Sales management: the secrets of the best sales managers

Sales management is one of the strategic pillars of business success. By defining clear objectives, structuring sales processes and orchestrating the efforts of their teams, sales managers guarantee sustainable performance and growth. But how do you master all the facets of sales management to achieve your objectives? Here are the keys to success! a

Sales management covers all the actions, decisions and tools used to steer a company's sales activities. Its aim is to optimise the performance of sales teams by tailoring their efforts to the company's strategic objectives. Far from being limited to simply managing the figures, it is above all about building a collective vision, uniting teams and encouraging a mindset geared towards success. 

Several stakeholders are involved, directly or indirectly, in the commercial management of a company. Just like in an orchestra, everyone has a part to play: 

• The sales manager: like the conductor of an orchestra, the sales manager leads and coordinates the teams to achieve a common goal. 
• The sales people: field teams who are in direct contact with customers and have a precise understanding of their expectations. 
• Management: they steer the company's overall strategy and set the broad guidelines. 
• Support functions such as marketing, after-sales service and logistics play a key role in sales performance, and particularly in customer satisfaction. 

A sales manager is a professional with a wide range of responsibilities, including : 

• Setting and monitoring sales targets; 
• Building a sales team and leading it on a day-to-day basis; 
• Implementing a strategy tailored to the target market; 
• Monitoring sales performance using key performance indicators (KPIs): number of sales, turnover, customer satisfaction rate and lead conversion rate; 
• Link to Essential sales performance KPIs 
• Adapting to changes in the market and competitors' strategies; 
• Guarantee optimum customer satisfaction. 

Sales management is a discipline that requires cross-disciplinary skills. A good sales manager must be able to master : 

- Sales techniques: they have a good understanding of the sales cycles in their sector of activity and their customers' needs, and are comfortable negotiating; 

- Indicator management: they must be able to analyse data of all kinds and interpret it in order to adjust their sales strategy; 

- Digital tools such as CRM, dashboards and campaign analysis platforms are their allies in optimising sales performance; 

- Project management skills to effectively lead your teams and coordinate their efforts. 

As well as mastering technical skills, a sales manager needs to cultivate the human and interpersonal qualities that are essential to the job. These qualities include 

• Leadership, which is essential for inspiring and uniting teams over the long term, especially in difficult times; 
• Active listening, to understand the expectations of customers and employees alike; 
• Resilience, a particularly useful quality for rising to challenges and staying motivated in the face of adversity; 
• Agility  , to adapt to changes in the market and adjust strategy accordingly. 

A sales team is a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. To be effective, a sales team needs a clearly defined structure that is perfectly aligned with the company's strategy. This requires, among other things 

• A clear definition of each person's role by the sales manager; 
• An agile way of working, to ensure that processes run smoothly; 
• Good cooperation with the company's other departments. 

Sales strategy is a coherent, structured action plan designed to optimise a company's sales. A relevant sales strategy is based on : 

• A detailed analysis of the market and its different segments; 
• A benchmark of the competition; 
• A segmentation of customers in order to best meet their expectations; 
• A unique value proposition; 
• A clear, shared vision of short, medium and long-term objectives. 

Between rigour and flexibility, managing a sales team requires a subtle balance that is acquired and developed with experience. Here are the fundamental principles: 

- Motivating your teams 

Motivation is an essential driver of sales performance. It can be boosted by a number of factors, such as a stimulating working environment, bonuses for achieving results, and recognition by management for efforts made and successes achieved.  

- Promoting autonomy  

Encouraging sales teams to take the initiative helps to increase their involvement and motivation. This is a virtuous circle that involves greater delegation of responsibilities, the sharing of constructive feedback and individualised support where necessary. 

- Setting clear objectives 

Defining SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives enables each member of the team to understand what is expected of him or her, and the effort required to achieve it. 

- Giving meaning 

Providing a clear and transparent vision of the company's strategic objectives helps to align individual actions and stimulate commitment. This gives meaning to the sales approach, and makes it part of a global approach shared by everyone. 

- Being inspirational 

A good sales manager engages his teams through his leadership. Through their day-to-day attitude, they set an example and instil a winning mindset: determination, a taste for challenge and going the extra mile. 

- Valuing your teams 

Celebrate successes, from the most modest to the most spectacular. Thank teams for their efforts. Showing everyone that they play a key role in the collective success: these are all actions that enhance the value of your teams and boost sales performance. 

- Recruiting new talent 

This is a key challenge for any sales organisation. Putting in place a rigorous recruitment process is essential to identify profiles that are suited to the company's needs. Profiles that combine sales skills, interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt to internal methods. 

- Welcoming and training teams 

Whether it's new recruits or existing teams, training is an essential lever for upgrading skills and keeping up to date with the best sales techniques, new digital tools or changes in the company's product or service offering. 

There are certainly as many management styles as there are managers! Nevertheless, here are the types of sales management most frequently observed in companies:  

- Direct: a management style that can be useful for new employees or when the company is going through a period of crisis; 

• Participative: a management style that involves the team in decision-making, and has the merit of strengthening commitment; 
• Coaching: an approach that aims to support employees in their personal and professional development, particularly when they are taking up a new post; 
• Delegation: a type of management suited to senior, experienced and autonomous teams. 

Each of these management styles has its own advantages, depending on the company's specific context or situation. Sometimes, they can even be combined within the same team. On the other hand, other types of management, which are too old-fashioned, such as the paternalistic style, or even toxic, such as authoritarian management, should be avoided if you want to establish a lasting relationship of trust with your teams.  

The day-to-day life of a sales manager is full of challenges. The difficulties and issues to be resolved are inevitable, and require a good dose of diplomacy.  

The most common problems include: 

• Managing conflicts between employees; 
• Keeping motivation intact, even in turbulent times; 
• Responding to unforeseen customer or market developments; 
• Resolving communication difficulties between different departments. 

To monitor their sales performance and steer their business effectively, sales managers can rely on dedicated digital tools: 

• CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools such as Salesforce or HubSpot can be used to optimise customer relations, analyse a wealth of customer data and improve sales processes. 
• Performance analysis tools such as dashboards and Business Intelligence software offer a detailed, real-time view of the main sales performance KPIs. 
• Collaborative tools make it possible to coordinate teams working remotely and facilitate their day-to-day work; 
• E-learning solutions can be very useful for developing the skills of sales staff, while adapting to their constraints. 

Not everyone can succeed in sales management. It's a demanding job that requires a combination of several key success factors: business skills, great human qualities and mastery of high-performance digital tools. It's an exciting job that touches on a wide range of disciplines. It's also an essential pillar of any successful company. By uniting teams, sharing a clear vision with them and adapting their strategy to changes in their environment, sales managers are key to the company's growth. 

Are you a successful salesperson or sales manager in the IT equipment and services or leasing sectors? Would you like to be more autonomous in your business and earn a flat-rate income? The status of sales agent may be of interest to you. 

Econocom, the European leader in digital business transformation, is recruiting 100 sales agents across Europe.