High Performing Sales Managers

TWO MORE CHARACTERISTICS of HIGH PERFORMING SALES MANAGERS / SALES TEAM LEADERS Part two

Great ‘Sale’ Managers are good sales coaches. When a prospect is in the showroom then the sales manager is leading the charge for the sale. You need to be creative to support and backstop your sales consultant. Sometimes they will run out of ideas and confidence. That’s when the sales team leader earns their pay.

Two more characteristics of top performing sales team leaders
(1) They run a strong sales desk. They know what to do and how to coach to close the sale.
(2) They are willing and confident to go in on deals quickly and skilfully when needed.

STRONG SALES DESK. There is always an open door at the sales team leaders/managers desk for a deal. Nothing else is more important than this sales consultant with his/her deal—not the dealer, not the factory zone people, not the phone. The salesperson is king when they have an offer to present or a need to get direction on his deal. No waiting in line, everything stops for the salesperson.
The peak performing sales manager has a predictable approach to each offer. He keeps the chat to a minimum, assesses the offer situation quickly and gives a specific strategy. They don't say, "you need more money"—your sales consultant knows that. The top team leaders tell them "how to" get the offer improvement. The first time the offer is presented the best sales leaders congratulate the salesperson on achieving the offer—no matter how far away the offer is from acceptable. This builds respect and confidence in your sales consultant.
Effective leaders put on their coaching hat and then give a clear simple instruction that gets the salesperson back with his prospect quickly. Top ‘sales’ managers don't use the outdated method of making the prospect wait for his decision on the first offer. The good sakes coaches know when to change the Basis of Negotiation, and how to make it easy for the prospect to say "yes". I am always impressed when the best sales desk managers want to attend all my courses on Sales Desk Management for a tune-up and new ideas, and the rest ...care less. Tells you something doesn't it. Some managers are more interested in getting their golf score down but not their closing ratio. Check out my website www.Automotivator.com or email for additional ideas you can use.

TOP GUNS SALES LEADERS NEVER Walk Prospects Without Meeting the Client. A sales leader who goes in on deals, everyday, makes more money for the dealership than any desk jockey ever did. Most managers will walk deals without ever meeting the customer, "if that salesperson couldn't get the deal I'm sure I couldn't". The peak performing sales leaders regularly close deals that would be walked if they didn't meet the customers, not everybody closes, but lots do. They don't miss an opportunity to get the sale—it means too much to the dealership and sales consultant to walk a prospect without even trying. Sales team leaders don't lose their confidence by riding the desk getting slivers, hiding behind paper, they are enjoying the opportunity to keep the sale.

There are many managers who can become "High Performing" Sales Team Leaders. But for some managers they "just don't have time" to do the things I have shared. Too many good potential sales team leaders are bogged down in administration when they need to be focused on making sales. Maybe you, the dealer, better look again at your priorities before it is too late. What are you doing today, to make your manager able to achieve their potential as a peak performing sales team leader? Check out http://www.automotivator.com/ $$$

High Performing Sales Managers/Sales Leaders

TWO CHARACTERISTICS of HIGH PERFORMING SALES MANAGERS / SALES TEAM LEADERS Part one
Author - Dave Kemp, The Automotivator
One of the fundamental problems in the car business today is ‘Sales’ Management. Sometimes you can stand in front of the office of a sales manager and just see the frustration of the salespeople as they leave after bringing an offer to purchase a vehicle. The salesperson had achieved the first goal of automobile salesmanship, "get the offer, and bring it to me". Yet you would think he had just interrupted a meeting between Harper and Bush. "Can't you see I'm busy!" is the expression on the manager's face. "I have work to do"!, is the attitude implied. It is pretty bad when the reason we are in business, an offer to purchase, is an interruption.
Don't blame your sales manager, he or she is not the problem in most cases. They are buried in administration, not "sales" management. Look at your list of typical "sales" management activities for your sales team leaders. The activities that are, directly specific to creating sales, desking a sale, or coaching a salesperson is too low on the list. These sales activities should be on the top of the list for your ‘sales managers’.

Two characteristics of top performing sales team leaders
There are four characteristics of top performing sales team leaders I have discovered in the automobile business ... and I have been providing professional development for sales leaders, studying and working with the best for years. Here are the first two. They know how to:
(1) Recruit the best possible sales team
(2) They are dedicated to the success of their sales consultants. They want them to make money and have FUN doing it.
RECRUITING. The top performing managers do not tolerate inappropriate sales consultants for very long. They seek out the best talent in their area and go after them. They don't depend on the best talent "just walking in" when they need salespeople.
They are proactively recruiting. There are good people selling or leasing business machines, office equipment, clothing, cameras, boats, service advisors and many more key areas. They don't depend on recruiting "experienced" automobile people. They want to develop their "own people". As one manager said, "I don't want someone else's mistakes screwing up my people." Don't hire anyone unless you are confident that they have the potential to succeed at your dealership. It costs you, far more than they sell you.

DEDICATED TO SUCCESS. The better ‘sales’ managers expect the best results because they give effective sales coaching, training, incentives and daily direction. They are dedicated to the sales team's success, there is a "results focus" mentality, they show it with strong daily direction about closing prospects that are in the showroom, working "hot prospects" in the system, and quick follow-up of showroom walk-outs and internet leads.
They meet with their salespeople "one on one", to give them ideas, motivation, and a sense of their value to the team. It is a war zone out there on the sales floor and you want to keep the attitude strong in this competitive market.
The best leaders get their people to "buy in" to the dealerships weekly sales objectives, and each sales person understands their role in achieving the objective. Personal recognition, incentives and high expectations are his/her motivation tools and fear, occasionally. A sense of trust, confidence and commitment to sales results "despite the odds" are inspired by the top managers. This "job will get done" attitude rubs off on the sales team.

Look for two more characteristics next edition.

Dave Kemp, the Automotivator, is President of Automotivator Professional Development and Trackstar International Follow-up Systems. A car industry expert with decades of success training Canada’s most achieving and profitable automobile dealerships. He has been a successful dealer, General Manager, Sales manager and sales consultant and has shared his sales strategies with thousands of successful dealers, manufacturers, sales team leaders across North America.. Contact info. http://www.automotivator.com/ Email Dave@Automotivator.com 1-800-668-0362