Sales Management Successful sales management can be one of the most challenging aspects necessary for a fledgling company seeking to gain initial traction in a target marketplace. There is something inherently challenging in managing professionals who are, by definition, independent, ego-centric, and, not to be funny, mavericks. Great sales people are not easily lead and managing them can lead one to feel as if they are herding the proverbial cats. So how does one provide the direction, structure, and oversight to people who by their very nature look to walk their own independent path to success? Great sales management starts with great recruiting. Great recruiting begins with a thorough understanding of what type of personalities the organization wishes to attract to its sales force. The latest hot product or high compensation packages will attract many strong sales candidates, but it will also attract candidates that may not have the character attributes necessary to carry a company onwards to success when a product cools, is challenged by a competitive technology, or if a shift must occur in compensation programs. In the end, the best recruiting tool a company can have is its culture. No matter the characteristics of a culture, whether it is a progressive one or a burn and churn one, it will attract sales candidates that reflect its very nature. If all of a sudden sales management looks around and discovers they have a sales force of passive aggressive, manipulative players it is best served by taking a long look in the mirror itself. Sales management will truly reap that which it consistently sows. The next critical attribute of great sales management is reflected in its attitude toward cultivating talent. High performing sales people need to feel that they are appreciated and that they have an exciting and bright future with the organization. Sales management needs to be highly conscious of the fact that great sales people demand enormous levels of performance from themselves and expect equally high performance from its leadership. The fact is, no other resource within the organization is more mobile with their careers than excellent sales professionals. They’re like a baseball player that can hit for power and steal forty bases season after season. These pros will always be in demand and competing companies and industries are more than happy to pay, and at times, overpay for their services. Companies that are willing to invest in the development of their human capital will place themselves at a competitive advantage. This means investing in educating their sales management team as aggressively as they invest in developing their sales talent. The differentiating attribute of exceptional sales management can be found in their level of emotional intelligence. This is not an area that universities are going to deliver to your ranks through traditional business programs. It is the soft skills of people management, of true leadership, that will create sales management teams that will consistently attract and retain the best of the best. Sales management is the front line of leadership necessary to inspire sales people to consistently succeed in today’s dynamic sales environment. Related Articles Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Company Sales