Clients Say...

"Working with Optimal Sales Search changed my mind about the true partnership you can have with the right sales recruiter. We have hired several high-level sales people with their help. The results have helped build our company. One of the people we hired from Optimal Sales Search has been our number one sales rep for two years!"

VP Sales, $60M Firm

Five Habits of Successful Sales Managers

Habit #1: Successful sales managers are always recruiting and avoid reacting to a hiring crisis. Just like any good salesperson, they are always working a full funnel of hot prospects. Sometimes it takes years to recruit a top salesperson. They prioritize sales recruiting efforts and build it into their daily plan as an ongoing event rather than a once in a while task. Recruiting top sales talent starts with the sales manager and simply requires an ongoing and consistent effort.

Habit #2: Successful sales managers have the courage to fight for favorable compensation plans. Oftentimes unfavorable compensation plans and territory adjustments will drive out top producers. Unless this is the desired effect, change must take place.  Sales managers who can champion cohesive sales plans that reward achievement will fare best with high producing sales teams. Top producers have choices and opportunity costs are very real for them. If they feel they are being treated unfairly, they will take our recruiting calls and wind up with another firm that believes in paying sales reps top commissions and keeping them happy.

Habit #3: Successful sales managers are masters at building cohesion. With virtual field sales teams being more the norm than the exception, building a cohesive synergistic team across the country can be a challenge. Those sales managers who are adept at building camaraderie and making everyone feel integral to the group will be successful. Sales managers who appear scattered, are hard to get ahold of and don’t call reps back for days will erode relationships and lose the respect of the sales force.

Habit #4: Successful sales managers tell it like it is. Managers who oversell the company, compensation targets or company products quickly lose the trust of the team. Sales managers who clearly articulate the good and the bad of any situation gain more admiration, respect and trust.

Habit #5: Successful sales managers know the siren song of all top producers. Top sales talent thrives on challenge. Push top salespeople and they push back. Set high goals for them and they will stretch. Most top salespeople are passionate about success, winning and compensation. They thrive on the feeling of exhilaration that only comes from doing their very best. Successful sales managers are always looking for ways to expand their reps’ capacity, ways to help them stretch and grow, because they know this will keep their sales reps engaged and performing at peak levels.

Copyright © Optimal Sales Search. Optimal Sales Search recruits sales professionals at the mid, senior and executive levels for ambitious Technology and High-Value Service firms. Visit our website at www.OptimalSalesSearch.com for sales hiring tips, articles and checklists that can help you hire better sales talent, faster.