Summary
In this conversation, we discuss Steven's experience in sales management and his approach to developing people. We also touch on the challenges of transitioning from an individual contributor to a sales manager and the importance of setting standards and managing upwards. Steven shares his favourite coaching methodologies and books that have influenced his approach. He also shares his insights and advice on sales management generally, emphasising the importance of being a lifelong learner and continually seeking new information. He recommends books and podcasts, such as Jeb Blunt's 'Fanatical Prospecting' and Gary Gamp's 'The Company Doctor,' as valuable resources for sales professionals. Steven also discusses the key areas that sales leaders should focus on when coaching their teams, including sales skills, navigating the organization, understanding products and services, and understanding clients. He highlights the importance of setting standards, getting a coach, and focusing on coaching rather than doing deals as a sales manager.

Keywords
sales management, developing people, challenges, setting standards, managing upwards, coaching methodologies, books, sales management, lifelong learning, books, podcasts, coaching, sales skills, navigating the organization, products and services, understanding clients, setting standards

Key takeaways
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a sales manager can be challenging, and it's important to set standards and manage upwards effectively.
Sales managers should focus on developing their people and helping them fulfill their potential.
Coaching should be individualized, taking into account each person's drivers and motivators.
Setting standards and expectations is crucial for team success, and it's important to strike a balance between being a micromanager and allowing autonomy.
Managing upwards involves understanding the company's goals and aligning with leadership, while also maintaining professionalism and avoiding office politics.
There are various coaching methodologies and books that can be helpful, but it's important to adapt them to fit the organization and sales cycle.
Be a lifelong learner and continually seek new information
Recommend books and podcasts as valuable resources for sales professionals
Focus on coaching sales skills, navigating the organization, understanding products and services, and understanding clients
Set standards
Get a coach
Focus on coaching rather than doing deals as a sales manager

Sound Bites
"I think it's one of the most fun jobs that can be done, but I also think it's one of the most misunderstood roles in an organization.""There's nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequals.""Every effective salesperson knows that stakeholder management is critical and probably they're already good at it.""The world has changed. We've got so much access to information now.""To be successful, be a lifelong learner and continually keep looking for new information.""Sales is not just a communication stream. We all know two ears, one mouth."

In this conversation, Mike Slater discusses his journey into sales management and shares insights on what it takes to be a successful sales manager. He emphasizes the importance of being a great coach and developing strong relationships with team members. Mike also highlights the difference between skills and talent, stating that while skills can be taught, talent is innate. He advises new sales managers to focus on building relationships, finding mentors, and constantly learning and improving their craft. Additionally, he shares his thoughts on qualification and the use of methodologies like MEDPICC and deal scorecards. Mike discusses the importance of getting agreement from key decision makers and mobilizers in the sales process. He shares examples of deals where multiple versions of the business case were created to accommodate different decision makers. He also emphasizes the need for mobilizers (as opposed to “talkers”) who can make things happen and overcome obstacles. Mike highlights the value of regular pipeline reviews and daily check-ins towards the end of a sales cycle and to ensure deals stay on track. He suggests asking the question, 'What can stop this deal from happening?' to uncover potential obstacles proactively rather than being reactive too late down the road. Finally, he advises new sales managers to focus on performance management, coaching, and building a healthy pipeline.

Key Takeaways

·      Being a great coach and developing strong relationships with team members are key traits of successful sales managers.

·      Talent is innate, while skills can be taught.

·      New sales managers should build relationships with team members, find mentors, and constantly learn and improve their craft.

·      Qualification is crucial in sales. Using methodologies like MEDDPICC and deal scorecards can help in effectively qualifying deals.

·      Creating multiple versions of the business case can help accommodate different decision makers.

·      Mobilizers are essential in making deals happen and overcoming obstacles.

·      Asking 'What can stop this deal from happening?' uncovers potential obstacles.

·      New sales managers should focus on performance management, coaching, and building a healthy pipeline. Make quick decisions when it comes to hiring and firing salespeople to avoid wasting time and resources.

·      Set realistic milestones and assess performance early on to determine if someone is a good fit for the team.

·      Appreciate the customers buying dysfunction & coach customers on how to buy and engage with everyone in the buying center.

