17 Traits of Great Sales Managers: What the research says [Infographic]

 

In sales, numbers speak volumes.

Revenue is clearly a biggie. But that’s not all that makes a great sales manager. There are plenty of intangibles, too.

Here’s what researchers say are the qualities and traits of the greatest sales managers.

The 17 traits of great sales managers

• Hyper-focused. Top sales managers are 19% more self-disciplined, 20% more success-driven and 27% more priority-focused than average sales managers. (1)
• Superstars. Top sales managers hit their quota 88% of the time in their sales careers. (1)
• Control-conscious. 43% of top sales managers closely monitor, enforce or automate their sales process. (1)
• Hold salespeople accountable. 75% of top sales managers consistently measure performance and hold salespeople accountable for their quotas. (1)
• Salespeople respect them. 69% of salespeople who exceed quota say their manager is excellent or above average. (1)
• Over-deliver. Top sales managers don’t just meet quota. They’re good for 115% goal attainment. (2)
• Inspire salespeople. The best sales managers get 30% more of their salespeople to hit quota. (2)
• Better trained. Companies that earmark half of the sales training budget toward management training beat their goals by 15%. (3)
• Eliminate obstacles. Top sales leaders cut admin and pre-call work so salespeople spend almost 50% of their time with customers. (4)
• Constantly emphasize goals. They continuously communicate to their teams the business strategy, goals, why those are important and what salespeople gain by hitting targets. (5)
• Maximize technology. 87% make sure their teams use sales tools and available resources to maximize revenue. (5)
• Hire well. 72% rate their salespeople as excellent or above average. (Only half of the average sales managers said their teams were that good.) (1)
• Assess their teams regularly. 94% of the best sales leaders assess why top salespeople are successful. (Just 38% of average performers do it) … (5)
• Share best practices. 84% collect and share best practices across the sales and service teams to create a community of excellence. (5)
• Stay aligned. 94% of world-class sales leaders stay aligned with marketing on what customers want and need so they can increase sales. (6)
• Believe in social media. 71% make social media a priority with guidelines so salespeople get social professionally and successfully. (6)
• Put resources in right places. 93% are effective at putting the right resources in the right places to win large deals. (6)

Sources:

1. The 7 Attributes of the Most Effective Sales Leaders, Harvard Business Review
2. The Business Case for Better Sales Coaching, Michelle Vazzana, Vantage Point Performance
3. Research Report: Sales Manager Training, The Sales Management Association
4. Sales DNA Survey, McKinsey Analysis
5. 2017 CSO Insights World-Class Sales Practices Report, CSO Insights
6. Sales Best Practice Study, Miller Heiman Group