I’m trying to connect the dots beyond a distributing statistic I read about sales managers and what might help reverse the trend.
Writing within his AllBusiness blog last week, international sales leader Jonathan Farrington cited recent published research suggesting the average tenure of a sales manager is now just 18 months. He also observed that more organizations are recognizing that top sales professionals need expert coaching support from their managers to excel.
So the lifespan of a sales manager at a particular company averages a year and a half. Sales reps need better coaching. What’s missing?
I put that to Steven Rosen, one of the best sales management and leadership coaches I know. The question: What is m
ost lacking in sales managers? Rosen said most sales managers rise from (surprise!) sales, which means they probably were top reps.
“Companies may do some sales training, depending on what they are willing to invest, “he said, “but most investment usually is in product-related training.” Beyond that, it focuses on skills training. The managers’ role is to hire, develop and retain top salespeople. Too often, Rosen said, they fall back on what make them great reps. “One trap they fall into is selling for their salespeople … if the sales manager is helping the reps close, they’re not teaching them how to be good at what they need to do. It creates a dependent relationship where the manager eventually burns out.”
Rosen cites a Sales Executive Council survey of 4,200 salespeople that concludes the No. 1 activity that sales managers do to drive performance is coaching their reps. “The challenge,” he says, “is it requires the skills that managers are least good at.” They need their people to generate their own solutions, frequently a tough route for sales managers who’ve excelled in the field and think they know better.
Going farther, any coaching for sales managers doesn’t start and stop with a training course. Ongoing training – rare within companies that try to coach their managers internally – fosters skills that become daily behaviors. Sales performance increases, reps develop a greater level of engagement within the company and top salespeople stay and contribute to greater profitability.
Rosen is presenting an educational series consisting of four one-hour online training sessions beginning March 21 for small groups of sales managers. Consider these starters – a taste and understanding of how to effectively coach in which participants will walk away with new skills.
He’s also participating on a panel of sales leadership gurus, including Farrington and fellow AllBusiness.com blogger Paul McCord, who will be debating the changing face of professional leadership. This free session takes place this Wednesday, March 16, at noon Eastern.
