How do you become a strong leader? How do you encourage your team to be not just good, but great?  My guest today is an expert on managing sales teams and the author of Seven Steps to Success for Sales Managers: A Strategic Guide to Creating a Winning Sales Team Through Collaboration. Max Cates is here to discuss why sales managers should focus on continuous improvement, what separates the good managers from the bad, and using the Six Sigma process for eliminating defects and improving your team.

Episode Highlights:

• How Max Cates got started in sales management
• Discussing Seven Steps to Success for Sales Managers
• Why sales superstars make poor managers
• Implementing a tactical plan for your sales team
• The millennial sales team
• Six Sigma for sales
• The McKinsey Issue Tree
• Setting good stretch goals

Resources:

• Seven Steps to Success for Sales Managers: A Strategic Guide to Creating a Winning Sales Team Through Collaboration by Max Cates
• Six Sigma
• McKinsey Issue Tree
• Connect with Max Cates on Linkedin

Quotes/Tweets:

“Great salespeople usually make poor managers” - Max

“The lone wolf manager can’t manage a millennial sales team. They like collaboration.” - Max

‘It’s a lot easier to be a successful leader than it is to be a poor manager.”- Max

“Stretch, but don’t overstretch when you’re making goals” - Max