·      Don't hold onto underperforming team members for too long; it's better to have a hole in the team than an underperforming individual.

·      Focus on one key improvement area when coaching salespeople to maximize their performance.

Sound Bites

"You can give people skills, but you can never give them talent."

"26 versions of the business case and it wasn't that we got it wrong 25 times. It was because we took the business case to 25 or 26 different people and they all tweaked and therefore co-authored the business case!"

"A champion is a true mobilizer. So I use the term are they a mobilizer or just a talker? Now, a talker will be super positive, but they will never get your deal done. Whereas a mobilizer makes shit happen, right?"

"The cost of not making quick decisions."

"A hole in the team is better than having an asshole in the team."

"You get better performance out of spending time with your best people than with your not so good people."

Michael Rieskamp, Head of Trade Sales for Western Europe at J.P. Morgan, has a fascinating history as a banker specializing in trade finance, working capital financing, supply chain financing etc with major banks such as Citibank. He first moved into sales management at Taulia, a west coast based fintech where he was Head of Sales, and then Managing Director for Europe, and extended his experience at JP Morgan, focusing on the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) markets. A link to Michaels LindedIn page is pasted below.

In this conversation, Steve and Michael discuss sales management and the challenges of running a team across different countries. Michael shares his journey into sales management and emphasizes the importance of learning on the job and being able to work with people. 

They discuss the attributes of a successful sales manager, including being a good communicator, leading by example, and having the confidence to set direction. They also explore the rewards and challenges of sales management, such as building a successful team and dealing with cultural differences. Finally, they touch on the importance of regular communication and face-to-face interactions in managing a remote team. 

In this conversation, Michael and Steve discuss the challenges and responsibilities of being a sales manager. They emphasize the importance of time management, saying no to unnecessary demands, and setting aside time for reflection and strategic thinking. They also highlight the role of a sales manager as an ambassador within the organization, bridging the gap between the sales team and other departments. Michael shares insights on providing feedback and communicating effectively, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. 

The conversation concludes with Michael offering three tips for new sales managers: 

·      get to know your team

·      observe and be part of the action

·      stay flexible and open-minded.

Keywords

sales management, team building, leadership, cultural differences, remote team

Takeaways

·      Learning on the job and being able to work with people are key attributes of a successful sales manager.

·      Cultural differences and time zone challenges can impact team dynamics and require empathy and flexibility from the manager. Effective time management is crucial for sales managers to prioritize their tasks and reserve time for themselves.

·      Saying no to unnecessary demands is important to maintain focus and prevent burnout.

·      Reflection and strategic thinking are essential for sales managers to identify patterns, report important themes, and provide feedback to their team.

·      Providing feedback and communicating effectively require cultural sensitivity and the ability to separate feedback from personal criticism.

·      New sales managers should focus on getting to know their team, observing and being part of the action, and staying flexible and open-minded.

 Sound Bites

"I think the journey hasn't ended yet. I think there's always something to learn, there's always some work to do with people and whenever people come together there's always an element of leadership, thought leadership, skills which you can apply on your day-to-day job."

"Number one, somebody who really likes people and working with people. There are a lot of really good subject matter experts out there, really stars in their area of expertise, but maybe not exactly a leadership type person."

"The ability to build out a team, to really be part of team building process around all the different phases of building a team, norming, storming, performing..

More at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rieskamp-825342b3/

Summary

In this conversation, Steve and Neil discuss sales management, particularly in the context of managing a partner or channel-based sales team. Neil shares his journey into sales management and highlights the key characteristics of a successful sales manager, including curiosity, empathy, and the ability to hire and develop people. They also discuss the importance of involving the team in building the plan and the challenges of managing a channel-based sales team. Neil emphasizes the need to listen for the 'squeaky wheels' and address any concerns or valid opinions. They also touch on the differences between vendors and partners in terms of mindset and focus. In this conversation, Neill Burton shares his insights on managing partner sales teams and the importance of trust, belief in the product, and long-term relationships. He emphasizes the need for consistency, integrity, and curiosity in partner salespeople. Neill also discusses the challenges of forecasting and the importance of asking the right questions. He shares his biggest mistake as a sales manager, which was not keeping people on board during a transformation, and his biggest triumph, which was developing a junior salesperson into a successful leader. 

