The best way for printers to boost their business is to have a top sales team. Companies doing this can grab market share, but they quickly discover that running a sales team requires special management skills.
The first step is to appoint a great sales manager, a manager who is not only willing to engage the team, but to also identify weaknesses and work directly with sales staff to overcome their challenges.
Another key step is to implement one-on-one coaching for sales team members. Sales managers would talk directly to the team to find out what struggles they are facing. What makes their jobs difficult? What could they do better? What could they be provided with to do better?
They would also observe sales reps on the phone with their prospects and customers. It means recording their calls and reviewing these calls with them, and then making sure they are using the best practices.
Managers also need to know the people in their sales team. Some are there for the money, others are doing it for recognition. Pick the drivers that motivate people and you will have a better idea how to get the most out of their sales people.
The bottom line: more accountability and recognition equals greater sales performance. And it goes without saying there has to be a good compensation plan that is designed for growth.
Importantly the company has to know the customers, not just the sales people. Otherwise when a sales rep leaves, you are at risk of losing the account because only the departing rep had a relationship with the customer.
Managers are also advised to make sure the sales process is aligned with the marketing campaign and vice versa – sales and marketing are not the same. And they must constantly give feedback in regular performance reviews.
Managers also need to realise that sales people are a special breed, they’re not like other employees. They’re good at problem-solving, they’re highly self-motivated and they drive for results. Great salespeople have strong personalities. They're the types of people described as social and verbally aggressive. They're optimistic, good persuaders, visionaries of the big picture, people-oriented, and team-oriented. They’re also good at solving problems and they have positive attitudes.
Sales people are hunters and farmers. The best sales teams have good hunters who go and get new accounts, and good farmers who are always looking at how they can grow a particular account.
Good sales people are concerned about their customers. They’re loyal to the customer’s needs and in effect become the customer’s advocate. They accept and learn from rejection, they understand the value of selling, they are constant learners, they continue trying, no matter what the odds or what recent experiences have been, they focus on the needs of the customer, not the needs of the organisation, they’re honest and trustworthy and they keep their outgoing personality under control.
The same traits that make them great at sales can also lead to traits that present difficulties for managers. They can be impulsive, demanding and unrealistic in their expectations. They may lack attention to detail. That means they need to be managed with special care. Your sales manager needs to be fully across this.
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