Technological advances, societal changes… The world of commerce is evolving at lightning speed. In this dynamic environment, the role of the sales manager is essential. So, what are the key skills of the sales manager? How can he lead his team to success? Explanations with Clémence Rouart, expert in negotiation and development of business opportunities.
Guide your team towards success. This is the goal of every sales manager. But to be an effective leader, the manager must develop a set of skills in line with contemporary challenges. Here are the 10 keys to successful sales managers in 2023.
1. Demonstrate Agility
In a constantly changing world, the sales manager must be able to adapt quickly to new market trends and the changing needs of customers. Today's customers are better informed than salespeople. They have access to information before they buy. They can compare, exchange with users and access consumer reviews. Agility enables the team to adjust to unforeseen circumstances and seize opportunities quickly and efficiently.
2. Listen to your emotions and those of your colleagues
Understanding and managing emotions, both your own and those of your team, is crucial to maintaining a positive and productive working climate. Emotional intelligence enables sales managers to forge solid links with their staff, fostering greater collaboration and motivation.
A manager's emotional intelligence refers to their ability to recognise, understand and effectively manage their own emotions and those of their team members in a professional environment. For example, an emotionally intelligent manager works actively to create a positive working climate. He or she encourages collaboration, trust and open communication, which promotes the overall well-being of the team.
There is no good or bad manager: trust yourself. Test, experiment, fix and test again. The error is constructive. Be the manager you wish you had when you were in sales (if your manager wasn't your ideal at the time).
Ask your colleagues for feedback, they will help you progress too.
Read also : The 13 essential soft skills for managers
3. Become familiar with the use of advanced technologies
In 2023, technology continues to play a major role in the business world. To improve the efficiency of sales operations, sales managers need to be comfortable with digital tools, such as advanced customer relationship management (CRM) software, data analysis tools and artificial intelligence (AI). Data is at the heart of business strategies. Equipping employees with a CRM such as HubSpot, Pipedrive or Salesforce gives them a more accurate picture of sales activity.
The manager can also explore the possibilities of automating sales processes: sales tracking, reporting or administrative tasks. This can free up time for higher added-value activities. For example, Calendly makes it easier to book appointments. This tool enables the customer to book an appointment directly in the sales rep's diary.
4. Set an example for your team
A successful sales manager must be an inspirational leader, capable of communicating a clear and motivating vision to his or her team. By encouraging professional development and fostering commitment, the manager creates a culture of excellence and collective success.
Your employees are waiting for a guide to manage their pipeline. You are there to show them and support them in managing their commercial activity. It is essential that your employees know how their activity is distributed, what milestones must be validated to seize an opportunity. You must master this vision of the processes… then share it.
5. Customer-focused initiatives
The customer is at the heart of any successful business. An effective sales manager puts the customer at the centre of his or her decisions and actions. This means understanding the customer's needs, offering a personalised service and developing long-term relationships.
For example, the manager might share a case study where the team solved a complex problem for a customer, highlighting the team's commitment to customer satisfaction.
6. Guarantee skills development
Investing in developing your team's skills is essential to remaining competitive. In 2023, the sales manager must encourage continuous learning, by offering training adapted to individual and collective needs.
Your employees need you to develop their skills (negotiation, making contact, prospecting, etc.). After analyzing the strengths of your team members, your mission is to help each of your employees progress. To do this, you can use individual coaching actions and organize group training.
For example, you can ask an employee who has mastered telephone prospecting to coach one of their colleagues, pass them on best practices and advise them during their next calls.
The idea is to promote everyone's skills and put them to the benefit of the team with, for example, a reverse mentoring program.
Reverse mentoring is a concept in which the traditional roles of mentor and protégé are reversed. In this context, it is generally the younger, less experienced employees or those from more recent generations who act as mentors for the older, more experienced employees or those from previous generations. This approach aims to encourage the exchange of knowledge, skills and experience between different generations within an organisation.
7. Encourage interdepartmental collaboration
Organisational silos have no place in today's business world. The sales manager must encourage collaboration between the company's different teams (marketing, sales, customer service, etc.) to achieve common objectives.
Example of collaboration between the sales department and the marketing department
A software company is planning to launch a new version of its product. The sales manager is working closely with the marketing team to maximise the impact of this new version on sales. Here's how he could encourage this collaboration:
- Joint planning meetings: the sales manager and marketing team meet regularly to discuss the key features of the new version and how they can be promoted in sales and marketing efforts;
- Information sharing: the manager provides detailed information on customer needs and market trends to the marketing team, to help them create effective campaigns and relevant content;
- development of sales materials: in collaboration with marketing, the sales manager ensures that sales materials such as brochures, presentations and case studies are aligned with the key messages of the new version;
- cross-training: the manager organises training sessions to give members of the sales team an in-depth understanding of the benefits of the new version, so that they can communicate them effectively to customers;
- Joint reflection on targets: together, the sales manager and the marketing team identify the priority market segments for the new version, taking into account the appropriate sales forces and marketing strategies;
- monitoring and adjustments: the sales manager and marketing regularly evaluate the performance of the new version on the market, analyzing the sales results and adjusting the strategy if necessary.
Thus, by encouraging close collaboration between the sales and marketing teams, the manager fosters an environment where knowledge and resources are shared effectively, resulting in better customer understanding, a more targeted sales strategy and, ultimately better business performance.
8. Support employees in managing change
The ability to manage change is crucial to adapting to market developments. The sales manager must help his or her team to overcome resistance to change by communicating effectively and providing appropriate support.
More than ever, your team needs you on the ground. There are three types of support for a sales manager:
- training support: you show the sales person how to apply sales techniques and methods. This is referred to as a transfer mission;
- development: you may be required to support your employee to help them progress. During this support, analyze the salesperson's methods in the situation and then debrief with them to enable them to progress;
- Joining forces: last but not least, of course, don't neglect your support role in the field.
Combine your strengths as a manager and those of your salesperson to optimize the results of a sale.
9. Act responsibly and ethically
In 2023, consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of companies on society and the environment. A successful sales manager must therefore act responsibly and ethically, ensuring the integrity of his actions and those of his team.
Example 1
The sales manager encourages his team to listen carefully to customer needs and concerns. It ensures that the solutions proposed truly meet customer needs rather than simply maximizing sales.
Example 2
The manager ensures that every client is treated fairly, regardless of their size or influence. It avoids practices of discrimination or favoritism.
10. Stimulate creativity and develop innovation in your teams
Finally, the sales manager must encourage innovation and creativity within his or her team. By coming up with new ideas and adopting innovative approaches, the sales team can stand out from the competition and respond to emerging customer needs.
The manager can organise regular brainstorming sessions where team members can generate ideas, discuss them and develop them together.
The manager can also create project groups so that his colleagues have time to devote to developing new offers to test.
In 2023, the successful sales manager must be an agile, customer-focused leader with emotional intelligence and the ability to leverage advanced technologies. By putting these 10 keys into practice, the sales manager can lead his or her team to success in a constantly changing sales environment.
