The first “big” promotion in my career was becoming the National Sales Manager (Financial Planners) for Zweig Mutual Funds in 1995. I had no wholesaler experience, let alone, sales management experience, and, in hindsight, that was probably a good thing. If people ever questioned my lack of experience, I was always quick to remind them that sometimes the best players do not make the best coaches. Matter of fact, most of the greatest coaches in any sport either never played the game or were not viewed as great players. But, I digress.
Simply put, most Sales Managers I have met are not that great. As a matter of fact, many don’t deserve to be in the position simply because they do not realize what characteristics make up a great Sales Manager. They go through their daily activities, telling wholesalers what to do, and making sure they do not take the same “shortcuts” that they used when in the field. They play the “gotcha game”; spending an excessive amount of time trying to catch wholesalers doing things shouldn’t be doing rather than showing them how to succeed.
So, what characteristics make up a great Sales Manager?
- Know your purpose – Your role is to make the wholesaler’s activities more efficient. This means that you have to deal with the home office BS and all the administrative headwinds, so they can be in the field and generate interest and assets. You are a problem solver.
- Lead by example – Don’t show up late to the conference booth and claim that you were on the phone with your manager trying to resolve a problem. Everyone sees right through this. Be visible and present at all times. Don’t tell the wholesaler how to position a product, show them.
- Purveyor of culture – Your sales team is your “tribe,” and you are the tribe leader. This means that you need to foster a culture within your team. Don’t bad mouth your firm and try to be best friends with your wholesalers – that is not what leaders do. Be transparent and honest at all times. People will respect you more if you can articulate the rationale for a firm-wide initiative rather than say, “that’s just the way it is.”
- Be empathetic – If you want to build a loyal team truly, then you have to sincerely care about what is happening in their lives. Wholesalers spend an inordinate amount of time alone, away from their family’s and you need to be sympathetic to their work-life balance.
- Mentor – All good salespeople ultimately want your role. Don’t view it as a threat, but rather an opportunity to help them grow. Try to get an understanding of their career aspirations and what activities you believe will help experience career growth. Be vocal and transparent about their progress.
- Provide recognition – Great Sales Managers realize that one of the highest priorities amongst wholesalers is recognition – its human nature. Send them personalized emails when they have a good sale’s day and copy your manager on the email. Acknowledge success stories whenever possible and leverage them to the entire firm. Your job is to make them look good and feel appreciated.
If you are good at what you do, then the wholesalers will want to spend time with you. Don’t belittle this by treating them like a subordinate. Don’t be the guy that tells the wholesaler to pick you up at the airport and then cut the trip short because you “have to get back to the office for an emergency meeting.” Wholesalers do not get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with their managers, so make the best of your time together and give them the attention they deserve.