Would you stand in front of a truck for your boss? Probably not, especially one moving at high speeds. But if you see metaphorical truth in that statement, then you are one of the lucky few.
Our best (and worst!) bosses leave important footprints in our lives and on our careers. As with great coaches, top sales leaders make a difference. Contrarily, many “rookie” sales managers remain rookie throughout their entire career.
Great sales leaders drive growth and impact financial results. But the top tier do even more.
Top tier leaders impact careers and futures.
Below are 6 things that great sales leaders have in common.
Passion
Sales leaders who are passionate about the business tend to exude a work hard/play hard spirit that co-workers appreciate and respond to. Enthusiasm is contagious, as is cynicism, and a team’s passion is directly affected by the level of passion their leader shows on a daily basis.
Engagement
People who work for great leaders are happier and more engaged—and in turn—more productive. Research from Gallup shows that the main factor in workplace discontent isn’t wages, benefits, or hours, but the boss. Rookie or incompetent leadership has a negative impact on both short and long-term results.
Development
Too frequently, rookie sales managers behave like glorified sales reps. These well intentioned folks struggle to “let go,” while great sales managers aspire to coach, mentor and lead. A shift from manager to coach and mentor positively impacts growth strategy and creates lift. Great sales leaders set their sights and culture on raising the bar of individual and team performance.
Practice
Great leaders are intentional about the steps that lead to high performance. They know that consistent practice around key skills is essential in the achievement of excellent execution. Can you imagine any successful team reserving practice for game day? As simple as it sounds, regular reinforcement and practice is something that rookie sales managers often neglect.
Execution
“Once we agree, we execute.” No words are more powerful when building a high-functioning sales culture. Being intentional about how we execute, and putting rigor around doing it well might sound old fashioned, but it works like a charm.
Self-awareness
Sales leaders who are self-aware develop high emotional intelligence, and this allows them to influence and motivate individuals and teams. As a sales leader, we must fully understand our people in order to influence them, and in order to do that we must first be highly aware of ourselves and our own blind spots. What motivates one person might not apply to others, and self-aware leaders understand this.
Conclusion
Top tier leaders build loyal, high performing teams. Put simply, these teams work harder, smarter, exude more passion, and have more fun.
One powerful way to accomplish this is to assess the WHY behind the way we behave and communicate. A comprehensive assessment such as Brooks Talent Index® brings “blind spots” into full view, and removes the noise that can get in the way of clean communication.
NOTE: Our sales training tools are designed to make your life easier. Use them to your advantage.
The 5 Fundamental Skills of World-Class Sales Managers
World-class athletic teams win for one reason and one reason only: they have absolute mastery over the fundamentals.
World-class sales managers are no different…
