In any company that deals in sales, the sales manager is responsible for ensuring that the team’s sales techniques are effectively translated from theory into practice. As such, it is important for him/her to ensure that every strategy that the sales team comes up with is practical and applicable in real-world situations. It is also the role of the sales manager to manage the company’s sales operations. These are the essential procedures that are designed to enable the business to run with effectiveness and efficiency, while simultaneously supporting the business objectives and processes.
It is with this understanding that sales recruiters are often on the lookout for the following 3 key qualities when looking to place sales managers.
1. Versatility
It is important for every effective sales manager to be versatile. This is because they are responsible for a wide range of tasks. Thus, one of the qualities that sales recruiters look for in a sales manager is the ability to multi-task and change their game instantly. From day to day, the manager may need to perform a wide range of tasks that include developing new sales strategies, coming up with objectives and so on. As such, recruiters look for individuals who can effectively accomplish a number of tasks at the same time.
2. Excellent Selling Skills
In as much as the sales manager may not be directly involved in day-to-day sales, they need to possess excellent selling skills. This is because one of their responsibilities is the recruitment of sales staff. They may not be the ones directly going out and looking for sales professionals, but they liaise closely with sales recruiters to confirm any hires. They are also responsible for providing the recruiters with clear and accurate descriptions of what the company needs.
Additionally, in some companies the sales manager is also responsible for the generation of new leads. With the sales team reporting to and being managed by him/her, it is essential for this manager to know how sales work, what drives them, as well as how to manage and motivate sales professionals.
3. Innovation
Innovation is described as the ability to come up with new solutions to existing problems. The sales team encounters numerous challenges on a daily basis. It is therefore important for sales managers to possess finely-tuned problem solving skills. That way, they are able to provide guidance to the sales team on new approaches to tackle the challenges that they face. In addition, the sales manager should be self-driven. Since they are mostly responsible for their own tasks without being supervised on a minute-to-minute basis, sales recruiters look for professionals who are self-motivated.