5 Keys to Hiring the Right Sales Manager
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5 Keys to Hiring the Right Sales Manager
by: Lee B. Salz
There are few decisions more critical for a company than the hiring of the
leadership of their sales organization. Yet, few know how to do it well.
There are few decisions more critical for a company than the hiring of the
leadership of their sales organization. Yet, few know how to do it well. Many
err and “promote” their best seller to a sales management position. Why this is
called a promotion is beyond me. The job of the sales manager is vastly
different than that of a sales person, so why is this considered employment
elevation? Often times, sales managers earn less than the top sales people.
Promotion?
Some sales people make the transition successfully, but many struggle with
the change. Sometimes, it is a mismatch of the person to the role. However, more
frequently, the struggle is caused by the lack of recognition by the company
that this is not a promotion, but rather a move into a completely new job. How
do you handle an employee in a new job? You train, mentor, and monitor their
performance! Look, most people don’t come out of the womb with the skills
required to be an effective manager. Thus, it is a key responsibility of the
company to recognize that when moving their top sales person into that role they
need to own the development of that individual. A congratulatory handshake and
smile just won’t get it done.
Many companies look for their sales management candidates from outside their
organization. This approach also has its challenges. Whether you promote from
within or hire from outside, consider these five points to make sure you find
the right person for the role.
- Selling versus Managing. If you consider the broad spectrum of
responsibilities from selling business directly to managing a team, what
percentage of the time do you expect this person to be focused on personal
selling versus managing? As mentioned above, the skill set required for those
two responsibilities is vastly different. It is also difficult to find
professionals that have equal strength in both skill sets. Often times, there
will be a trade-off. If there is a sacrifice to be made, it makes the best sense
to select someone who has their primary strength in the more predominant part of
the responsibility.
If the decision is made that the position has equal responsibility for
selling and managing or the dominant responsibility is selling, it may make
sense for an internal hire. This allows the company to develop a new manager.
However, the plan falls down if the company is not committed to a development
plan.
- Creating versus Executing. Another consideration is what your expectations
of the sales manager are relative to developing the company’s sales
architecture? (the framework of the sales organization). In some companies,
there is a plan already in place and the job of the sales manager is to ensure
the plan is executed as written. In essence, the job is to motivate the troops
and coach them to make sure revenue targets are achieved. This is usually the
case for mid-level sales managers.
In other situations, the primary job is to establish the overall direction of
the sales organization, formulate the compensation plan that supports that
direction, and execute the plan. Needless to say, this is a very different
profile than the sales manager described above.
- Title versus Responsibility. Check any job board and you will find a
plethora of titles referring to sales management. However, there is not a direct
correlation between title and responsibilities. This can create a disconnect
with the new manager and with clients if those two are not synchronized. If you
are going to give someone the title of “Vice President,” there is an inherent
expectation that this is a high-responsibility, high-authority position. When
clients hear that title, they believe that this person is a senior-level person
in the company and can make decisions. Thus, this can create client frustration
if the responsibility and authority are not consistent with the title.
At the other end of the spectrum, calling this person a “sales manager”
creates a more junior-level perception. There is nothing wrong with the term,
but it is important that you recognize the created perception. Again, this can
cause issues with both the person in the role and clients if the
responsibilities don’t match the title. Some very good sales management
candidates will elect not to apply to your company because they believe it is a
junior-level role.
- Interviewing. Probably the toughest role for which to interview is the
sales manager. For one, they are experienced in interviewing. They know the
desired answers. They know the sales lingo and buzz words. How do you get past
the fluff and get your real answers? One way is to develop a list of benchmark
questions that candidates are asked. This allows for comparison of answers among
the candidate pool. (Send me an email and I will send you my favorite 20
questions.) It is important that the questions not follow a sequence so that the
candidate cannot build off their prior answers. Be sure to document the
responses to each so you can review them later. You will be amazed by what comes
out of this step of the process.
Another important consideration when interviewing these candidates is with
whom they will need to have a healthy business relationship to be successful in
their role. For example, there is an inherent strife between sales and
operations. However, the company will fail if the leaders of those two areas are
not able to work together in a productive manner. Consider the various
department leaders with whom this person will interact and engage them in the
process. This also helps the new manager assimilate into the organization once
they are onboard.
- The Ultimate Screening Tool. The most effective tool that I have found in
screening sales management candidates is the request for the submission of a
written business plan. When the candidate has satisfactorily completed all of
the other steps of the pre-offer process, the request is made for a one-page
business plan that shows how they would approach the job. I mention the one-page
scope three times in the conversation so my expectations are clear. The
candidate is asked by when they can submit the document. It is important that
the submission date be asked of the candidate, not the other way around as you
will see in a moment.
The benefits of this step are numerous. For one, it shows if the candidate
can communicate in written form. Writing is a lost art in business, but a
critical one for someone in a leadership role.
Another benefit is that it shows if the candidate understands what the role
entails. A number of hours have been spent with the candidate by this point. If
they are near the finish line, they should have a clear vision of the
expectations.
Another is to see if there is a synergy in the approach to the role. It is
best to see before the marriage is performed if their approach is aligned with
the leadership’s vision.
Still another is the ability to see if this person can meet a self-imposed
deadline. I asked when he could have the plan to me. He provided me with a date
and time. If it is late, the candidate is no longer considered for employment.
End of story.
Finally, in this role, I am the client. I’ve asked for a one-page plan, not
an epic. Do they follow directions? Or do they ignore what the client desires
and do whatever they want. While I don’t eliminate candidates solely for this, I
refer to this in a follow-up session with the candidate.
One final point that is critical when hiring is to background screen. Resume
fraud is at an all-time high! Candidates lie about employment history, salary
history, and their education experience, not to mention criminal history. Find a
reputable firm to do this work for you.
Finding the right person for your sales management role is difficult. It is
also expensive. These five keys will help mitigate the risk and create a happy,
healthy sales marriage between you and your new employee.
Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right
sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales
architecture? methodology. He is the President of
Sales Architects, the C.E.O.
of Business Expert Webinars and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales
Manager.” Lee is an online columnist for
Sales and Marketing Management
Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the
Internet radio show, “Secrets of Business Gurus.” Look for Lee's new book in
February 2009 titled, "The Sales Marriage” where he shares the secrets to hiring
the right sales people. He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business
consultant. Lee can be reached at
lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.
Keywords: sales, sales management, sales consulting, sales training.
Contributor: Lee B. Salz
Published here on: 7-Dec-07
Classification: Sales
Website: www.salesdodo.com
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