Not all sales leaders are created equal. Sometimes, even though someone has the title of a leader or manager, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they help propel their respective teams to success. A great sales leader is one that manages to guide their team to exceed their annual quota and has the capacity to motivate their teams to achieve their goals.
When it comes to being a great sales leader, there are certain characteristics and attributes that are vital. Listed below are some of those traits:
1 – Great Sales Leaders are Target-Driven
The best sales leaders are usually those who are fixated on achieving goals and targets. According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, top sales managers scored 19% higher in the self-discipline facet, 20% higher in the success-driven facet, and 27% higher in the priority-focused facet compared to underperforming sales managers. This proves that these people have the natural disposition to steer their teams in the direction of achieving their goals above all else. They know how to eliminate distractions and compartmentalize negative news that may cause the team to stray away from their targets. They keep the team focused and working with a sense of urgency in mind, regardless of the circumstances.
2 – Great Sales Leaders are Strategic
In addition to helping the team meet their targets, a great sales manager is also one who is strategic-minded and makes an effort in finding ways to take their company to new heights. This may mean that they continuously finetune and optimize automation, sales tools, and procedures. They take advantage of technology and develop their sales management process to facilitate growth. They also incorporate new metrics and incentive systems to motivate their teams.
3 – Great Sales Leaders Understand People
Great sales leaders are not robots who only know how to make sales and hit targets—they also understand how to work with people. They are good at hiring and ensure that only the people who fit the culture join the team. They recognize positive traits in their sales teams and offer to coach those who need help. They provide feedback, evaluate, and reframe goals of the people they work with to help them be better at their jobs. When there’s a crisis, they also know how to give advice according to the circumstances. They use their extensive experience and apply their sales intuition to address the matter at hand. Sales management is not just about selling—it’s also about working efficiently with people and bringing out their strengths so they can be more productive and motivated.
4 – Great Sales Leaders Make Decisions Based on Data
An excellent sales leader uses their innate sales intuition and combines it with substantial evidence to make smarter business decisions. They know how to look for the numbers behind any success or failure, and analyze them to figure out how those numbers can change. They also know how to justify the reasoning behind every decision with important data.
Overall, being an effective sales leader is about thinking long-term, being focused on the end goal, and motivating their team.
At MasterMessaging, we offer proven sales techniques that can help elevate value and increase your revenue. If you have trouble closing deals successfully, especially during these trying times, get in touch with our consultants today to learn more about what we do and how it can help you.
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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.