What it takes be a strong sales leader- Our top 10 ingredients for success.
Most sales managers are in their roles because at some point in their career, someone saw the potential for the person to lead others. In sales management, most sales managers have been in sales and have shown a successful formula in putting numbers on the board, thus senior leaders hope that that success formula rubs off on others.
But is the success formula all it takes?
In this article, we will outline the ingredients we see in successful sales management candidates that our customers seek.
Here are our top 10 ingredients that we repeatedly hear from our customers seeking top sales leadership talent.
1. Ability to lead: this is by far the #1 attribute clients are looking for. Ability to lead for the current role but also someone who is promotable down the road.
2. Management style: are they able to be a team leader, team builder and a good teammate. This is also a biggie. We see clients really looking for a collaborative leadership style, someone who has executive presence but also can roll up their sleeves.
3. In the field: Clients want sales leaders in the field, in touch with their customers. Making joint sales calls, coaching and leading the team. Feeling the pulse of the marketplace.We also see clients wanting their sales leaders to have a few top accounts themselves so that they too are close to the customer, hearing issues first hand and leading by example.
4. Understanding the competitive landscape: Clients want someone plugged into the market. Customer savvy, knowing key vendors and understanding how they can get a competitive advantage in the markets they service.
5. Product knowledge: a huge plus. If your sales leader can also sell, know the products they represent from the inside out, this is a huge plus and adds instant trust and credibility.
6. Tech savvy: can they walk the talk on CRM, can they set the tone for their team utilizing data to make decisions in the field.
7. Runway: Clients are looking for candidates with a runway. Meaning someone that can be a long term employee and make a impact into the foreseeable future. We see a lot of companies willing to put rising stars, early career stars, into sales leadership roles.
8. Collaboration: Can your sales leader command a seat at the table. Can they get respect from peers, do you envision them able to collaborate with their teammates. All these questions are becoming a staple of what it takes to lead a team.
9. Set the tempo: Can the candidate project a high-energy, can-do attitude that sets their team in motion every day?
10. Hungry: Are they hungry? Anyone in a high-level sales management role needs to be very competitive and hungry to win. They must be driven from within to close sales and generate profit. This attitude of being hungry everyday is a key ingredient to defining success in a sales leader. Just because they are now the sales managers, doesn’t mean they can now take the foot off the pedal.
There are obviously other attributes that clients seek in this important hire. All companies’ needs and situations are different, but we hear these top 10 over and over from clients in today’s competitive recruitment landscape.
John Salvadore
GRN Coastal
Managing partner
jsalvadore@grncoastal.com
508-479-3137 cell
508-589-6022 office