Keywords

sales management, partner management, channel-based sales, characteristics of a sales manager, involving the team, managing a channel-based team, partner sales, trust, belief, long-term relationships, consistency, integrity, curiosity, forecasting, transformation, development, mistake, triumph

Takeaways

Successful sales managers possess characteristics such as curiosity, empathy, and the ability to hire and develop people.

Involving the team in building the plan leads to better quality plans and increased buy-in.

Listening for 'squeaky wheels' and addressing concerns or valid opinions is crucial for effective sales management.

Managing a channel-based sales team requires a different mindset and focus compared to managing a vendor-based team.

Vendors often have a fixation on quarterly results, while partners have longer and broader relationships with customers. Trust and belief in the product are crucial for partner salespeople to sell with the same ferocity as the vendor.

Consistency, integrity, and curiosity are important traits for partner salespeople.

Forecasting can be improved by asking the right questions and creating a developmental and inspirational process.

One of the biggest mistakes as a sales manager is not keeping people on board during a transformation.

One of the biggest triumphs as a sales manager is developing a junior salesperson into a successful leader.

Sound Bites

"You have to be comfortable in hiring and developing people to do a job better than you can do yourself."

"Build your plan with your team."

"Your number one priority in the morning is not just hitting your number, but making sure that every one of your direct and indirect reports are successful."

"Partners need to sell based on long-term trust."

"Partners get paid on profit and service attach."

"The partner sales model requires translating what's important to the vendor and what's important to the partner."

“Make sure everyone is on the bus”

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neill-burton-675b2b/ 

The conversation begins with a discussion about the challenges and rewards of sales management. Bobbi shares her journey into sales management, the surprises she encountered, and the rewards she finds in helping people succeed. The conversation also touches on the importance of communication, learning, and authenticity in sales management. The conversation covers insights and tips for sales management, including the importance of learning from others, the evolution of sales management, the role of sales enablement, and the challenges of managing experienced team members. The conversation also delves into the mistakes made as a sales manager and the lessons learned from them. The conversation covers various topics related to sales management, recruitment challenges, leadership recommendations, training approaches, innovation, and the impact of development funding. It also delves into the character of a sales manager and the importance of trust and integrity.

Keywords

sales management, challenges, rewards, communication, learning, authenticity, leadership, development, sales management, sales enablement, team management, learning, mistakes, insights, growth mindset, sales management, recruitment challenges, leadership, training approaches, innovation, development funding, character of a sales manager, trust, integrity

Key Takeaways

·      Sales management presents challenges in transitioning from individual contributor to manager.

·      The rewards of sales management include seeing people thrive, building relationships, and achieving success.

·      Effective communication, continuous learning, and authenticity are key attributes of successful sales managers. Learning from experienced sales managers is valuable for gaining insights and tips.

·      Sales management has evolved, and the role of sales enablement is crucial for adding value to sales organizations.

·      Managing experienced team members can be challenging, and it's important to have a growth mindset and seek insights from the team.

·      Avoid disregarding your gut feeling when hiring, as good enough is not good enough for the team's success. Recruitment challenges for new sales managers

Sound Bites

"Well, seeing people start to thrive and do really well and going on to have different careers, other, you know, seeing somebody say challenge or put forward an argument where maybe they were quiet or having changed an approach within a sales meeting when you know you might have helped them realize that or coach them a little."

"I think I've made the same mistake a couple of times. Okay, so I'll admit this, at multiple times since being 20 to, maybe I gave this up and yeah, maybe I stopped making this mistake 15 years ago, but I certainly made it a number of times. And that is do not disregard your gut when it comes to the right person to hire."

"particularly if you're a new sales manager you've got two or three open slots you haven't got your target covered"

"innovative ideas and puts forward contradictory arguments, which I think is useful in business to hear, hear somebody contradict but put forward arguments or points that maybe don't get taken forward, but as a result are enriching for the greater to comprehend you've actually tried and thought about other options"

To discover more about Bobbi's background, go to her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiheath/

This conversation covers topics related to sales management, challenges and rewards of sales management, and personal development in sales management. It also delves into the application of sales methodologies and the importance of understanding customer pain points. In this conversation, Richard Bounds shares insights on sales management, including decision-making processes, sales team meetings, and the purpose of QBRs and ABRs. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, managing business processes, and maintaining a structured approach to sales management. Richard also highlights the value of mentorship and the need for new sales managers to prioritize and focus on key initiatives. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to sales management, leadership, and personal experiences. It delves into the challenges, mistakes, and lessons learned in sales management.

