What makes a Successful Sales Director!

Now, despite the title only being 6 words, you could probably write a ten million page novel on this and it would incorporate many different and contrasting views, varying rationales and a thousand opposing thoughts and lets be honest, it would still not capture everything. The only thing I would guarantee ....... is that it would most definitely not be a best-seller 😂!

Over the years I have been asked many times by clients, partners, colleagues, suppliers and friends what they should look for in a successful Sales Director as they hunt for that person that will 'manage, tame and drive' their sales force. I myself have been a Sales Director for many years and managing teams all over the world has led me to understand some of the key qualities, traits and attributes that I believe are crucial for this role. For me, a Sales Director does needs potentially more skills than other Senior positions as it really is managing up, down and all around.

And lets be honest for a second - Sales people are a funny breed aren't they? Now, this is not a negative comment in anyway and most people in other departments who criticise them would not last 1 month in a sales environment, but if truth be told they are different to other staff and therefore you need to be a certain kind of crazy to be able to manage them 😂. Personally, I loved it - I was part of the failures, part of the successes, part of the fun (which you must have at all times) and part of the team... and I really believe that is why we always delivered!

So, what are the top attributes then, well - there are many skills required and below are the key ones I think you need to not only survive in this cut-throat environment, but to be able to grow, to develop your team, to retain your staff and to increase your revenues (and these are not in any particular order):

1) Integrity

You cannot be in a Sales Leadership position if you don't have integrity - the Board, the team and the customers will all find out very quickly and it will go wrong just as fast. Integrity is something people are born with and is vital ingredient in the make-up of a Sales Leader.

2) Passion

Without passion, you cannot do some of the other criteria set out here - you cannot motivate you cannot lead, you cannot create loyalty and you will fail. Passion is the intense enthusiasm and excitement for what you do and it is the difference between doing a job and getting it done very well. it is also the difference between enjoying your job and struggling in it!

3) Leadership

You must lead by example and you must lead from the front - A true Sales leader needs to be on the sales floor, in front of customers, pitching in on presentations and celebrating the wins with the team. A Sales Director also needs to be the 'sales teams' voice on the Board and the 'voice of the customer' to the business. They need to lead by shaping and designing value propositions, strategies and plans as well as be a trainer and motivator to the staff. They must also be the boss when it comes to management and decision making.

4) Loyalty

Real Sales bosses need to 'go into bat' for their teams - please note that if this does not happen then you will lose the whole team very quickly and that is almost impossible to come back from. Showing the team you understand their problems, issues and situation will ensure loyalty back in terms of work ethic and attitude. Also, loyalty is a two way street and this is especially true when it comes to Sales people.

5) Availability

Sales is a non-stop business and if your teams are working - be it in front of customers, on the phones, preparing a bid, trying to sort deliveries, finding stock, pricing deals or whatever it may be - then you need to be available for them. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been contacted by members of my sales teams between 8pm and 2am, if they are working then you need to be available as well. This is also true within office hours - yes you maybe on the Board and meeting investors, but never forget that your role is to ensure the sales teams get the support they need when they need it.

6) Coaching/Mentoring

One of the primary requirements for any Sales Management position is training. Nothing gives a Sales Leader more happiness when they see one of their teams (existing or old) go onto success. I have personally been delighted to see ex-colleagues from my teams achieve exactly what they wanted to - be it as Sales leads themselves, Managing Directors, Company owners and many who love what they do so much they have stayed on with great success and happiness. Every Sales head should be constantly mentoring, training, coaching and developing their teams at every opportunity..

7) Being Positive

How many times have we all been in companies that have had bad results, missed the Quarters number, embarked upon a redundancy program or had a structure change, etc.. Well, in these situations it is your job to be the voice of optimism and positivity. Sales people can reach spectacular highs .... but also they can descend to unbelievable lows - a true Sales Leader will be able to keep the team focused and delivering with a smile no matter what is happening around them.

8) Listening/Communication

You will not be good at some of the other key areas if you don't have the ability to listen, absorb what you hear, understand what is really being said and communicate back. Listening is a must-have skill for a Sales lead - be it in front of customers, suppliers or back in the office when having a coffee with a junior member of the team. Understanding what is happening is crucial and being able to communicate positive but realistic information to staff, the Board, suppliers, customers and others is an ability that is understated but 100% required.

9) Motivation

Whether you are talking about R&R (Reward and Recognition) or basic encouragement, you must always motivate your teams. You must make sure you are team are incentivised to do their jobs and are incentivised again to over achieve. You must ensure you understand when they are motivated and when they are not. If they are lacking in their inspiration, you need to be able to help them regain their confidence and you should always be there not to beat them with a 'target stick', but to lift them.

10) Continuous Learning

The perfect Sales person hasn't been born yet and therefore all of us need to learn from others around us at all times. Yes, you will need to keep up to date with industry trends, technological advancements and strategies but you also need to learn about the day to day requirements such as sales, customers, who your staff are, how they react to situations, what motivated them, what is making their job difficult and what new techniques can be utilised, etc.. If you stand still in Sales, you are basically running backwards!

I hope the above 'summarised' points have been useful and if you would like to hear anymore about any of the specific information above, or if you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact me on julianpatel@clivedenhouseconsulting.co.uk and I would be delighted to have a chat. As always stay safe and well..

Julian

Julian Patel

Cliveden House Consulting Ltd

www.clivedenhouseconsulting.co.uk