a sales manager creates a positive and rewarding work environment that inspires sales reps to excel.

3. Coaching and Providing Support

A top sales manager will believe in the development of the greater team, and help them to overcome challenges and achieve their maximum potential. This can be in the form of one-on-one coaching and clear objective-setting, as well as facilitating regular training opportunities. Open, honest dialogue will need to take place between a sales manager and employees, and a good sales manager will make sure continual two-way feedback happens.

Coaching and providing support is a critical competency for a top sales manager. They understand the importance of ongoing development and growth for their team members. Through one-on-one coaching sessions, a sales leader can provide personalised guidance and support to help individuals overcome challenges and reach their maximum potential. This involves setting clear objectives, identifying areas for improvement, reinforcing foundational sales knowledge and offering constructive feedback to help team members enhance their skills and performance.

Additionally, a successful sales manager facilitates regular training opportunities for sales representatives with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. They foster open and honest dialogue, creating a safe space for employees to express their concerns, share ideas, and provide input. By maintaining continual two-way feedback, a sales manager can address issues promptly, recognize achievements, and create a culture of continuous improvement within the sales team.

4. Motivating and Inspiring

The sales process can be highly pressurised, difficult and sometimes disheartening with prospecting efforts falling flat. Morale can have a significant impact on the success of the team and a sales manager should recognise this. The ability to inspire confidence, offer encouragement, give direction, and boost energy and morale are all integral to effective sales leadership.

Motivating and inspiring the sales team is an essential skill for effective sales managers. Sales can be a challenging field, and sales professionals often face rejection and setbacks. A skilled sales manager understands the importance of maintaining high morale and motivation within the team. They possess the ability to inspire confidence, offer encouragement, give clear direction, and motivate salespeople, even during difficult times. By creating a positive and supportive environment, a sales manager can help their team overcome obstacles, stay focused on the sales plan, and maintain a high level of performance.

Additionally, they can foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, encouraging collaboration and mutual support among team members. A motivated and inspired sales team is more likely to achieve their targets and deliver exceptional results.

5. Sharing Industry and Product Knowledge

Sales leaders will know their product or service – and their industry – inside out. They’ll share insights, industry updates and relevant information with their team on a regular basis to help grow the knowledge of the team, ultimately equipping them to deal with the diversity and challenges of managing prospective customers.

Top sales managers must possess strategic thinking abilities to develop effective sales strategies and plans. They must analyse market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions to achieve sales targets. Strategic thinking involves understanding the competitive landscape, assessing customer needs, and aligning sales efforts with broader organisational goals. A sales manager who can think strategically can position their team for success and drive sustainable business growth.

Looking for a successful sales manager?

While these essential sales competencies are important, it's worth noting that sales management is a multifaceted role, and other abilities such as strong communication skills, strong analytical skills to review sales data, sales forecasting, pipeline management and adaptability also play a significant role in a sales manager's success.

A successful business model relies on a well-aligned sales strategy, and the role of a sales rep is instrumental in executing that strategy. Sales reps act as the frontline ambassadors of a company, forging meaningful connections with customers and driving revenue growth. They leverage their product knowledge, persuasive skills, and relationship-building abilities to identify customer needs, offer tailored solutions, and close deals.

A well-trained and motivated sales rep understands the importance of aligning their efforts with the broader business model, effectively communicating the value proposition, and consistently exceeding customer expectations. Their ability to adapt to changing market dynamics, identify new opportunities, and nurture long-term customer relationships contribute significantly to the overall success of the sales department.

With sales managers in high demand, our recruitment specialists can find the best sales manager for your organisation and can assist with your hiring process, please contact us today to speak to one of our specialist consultants. Talk to the team at Michael Page today.