Keywords

sales management, challenges, rewards, personal development, sales methodologies, customer pain points, sales management, decision-making, sales team meetings, QBR, ABR, customer needs, business processes, mentorship, prioritization, sales management, leadership, mistakes, lessons learned, recommendations, personal experiences

Takeaways

Insight into the challenges and rewards of sales management

The importance of personal development in sales management

Application of sales methodologies and understanding customer pain points Understanding customer needs is crucial for effective sales management.

Maintaining a structured approach to sales management is essential for success.

Mentorship and coaching can provide valuable guidance for new sales managers.

Prioritization and focus on key initiatives are important for new sales managers.

Regular team meetings and QBRs/ABRs help in understanding the state of the business and identifying areas for improvement. The importance of taking time to think before acting in sales management

Learning from mistakes and experiences in sales management

Sound Bites

"I like it when people come for help and if they come for help they think you can actually help them and that's quite a nice feeling."

"Understanding customer needs is crucial for effective sales management."

"The purpose of QBRs and ABRs is to take stock of the business and identify areas for improvement."

"Mentorship and coaching are essential for new sales managers to navigate the changing landscape of sales management."

"You need to carve out that bit of time for you to think it through before you can start acting."

"Sometimes people get too detailed and don't really see kind of the bigger picture."

LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbounds1/

In this conversation, Steve and Mark discuss sales management and the challenges and skills required to be successful in this role. Mark shares his journey into sales management and the importance of having a background in sales. They also discuss the characteristics of a successful sales manager, including confidence, communication skills, and motivation. Mark emphasizes the importance of teamwork and compares a sales team to a tug of war, where everyone needs to work together in rhythm. They also touch on the challenges of transitioning from being a teammate to a manager and the need for emotional intelligence in managing people. Mark reflects on his biggest mistake in the first year of sales management, which was focusing too much on the team and not enough on representing the business. In this conversation, Mark Petty shares his insights on building trust and effective teamwork as a sales manager. He emphasizes the importance of integrity, consistency, and communication in building trust with team members. Mark also discusses the role of the sales manager in fostering collaboration across different departments within the organization. He highlights the need for sales managers to be personable and build relationships with individuals in other teams. Mark provides advice for new sales managers, including the importance of strong communication skills, being personable, and conducting thorough interviews.

Keywords

sales management, sales team, teamwork, communication, motivation, leadership, emotional intelligence, trust, teamwork, sales manager, communication, integrity, consistency, collaboration, personable, interview

Takeaways

Having a background in sales is important for success in sales management.

Successful sales managers possess traits such as confidence, communication skills, and motivation.

A sales team should work together in rhythm, similar to a tug of war.

Transitioning from being a teammate to a manager requires emotional intelligence.

Representing the business's interests is crucial for sales managers.

Balancing the needs of the team and the business is a challenge in sales management. Building trust is crucial for effective teamwork as a sales manager.

Integrity, consistency, and communication are key in building trust with team members.

Sales managers should foster collaboration across different departments within the organization.

Being personable and building relationships with individuals in other teams is important for sales managers.

Strong communication skills, being personable, and conducting thorough interviews are essential for new sales managers.

Sound Bites

"I would probably say tug of war."

"Exiting the wrong people and bringing in the right people."

"Just because you have to exit people, it doesn't mean you have to be obnoxious, rude, cold."

"When you become a first line manager, you're managing this team, but you're also part of a management team."

"I'm the guy at the front, right? So I'm the guy who's leading from the front."

"Supplement the weakness, you know, if you've got somebody who is, you know, you've got two colleagues maybe, one is superb at telemarketing, the other is superb at presenting, team them up together and let them learn from each other."

More about Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpetty/

This short episode introduces the realsalesmanager project and this podcast series