Sales Leadership

Sales Leadership

Building and motivating the optimal team, leading sales instead of just letting them run – this is more than ever the main task of sales leaders.

There are countless highly qualified articles on these topics on the web. Based on my experience over the past twenty years, I want to give practical tips and also stimulate discussions.

Optimally positioning the sales team within the company and externally

Whether new to the company from outside or promoted internally from colleague to team leader – I know both positions in the sales business.

From colleague to boss

This is always a challenge for a young manager. Until now, you were still on a hierarchical level, now you are suddenly supposed to lead, motivate and achieve goals together.
My former colleagues knew me and of course my weaknesses. This is sometimes not so easy.

New from outside is easier than internal promotion

As a new “head of” who came from outside, I automatically had an edge in authority that my colleagues would not have granted to a former colleague.
The “newbie” is not yet known and both sides have to get to know each other first.
And the new person is the boss from the beginning.

Backing from above

What helped me at the time was that my next superior personally appointed me and also backed me up. This is not always a matter of course.
A terse e-mail is not enough here. This has to be announced publicly in front of the group.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a mentor or constant guidance at the time. At least a seminar for young leaders helped me a lot.

 

Building the right level of authority

This is difficult for young bosses to assess. To suddenly let the authoritarian boss, hang out is just as wrong as practising too little leadership.
People need leadership and clear guidelines or framework conditions, even if this is often seen critically in times of flat hierarchies, start-up culture and collaborative working.
It is crucial to establish the right degree of “constructive” authority.

 

Anticipate and anticipate intrigues

Experience shows that as a new boss, whether promoted from outside or internally, you are more in the centre of attention. You may also be confronted with envious people, those who have fallen short and “observers of the first mistake”.

Here you should get support from above and be alert to rumours, but without falling into paranoia.
The best remedy against this is to achieve success with the new team soon – that is why one should go for quick wins together with the team.
And if the new boss, then does not claim success for himself alone, he shows character, collects sympathy points and at the same time increases team spirit.

Caution is also advisable when it comes to the transparency that the boss grants his team.
In the beginning, he should be very careful with this.

The awkward position in middle management

As a new “team leader/head of” you are no longer an ordinary employee, but you have not (yet) reached top management either.
In this “sandwich position” you have to do justice to two groups – your team and your own bosses.

Here are some tips:

  • Communicate successes quickly and comprehensively.
  • Never gang up with staff against the next higher level, even if the mood or the next higher boss give enough reason.
  • Use a first name, but keep a healthy distance at after-work appointments with the team.
  • Get rid of unconvincing schemers and advice-resistant low-performers quickly. Otherwise, the mood and turnover figures will quickly sink even further.
  • Stay out of the gossip. In many companies, the conversations in the tea kitchen fuel the negative mood even more. As a manager, you would do well not to comment on this.

New from the outside – 7 important tips for a successful start

  1. Try to get an idea of the department you are supposed to lead.
  2. Try to get to know the product/service and the market in advance and ask for important figures.
  3. google your future team members and see what you can find about them on XING/ LinkedIn and social media.
  4. in the first days at the company, have them give you their personnel files and read them carefully.
  5. Let the employees draw up a description of their tasks.
  6. Identify low, high and out performers in the team based on the numbers.
  7. Schedule timely appraisal interviews in a 1:1 format.