Fundamentals of Sales Management

Fundamentals of Sales Management : FOR THE NEWLY APPOINTED SALES MANAGER (pdf)  by  Matthew Schwartz

Congratulations! You have joined the ranks of sales management. This may even be your first experience as a manager. The good news is that you are not alone. Many resources like this book, Fundamentals of Sales Management , exist to learn from and help support your growth as a manager and a leader. You have climbed the sales ladder, have cultivated your skills, and are ready for a new challenge.

You can probably imagine that transitioning into management is very natural for some and more like charting unknown territory for others.

You have a whole new set of responsibilities, and at the same time, the expectations others have of you have completely changed. In fact, these new demands come from both your sales team and your management team. This chapter will walk you through some of the core issues and hopefully provide you with some comfort knowing that  many have been here before, and  success is well within your reach.

Going from “Selling” to “Managing”

While it is likely that you came from the world of selling, it is not a requirement. Sales managers typically choose management them-selves, but other times senior management chooses them because they are seen as well respected by their peers and they possess many of the necessary traits of a good manager and leader.

So while understanding the elements of selling are very important, what it takes to manage is a very different skills set. The following is a brief look at sales versus sales management and where they overlap.

First it is necessary to understand what the ideal salesperson should look like. He typically exhibits the following behaviors and traits:

  • Attentive
  • Empathetic
  • Poised
  • Good Listener
  • Courteous
  • Engaging
  • Presentable
  • Knows the Products
  • Credible
  • Enthusiastic
  • Results-Oriented
  • Aggressive
  • Driven
  • Passionate
  • Smart
  • Articulate

Contents
Fundamentals of Sales Management

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER 1.
Transitioning to Sales Management: New Responsibilities and Expectations

  • Going from “Selling” to “Managing”
  • Understanding the Current Sales Culture
  • Understanding Who Is on the Current Team
  • The Challenges of Being on Two Teams at Once
  • Embracing Change
  • The Big Picture—Short- and Long-Term
  • What’s Next?

CHAPTER 2.
It’s All About Communication

  • Listening Skills
  • The Theory Behind Communication Styles
  • The Origins of DISC Theory
  • The Four-Quadrant System
  • How Roles and Situations Affect Your Style
  • Working with People with Different Styles
  • Strategies for Improving Communications
  • Running an Effective Meeting
  • Presentation Skills

CHAPTER 3.
Sales Planning: Setting the Direction for the Sales Team

  • Aligning the Corporate Strategy with the Sales Team
  • Where Sales Fits in the Corporate Structure
  • The Customer-Centric Organization
  • Marketing’s Relationship to Sales
  • Creating a Flan
  • Characteristics of a Good Plan
  • Continuous Planning
  • Assessing the Business

CHAPTER 4.
Time Management, Territory Planning, and Sales Forecasting

  • Time Management
  • The Art of Delegating
  • Sales Territory Planning

CHAPTER 5.
Recruiting, Interviewing, and Hiring the Very Best

  • Enhancing Your Current Team
  • Developing Specific Criteria for the Selection Process
  • Optimal Sources for Recruiting
  • The Number One Rule in Recruiting: Constantly Recruit
  • Ensuring a Positive Interview Process
  • The Written Offer
  • Firing Is Inevitable

CHAPTER 6.
Building the Environment for Motivation: Compensation Plans, Recognition, and Rewards

  • Classical Motivation Theory
  • Sales Compensation and Incentives Planning
  • Benefits and the Total Compensation Package
  • Nonfmancial Incentives—Rewards and Recognition

CHAPTER 7.
Training, Coaching, and Counseling: When and How to Apply Each

  • Methods of Training Based on Learning Styles
  • The Core Concepts of Reinforcement
  • The Development of Winners
  • Coaching and Counseling Goal-Setting Sessions

CHAPTER 8.
Stepping Up to Be a True Leader

  • The Characteristics of a Team
  • Matching Your Team with Your Customer’s Team
  • The Evolution of a Team
  • Time to Lead

INDEX

Language: English
Format: PDF
Pages: 225
Size: 1 Mb
Fundamentals of Sales Management : FOR THE NEWLY APPOINTED SALES MANAGER (pdf)  by  Matthew Schwartz