Welcome to Sales Management
The First 90 Days … and Beyond An Operating Guide for New Sales Managers
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Free Preview PREFACE “Are you sure you want to do this?” I had just been offered my first sales manager position and my boss asked if I was making the right decision. Over the next twenty years I asked each of the fifty sales managers I hired or promoted this same question.
After selling for ten years, it was time to do something different and challenging. Surely I could do as well as the dozen sales managers for whom I had worked. Little did I realize how challenging and rewarding managing sales reps and sales managers would be. And little did I realize how much I would learn about others and myself.
Welcome to Sales Management is written for those who aspire to sales management; for those who recently assumed sales management responsibilities for the first time; and for those who have received little if any formal sales management training. If you fall into any of these categories, consider three “IFs.”
IF ... you have no selling experience, forget about becoming a sales manager. Like the song says, “You Gotta Know the Territory.” In sales, it’s almost impossible to coach what you’ve never played.
IF ... this is your first sales management position, make sure you have sold what your team sells. To learn a new product line and develop a new set of skills is asking too much of a rookie manager.
IF ... you have limited sales management experience and are taking over or creating a sales team that sells products or services new to you ... learn everything you can about those products before you show up for work.
During your first three months on the job it’s easy to take a wrong turn, run in circles or even get lost. Don’t worry. These things happen to all new managers. Welcome to Sales Management is divided into three parts each providing a road map to guide you through your first 90 days … and beyond.
Part One serves as an introduction to the sales management process and addresses the initial actions taken during your first month on the job. Each action is designed to prepare you for your new role. Various methods are offered to help you assess t |
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About the Book
Insurance policies, earth moving equipment, chemicals, telecommunications, computer hardware, software, pharmaceuticals, office equipment, time-shares, security systems, real estate, e-commerce products and services, leasing, professional services, recruiting, financial services … the list of products and services marketed and sold by business to business companies seems endless. But all these companies have one thing in common … the need for sales managers who can lead, hire, train, drive the business, evaluate performance, and create an environment conducive for success. There are few more critical positions in any organization than sales managers. So much rides on the shoulders of these warriors. During the first three months on the job, it’s not uncommon to find new sales managers running in circles, making wrong turns and even getting lost. It can take three months just to get acclimated; three more to become semi-proficient; and longer yet to succeed … consistently. Success in sales management hinges on an ability to lead people and to manage process in an environment created, fostered and groomed by the sales manager. Welcome to Sales Management is written for prospective sales managers, newly appointed sales managers, sales managers with limited formal training, and senior management wanting its sales managers to succeed quickly. After finishing this book, the reader will know what to do, when to do it, and most importantly … how to do it. Managing sales representatives is not for everyone. But if you or someone in your company is a leader, someone who revels in finding talented people and convincing them to come to work for your company, in training and coaching rookies and veterans alike, in driving individuals to succeed by bringing out the best in each of them, and in recognizing excellence while stamping out mediocrity … Welcome to Sales Management is a must read.
About the Author
Mark White spent 30 years in the office equipment industry in a variety of sales, sales management and senior management positions at Xerox, Ikon, Danka and Staples Ltd. of